The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry

 

“Bat Masterson claims you're the best pistol shot in the West,” Doc said. “He says you can hit a coyote at four hundred yards.”

“Hell, I couldn't even see a dang coyote if it was that far away, unless they painted it red,” Wyatt said. “Bat should let me do my own bragging if he can't manage to be credible.”

“All right then, what's the furthest distance you could hit a fat man?” Doc persisted, determined to get at least the elements of conversation out of the taciturn Wyatt, who ignored the question.

Here we have the esteemed Mr. McMurtry’s last western. It is a slim volume in comparison with his epic work.

Slim in scale but not necessarily in scope of inclusion.

McMurtry has packed the tale with real life personages, from Wyatt Earp, to Doc Holliday, to Buffalo Bill, Quanah Parker, Charlie Goodnight and many many more.

The people may have existed and some of the situations are true but, the author has seen fit to fiddle with timelines, meetings and events to suit his whim.

It reminds me of Quentin Tarantino killing Hitler in Inglorious Basterds or likewise killing Manson in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; the people are real, as is some of the history, but clearly, not all of it.

McMurtry calls this work a “ballad in prose whose characters are afloat in time.”

It may not match the power of the Lonesome Dove quartet of novels, but there is more than enough of the McMurtry talent on display for fans of the man to go along with his joshing of history.

Brief, definitely McMurtry, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.