Bad Man From Bodie

This is probably my favorite novel of all time, and one of the few which I read regularly. While some might describe this as a no-nonsense Western, I disagree. It completely transcends the genre in the same way and with the same purpose as _High Noon_. In fact, I would call it the inverse of that story, for it is really about the cost of cowardice instead of the rewards of courage. Sadly, the central character is no Gary... Read Full Review

As hopeless as a town that will always burn. Doctrow's novel is sleek and powerful, not just an American story, but the story of all society, building up and breaking down, of the dirty nature of the human soul, and the little spots of light that try to burn bright; a story in which the democratic mass is dangerous and the philosopher king is not as powerful as he aught to be, and the Bad Man from Bodie, like the Lord of... Read Full Review

This is Doctorow's first novel, and after reading it, you see from the very beginning he was a great writer. It's an ambitious treatment of evil, cowardice, love and family, wrapped up in an great western tale (of the spaghetti type). The Bad Man destroys the town and everyone in it in the first few pages. After that the human spirit thrives (sort of) as a few attempt to rebuild the town and their lives. And look for redemption... Read Full Review

For the better part of the novel he has no name, he is simply referred to as the Bad Man from Bodie. And in Welcome To Hard Times harrowing first few pages he single handedly rapes, vandalises and burns an entire town. He never says a word. He is, as one character descibes him "a force of nature, like the weather", an inexplicable destructive force that strikes at random. Those who survive the Bad Man's wrath choose... Read Full Review

This is Doctorow's sleeper novel. It hasn't received much critical attention in comparison to his other works, but this one is a real gem. It provides us with a picture of what kind of hardscrabble existence the western settlers actually endured, as opposed to the sanitized images Hollywood has provided us. The only other author I've seen perform this so effectively is Harte Crane. The characters are stereotypes (the bullying... Read Full Review