Monday, November 26, 2007

Public Readers

I confess, I'm always interested when I see somebody reading in public, and I usually try to sneak a look at the book so I can see what they're reading. Most of the time it's something by Danielle Steel, James Patterson, etc., but today while I was walking in one of the local malls I spotted an older fellow (older than me, anyway) sitting on a bench reading a paperback called WAGON TRAIN WEST. I could see the title but not the author. It looked to be a pretty beat-up copy, but the yellow spine was distinctive enough I thought it was a Gold Medal. Sure enough, when I got home I had to look it up, and it was indeed a Gold Medal, from 1959, by a pretty good Western writer named William Heuman. I was going to post a cover scan but couldn't find one on-line. I have no idea why I find stuff like this fascinating, but I do.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Because it restores our faith that there are still some smart western readers out there!

And it was a beat-up copy because the older fellow has already read everything by Louis L'Amour -- whose books the marketing boys have convinced the retailers and publishers are the only westerns of that era worthy of new, thirtysomethingth printings.

Anonymous said...

Some of the first Westerns I ever read, as a boy, were by William Heuman, and he helped turn me into me a Western fan. I think the very first Heuman novel I read was "Captain McRae," and I still remember how much I enjoyed it. In fact, I still remember where I bought the book, off an old fashioned wire rack. I have most of Heuman's paperbacks, including Wagon Train West. I need to get back to reading him someday.

pattinase (abbott) said...

This is something that drives me crazy (what someone is reading) and I will do gyrations to see what the title is. Funny how often the reader seems to want it hidden though. Just last week I saw someone reading Little Men. Two weeks earlier, Daddy Longlegs. Fabulous.

Charles Gramlich said...

Always nice to see someone reading.

James Reasoner said...

In this era when so few people read, I like to see anybody reading anything.

I've read a couple of Heuman's Western novels and several of his pulp stories and thought all of them were very good. I always pick up his books when I come across them.

The last Western I remember seeing someone reading in public before this one was THE OUTLAW by Max Brand. That was in an orthopedic surgeon's office, for whatever that's worth. Of course, I read in public quite a bit because I always take a book with me whenever I go most places, just in case I have to wait even a few minutes.

Anonymous said...

Here in the Northeast, I've never seen anyone reading a western, old or new, Louis L'Amour or not. Lots of the latest serial killer novels, though, or whatever Tom Clancy-ish type of book is in favor at the moment.

Juri said...

I'd like to see myself reading something. Man, I've read some pretty obscure stuff in public - translations of Midwood sleaze paperbacks while cycling in the gym, for example...

A Heuman western is a pretty good find. I've only read some pulp stories by him, but they were good.

James Reasoner said...

You'd think Fort Worth would be a good area for Western readers, but I've never found that to be the case. People around here seem to be much more likely to be mystery and romance readers, with a smattering of folks who read fantasy of the Robert Jordan/Terry Goodkind type.