ANNOTATION #4: Western

 

Redeye: A Western

Clyde Edgerton

1996

256 pages

Penguin Books

Synopsis: A motley crew of characters populate the remote region of Mumford Rock, Colorado in 1892. A ragged vigilante cowboy, a Mormon zealot, an opportunistic pitchman, a few amateur archaeologists and one mean red-eyed dog are a few of the parties interested in the excavation of the ancient cliff dwelling discovered on the nearby mesa. The historic Mountain Meadows Massacre also plays a role in the ultimate confrontation at the ruins. Edgerton displays a knack for authentic dialogue, telling this quirky tale through multiple voices and short vignettes. The gentle observations of the orphan Bumpy Copeland add a thoughtful element to the sometimes slapstick humor. Redeye offers the reader a Wild West that is as odd as it is adventurous. 

Western Appeal: Landscape is the lifeblood of the western novel. Wyatt and Saricks wrote, “Indeed, the openness and the infinite possibilities of the landscape make possible all that follows in these novels...” (p. 152). Edgerton gives the reader a landscape so vast that, “...if my raised arm and pointed finger slowly moved in an entire circle with my finger flat on the horizon line, there never would have been a single tiny bump to break the line, a line as straight as the line upon the surface of the water” (p. 12). Edgerton characterizes familiar archetypal western figure like the cowboy, the rancher, the Native American, the shady entrepreneur, and the unmarried governess. However, the “good” guys and the “bad” guys are not so easy to distinguish; everyone has an angle. Edgerton’s novel doesn’t dispense entirely with the traditional western triumph of justice (Redeye gets his bite of vengeance) but for the most part the future marches on in moral ambiguity. The old cowboys mourn intrusions of modernity but in truth the wild west has already been co-opted into a show charging admission. 

Pacing: The novel opens with pages from a “Guidebook to the Mesa Largo Tourist Expedition,” written after the main events of the novel and describing a tourist opportunity for a trek to the “world-famous cliff dwelling” where a shootout took place in 1892. The reader spends the novel learning the details surrounding this event. Although the action is a bit all over the place and the perspective changes often, introducing new narrators throughout the story, the ultimate result is a quickly paced story full of antics. 

Tone: The tone of this novel is funny and offbeat from start to finish (there’s even a sub-plot about exploding corpses). The stakes are never too high or dangerous. Unlike many stories in the western genre, this novel is on the lighthearted side.

Writing Style: Edgerton’s writing style uses the first-person voice of each narrator to present different character perspectives. The jargon and colorful language familiar to western readers is on display here and the speech of the characters is authentic to the time and place. In addition to shifting viewpoints among the players, Edgerton includes epistolary elements such as letters home to England, articles from the local newspaper, and the future brochure of the Blankenship Enterprises tourist campaign. 

Read Alikes: 

Telegraph Days, by Larry McMurty 

• This book shares the appeal of crafty characters and a humorous tone in a tale about taming the old west.  

Wild Justice, by Loren D. Estelman 

• Set in the same time period, this western will appeal to readers who enjoyed the fast pace and well-crafted dialogue of Redeye. 

Razor Girl, by Carl Hiassen 

• Hiassen’s South Florida landscape is just as wild as the west and populated by as many eccentric characters, offering plenty of action and humor. 

Non-Fiction:

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Juanita Brooks 

• Readers whose curiosity was piqued by the references in Redeye can find out what really happened in this definitive study.

Mesa Verde: The History of the Ancient Pueblo Settlement, by Jesse Harasta & Charles River (eds.) 

• Edgerton was inspired by the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings; this book covers the origins of the settlement up to its establishment as a National Park. 

Mesa Verde Soundscapes [Music CD] by Jill Haley 

• Composed while an artist-in-residence at Mesa Verde National Park, Haley performs on a range of instruments to convey the sights and sounds of the ancient pueblo.

Reference:

Wyatt, N. and Saricks, G. (2019). The Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. (#3). ALA Editions.