Last Go Round: Amazon.ca: Ken Kesey: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Based on a childhood campfire tale, Kesey and Babbs attempt to recreate the Old West in their story of a black cowboy, a Nez Perce Indian and a young white boy who vie for the first world title of broncbuster.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The genesis of Kesey's latest effort lies in a campfire story, told to him by his father, about the 1911 Pendleton (Oregon) Round-up and the crowning of the "first" world champion "broncbuster," Jonathan E. Lee Spain. Whether Spain actually deserved to win was the subject of some controversy. His chief rivals were a Nez Perce Indian and an African American, both of whom gave memorable performances, but who apparently were not, in the minds of some, "suitable" exemplars of the cowboy myth. The fuzziness of the acutal historical record allows Kesey and Babbs "to conjure our three spectral riders out of the old tall tales" and to present the event from the perspective of Spain as he comes head to head with questions of race, power, and values. Their story is full of memorable characters and entertains in a way that should appeal to a much broader audience than most of Kesey's recent work. This vintage Kesey-his best effort since Sometimes a Great Notion (1964)-will likely engender much interest. A worthy addition to any academic, public, or even high school library.
--David W. Henderson, Eckerd Coll. Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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t was a picture of you, matter of fact, on the front page of an Oregonian sports section. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars Not Kesey's best but still worth a read, Jul 8 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Last Go Round (Hardcover)

I agree that this isn't Kesey's best work, but I have a personal reason for loving this book -- my great-Grandfather Parsons Motanic is a character (and he was a character) in this novel. Kesey never claimed that this was a true and factual account of the Pendleton round up, and he apologized to the people of Pendleton for taking liberties with the story. He got most of the details regarding my great-Grandfather wrong but I still enjoy the book and absolutely love that Kesey and Babbs included a picture of Parsons Motanic in the book. The narrative is jerky (much like motion pictures of the time) but some of the language is lyrical and almost lives up to Kesey's early works.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Dime Novel or a History,, Jun 8 2004

By	James H. Sutton (Des Moines, IA (USA)) - See all my reviews

this novel recycles fact into fiction to create a tale about the original Pendleton Roundup. There's a heap of synthesis here, from oral and written histories, old photographs, interviews, newspaper articles and conversations. Kesey connects them and supplies imaginary material to create a farce with a gonzo tilt, as if he were on acid and explaining to Hunter Thompson. Kesey uses local color well and has an ear for period phrases, even when slapping them on with a palate knife, but that's the fun of it--watching Kesey stretch his brain around facts. The book is really about the author and how he chooses to indulge himself, not about what happened in Pendleton or what the reader should think about what went on there. In fact, the way Kesey jumps from one time frame to another shows how little he's concerned with keeping things straight for the reader. This book is bent. You can enjoy its distortions or look away, but you can't deny the brilliance or uniqueness of its colors. One burr under my saddle is that his cowboys aren't as "strong, silent and truthful" as I'd expect. Pendleton must have been far more polite and stuffy than Kesey lets on. But bizarre distortion reflects his intention of zonking out on history until it assumes a form more pleasing to him. In taking this trail, he proves that the humblest writer scribblng a dime novel from dubious fact is more of an author than all the librarians at the Library of Congress. The point, after all, is the mind in the act of making the mind. If connections seem bizarre, well, that's just Kesey taking on reality, whether the time is now or a century ago.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Not Kesey's best, but worthwhile all the same, Jul 27 2003

By	J. Remington "John Remington" (Adams, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

During an interview on Bravo TV's excellent series INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO, Dennis Hopper (an artistic, historical and spiritual brother of Ken Kesey) shared a brilliant anecdote illustrating the nature of art. While teaching a lesson on painting, Thomas Hart Benton told Dennis Hopper to "Think loose and paint tight".

The late Ken Kesey's unique literary gifts and contributions lay in his incredible ability to "think loose and write tightly."

In both of his great works, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, as well as some of his journalistic writing, Kesey brilliantly channeled magnificent, electric, free-floating, randomly abstract and stream of conscious ideas into tight, elegant sentences. Kesey forged the missing link between the spontaneous prose of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs and the Beats with the laser-like precision of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.

While LAST GO ROUND certainly makes for a fast and fun read, it does not represent his finest work. Attempting to write a combination camp fire story/dime store novel Kesey allows himself to invert his precious balance.

Thinking tightly in the surprisingly demanding genre bounds of oral history and pulp, Kesey simply tries too hard. LAST GO ROUND lacks the spontaneous element of creation that courses throughout all his greatest work. Creatively he appears to be straining and reaching for ideas that should come easily.

While the creativity seems pushed, the writing itself appears unpolished and unfocused, relatively devoid of the razor sharp perceptions that one expects from a great author.

Ultimately though, this is really a small matter. Based on a historical event- The first Pendleton Round-Up (based in my hometown), Kesey does infuse his narrative with rich local color and texture. Having met the real George Fletcher when he was aged and in a nursing home, the story also has strong personal connections for me. That, and my personally autographed copy of the book from the late Kesey makes LAST GO ROUND a valued sentimental possession.

Not a classic by any stretch, but certainly worth reading. Especially for fans of Kesey.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a dime western, not a history book!
I must take issue with Pati Reitenour's complaint that the book was not historically accurate. I'm sure that's true, but that is why it is a "dime western. Read more

Published on Mar 30 2001 by Steve Premo

3.0 out of 5 stars Caution History is Not Always As It Seems
This Ken Kesey story is a mix of truth and fiction. Located in Pendleton, OR in 1911 at the original rodeo or Round Up as it is still called. Read more

Published on Dec 23 2000 by Howard L. Dixon

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as authentic as you think...
Mr. Kesey evidently did not research the abundant material available for basic facts. John Abraham Spain, 1881 - 1927, was the winner of the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up and was at... Read more

Published on Jul 11 2000 by Pati Reitenour

1.0 out of 5 stars Correction of facts.
Mr. Kesey has made a grievous error in his book. I am the great-neice of John Spain, the winner of the 1911 Pendleton Round-up title discussed therein. Mr. Read more