Mountain Man: A Novel of Male and Female in the Early American West: Amazon.ca: Richard W. Etulain, Vardis Fisher: Books

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Product Description

Book Description

Tailored after the actual "Crow Killer" John Johnson, Sam Minard is a mountain man who seeks the freedom that the Rocky Mountains offers trappers. After his beloved Indian wife is murdered, Sam Minard becomes obsessed with vengeance, and his fortunes become intertwined with those of Kate Bowden, a widow who faces madness. This remarkable frontier fiction captures that brief season when the romantic myth of the far West became a fact.

About the Author

Vardis Fisher was the author of more than thirty-five books, including Tale of Valor: A Novel of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Children of God: An American Epic, Pemmican, and (with Opal Laurel Holmes) Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West. Richard W. Etulain is Professor of History at the University of New Mexico.

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A RENAISSANCE MAN IN THE AMERICAN WEST, Feb 13 2004

By	D. McAllister "MRD" (Somewhere in the Field) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Man (Mass Market Paperback)

MOUNTAIN MAN continues to be a classic in American Western literature. The major foundation for the movie, Jeremiah Johnson, MOUNTAIN MAN tells the story of Samuel John Minard, a mountain man known for his physical prowess and for his quick and educated intellect. A renaissance man who has chosen the life of the great American West.

In his adventures Sam meets up with Indians of various tribes, other mountain men and a crazy pilgrim woman. HIs marriage to an Indian maiden leads him into a one-man war with sweeping consequences for himself and for his enemies.

MOUNTAIN MAN, as is the case with most books upon which movies are based, considerably outshines JEREMIAH JOHNSON in its story and characterizations. But, hey, I love the movie as well. I guess that says a lot aobut what I think of the book.

THE HORSEMAN

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5.0 out of 5 stars THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL, Aug 25 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mountain Man: A Novel of Male and Female in the Early American West (Library Binding)

Mountain Man

Interestingly Larry McMurtry has written three books of late that invite the reader back to the time of the Mountain Men. I've read all of them and while I love McMurtry's writing and the stories presented in Boone's Lick and in volumes 1 and 2 of the new Berry bender series, there is nothing like going back to the source for the real experience.

I first read Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher as a teenager. I read it in conjunction with the release of Jeremiah Johnson upon which the book is loosely based. At that time I was captured by this genre and have made a regular reading of Mountain Man a part of my program.

While I can enthusiastically recommend the newer editions to the Mountain Man genre, I would encourage interested parties in taking a look at Mountain Man first. While you're at it, rent or buy Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford. The experience will be one that you don't regret.

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3.0 out of 5 stars interesting but has flaws, Jun 22 2003

By	"linguist-guy" (boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Man (Mass Market Paperback)

Quite interesting book, whose literary value I won't judge, but it has every rumor about Indians and every lie about Supermountainmen incorporated into it. I read it because of the movie, and the movie was better. If you ask me, Thorp's "Crow Killer" is more concise and more realistic. But if you are a West fan, guess you will want to read Fischer too.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetry and Beauty
This was the first book I had read by Vardis Fisher. He is a very colorful writer. His descriptions of every thing he sees and everything he thinks is wonderful. Read more

Published on May 22 2003 by Max Inman

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Adventure Story....
A WELL WRITTEN, brutally graphic tale based on the brief era of the mountain men. Though published several decades ago, the writing is fresh and excitingly paced. Read more

Published on May 9 2002 by James Poe

5.0 out of 5 stars A Phenonemal Adventure
The story of Sam Minard, based on the life of the 'Crow Killer,' the real Jeremiah Johnson, is a beautiful tale that combines the reality of the life of the mountain men in its... Read more

Published on Aug 3 2001 by Kekoa Gabriel

3.0 out of 5 stars Remake of the "Crow Killer"
This book is a redo of Thorp's "CROW KILLER" liver-eating Johnson. The name was changed to Sam but it was about Jeremy Johnson.

Published on April 18 2001 by Frank Cole