Comstock Lode: A Novel

I just finished reading Comstock last week, when I happened to be up in the California gold country myself. I'm a garden writer, author of 5 published books, and I was in Placer County, speaking to the Auburn Garden Club. The town of Auburn, which sits in the middle of the gold rush's richest territory, is a neat place, one to visit if you get the chance. I noticed too that there is still a very busy mining supply store right on one of Auburn's main streets. There's still gold and silver being found up there!

But I digress: All of us who read Louis L'Amour's Westerns have probably noticed that while all of them are fun to read, some are certainly better than others. I thought that Comstock was darn good, and certainly one of the best of his books set in California. If you enjoy a fast-paced, action packed Western, I expect you'll like Comstock. I recommend it!

Louis L'Amour's sudden stand-alone chapter on the main villian, Albert Hesketh, and his background, boyhood, and the way he became ruthless and amoral, is worth the price of the book. It breaks into the narrative abruptly towards the end, and although it's been years since I read "Comstock Lode", that one interlude stands out in my mind, to this day. That sort of thing is what set L'Amour apart from the rest of the pack in the "Western" dime novel genre.

AFTER READING THIS BOOK, I WAS COMPLETELY IN AWE OF MR.L'AMOUR WRITINGS. I WAS HOOKED AND READ AS MANY BOOKS BY HIM THAT I COULD GET MY HANDS ON. I DO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD COLLECTION OF HIS WRITINGS. HE IS ONE OF THE FEW AUTHORS THAT WHEN HE WRITES ABOUT A CAMPFIRE SCENE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SMELL THE BEANS, BACON AND BISCUITS COOKING. SO SAD WHEN HE PASSED ON.

A great western novel.
The gold rush.
The economic boom.
A story of revenge. What stories! A psychological profile of the murderer remarkably painted by Louis L'Amour. In further action on more than 400 pages.
A great western. One of the best.

Louis L'Amour paints a fantastic picture of a young man seeking revenge for his parents' killing, a destiny in the new west and the love of a young woman as tortured by her past as he is. Covering Trevallion's rise from childhood to the owner of a mine, it's an engrossing plot and read.

Comstock Lode is classic Louis L'amour. This book is extremely enjoyable and fast-paced. If you are just starting out on Louis, this book will not steer you wrong, it is a perfect example of his genius.