The second significant stop on my first foray into western lands was Hildale, Utah. Never heard of it? I hadn’t either, but it’s where I could find the cheapest hotel for visiting Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. It is a town smaller than the pinprick you’d get on your thumb by trying to pin it on a map. I hated it, but it was worth the beautiful views. After Hildale, I did visit Salt Lake City for a few days as well, but that was significantly less fun for me. Not only did my car battery die, but I was practically accosted by an elderly man hitting on me in a liquor store. Don’t worry, though, he bought plenty of rum to soothe his pride.
Finding a book relevant to Utah wasn’t terribly difficult. A few options popped up when I googled “books about Utah”, and I just ran with it from there. I’d wanted to read The Monkey Wrench Gang because it sounds absolutely wicked, but alas they did not have it at the local library. However, they did have my second choice which was Silver Canyon by Louis L’Amour. I was actually quite excited about this because, as you can guess from the title, it’s a western. In fact, it’s the first western I’ve ever read.
My main takeaway from Silver Canyon is that the actions people take throughout the novel can be described as follows: Don’t like someone? Shoot ’em. Like someone? Friend ’em. Love someone? Marry ’em. At least, this seems to be the philosophy our main character follows. He’s lean, scruffy, and quick with a gun. After wandering around the country his whole life, he’s ready to settle down in the small town of Silver Canyon and marry the girl of his dreams. There’s just one problem: after only his first day in town, everyone wants him dead.
I described this book to my mom as “James Bond if he were a cowboy” to which she said “James Bond was a cowboy once, in Cowboys and Aliens.” There’s your joke for today.
What I didn’t realize when I gave that description was how accurate it is. There’s gunfights, explosions, espionage (sort of), and a beautiful young woman. Not to mention, the main character’s name is Matt Brennan. While it doesn’t follow the monosyllabic pattern, it is equally as quotidian. Mr. Brennan also has the quiet confidence most Bond-ians are familiar with, as well as a plethora of dimwitted enemies. So, I’m officially making the claim: Silver Canyon is James Bond with cowboys. And I kind of loved it.
The book itself is set in the southern part of Utah in desert/canyon lands. I can only imagine our cowboy would’ve ridden by sights like the one pictured above while going from place to place. There are several accounts of him setting up camp and sleeping under the vast, star-lit sky. I myself prefer a shower and a cozy bed, but I can see the appeal of the outlaw lifestyle. Also, after hiking thirteen miles in Zion, I can confidently say riding through the park by horse would’ve been quite nice.
The plot is engaging and there are plenty of thrills to be had, but there are also several aspects of this book that don’t make a whole lot of sense. For one, Brennan tells his love interest he’s going to marry her the very first time they meet. That’s sweet, I guess, but not really how that works. There’s also a distinct difference between dying in a gunfight and being murdered. Everyone in this town is ridiculously trigger happy, so there are gunfights constantly, but no one goes to jail. This combination leads to a lot of people dying for very little reason. Lastly, Brennan never bathes. I think he goes to the barber one time, and who’s going to cut your hair when the rest of you smells like sweat and manure?
If I chalk up the incessant gunfights and lack of personal hygiene to unavoidable tropes of westerns, I can say the rest of the novel is pretty charming. L’Amour often gives scenic depictions of the canyons (some like the one pictured above) and surrounding desert land. His wording is terse and selective which creates a paint-by-numbers experience so your imagination has a chance to fill in the blanks. At times the wording is repetitive and dry, but the story is fast-paced enough to make up for any blandness. There are even a few nuggets of wisdom tucked away in all the excitement and suspense.
One thing this trip has allowed me to do is explore books I probably wouldn’t have picked up before. Maybe I’ll do a series where I read a popular book from each state so that I can keep stepping outside my comfort zone. Regardless, I can now say I’ve read a western, and I’m glad to have done so.
So, should you read it? Well, the copy of Silver Canyon I checked out of the library was only 164 pages and I finished the entire book in about two hours. I think a book like this is perfect for after you’ve read something really dense and need to give your mind a break. Or, if you really like cowboys. Otherwise, though it isn’t a bad book by any means, you’ll be safe giving it a pass.
Pony up, y’all.
The Lit Wiz