Robert J. Randisi, ed., Livin’ on Jacks and Queens
This is an entertaining anthology of 14 stories about gamblers and
gambling in the Old West. Editor Randisi has assembled a notable gathering of
western writers, providing an array of storytelling styles and imaginative
treatments of the subject. The names of several contributors will be quickly
recognized: Johnny Boggs, John D. Nesbitt, Matthew P. Mayo, Nik Morton, and
Chuck Tyrell.
To these he has added a story of his own, plus the yarns of two women
writers who may be new to some readers: Christine Matthews and Lori Van Pelt.
My favorites of the bunch include Ms. Matthews’ “Odds on a Lawman,”
which tells of a succession of sheriffs who each assumes a tenure of service to
a frontier town, before dying or disappearing for various reasons, on which the
townsmen place bets until the turn of events claims one of them the winner.
It’s an amusing and well-written tale that brings its Dickensian cast of
characters to entertaining life, while we wait to see the fate that befalls
each of the town’s series of sheriffs.
For a colorful portrayal of the daily life and business of a riverboat
gambler, Nik Morton brings that world vividly to life in his story, “Hazard.” In
“Acey-Deucey,” John D. Nesbitt’s central character is hired by a woman to
retrieve an emerald pendant once given to her by a paramour. Finally locating
the current owner of the gem, he has to win a game of cards before he can take
possession of it.
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| Robert Randisi |
Randisi’s story, “Horseshoes and Pistols” is so quirky, I kept thinking
that it qualified as Twilight Zone
material. In it, two men are forced to bet their lives on a game of horseshoes.
Matthew Mayo’s “Pay the Ferryman” veers off in another direction, as a man on
the run escapes into what might well be called “the heart of darkness.”
My
favorite story in the collection was penned by a favorite storyteller,
Chuck Tyrell. His “Great Missouri River Steamship Race” evokes a period
of
river travel from the point of view of a youngster working as a fireman
aboard a steamship with a regular route between St. Louis and Fort
Benton. Tyrell brings his gifts for characterization, dialogue,
and suspense to this story with its echoes of Huckleberry Finn.
Tell me, if you were writing a Dickens-related short story, which of his books would come to mind first? I'm nearly done with DEATH BY DICKENS (ed. Anne Perry) and it is interesting the choices that were made here. Clearly, the editor did NOT try and have each writer pick a different story. There are a couple of PICKWICK PAPERS stories, a couple of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, a couple of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (an obvious choice), and even two somewhat similar stories where Dickens himself is the protagonist, one accompanied by his friend (and protege) Wilkie Collins, and the second with Wilkie's younger brother Charles, who was Dickens's son in law. No DAVID COPPERFIELD or EDWIN DROOD, though Perry herself does do a TALE OF TWO CITIES story. (I haven't read the P.N. Elrod story yet, but I believe it refers to that same book.) There is just one modern story, and it involves OLIVER TWIST, and particularly, Fagin.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me there is a lot of Dickens I haven't read but a lot I have, mostly assigned at school. I have never read THE PICKWICK PAPERS for instance. Or EDWIN DROOD.
ReplyDeleteMe either. Bill Crider used to talk about PICKWICK PAPERS but I never read it, and since DROOD was unfinished, I just didn't want to read it. Of course, I have the Complete Dickens collection on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.
ReplyDeleteI saw that as a two-night play back in the eighties probably. Terrific!
ReplyDeleteThis anthology looks like it would be very good, but I could not find it anywhere. I was checking ABEbooks.com and I found a lot of other very interesting anthologies that Randisi edited, so no matter. Plus I already have to many, unread.
ReplyDeleteI have only read two books by Dickens: A CHRISTMAS CAROL and BLEAK HOUSE. I liked both of them.
I wonder if it was self-published and really out there. My favorite Dickens were David Copperfield and Great Expectations. We read ACC every Christmas. I played Tiny Tim at our church's annual performance until I outgrew the costume.
ReplyDelete