Download Valdez is Coming Audiobook

" My first foray into the Western genre, and I wasn't disappointed. Leonard has a simple, straightforward way of sculpting his prose, and it's clear that he heavily influenced others, most clearly Cormac McCarthy. But Leonard does it much more economically(something most McCarthy readers might consider impossible). His sentences never ramble on as McCarthy's do at times, and you're never overwhelmed and seemingly out of breath before you finish certain paragraphs. Despite the intensity and anxiety existent within the plot, where Valdez guns down not a few pursuers, the words themselves mirror the slow, steady beat with which the central character stalks the land. It's the most pleasant massacre I've come across. Seemingly Leonard has earned his reputation. If he's been spitting this sort of tale out for decades, I'll consider myself extremely lucky to have only read one book by him so far. "

" Not bad for brain candy. "

" Elmore Leonard is a superb storyteller who is equally at home among the Miami underworld or the Texas badlands of the wild west. He uses words sparingly but those he uses enable you to visualize the story with absolute clarity. The story in Valdez is Coming is vintage Leonard. The good guy overcomes overwhelming odds while taking his lumps along the way. A really fun read. "

" Valdez Is Coming is an awesome small novel written as a western in the rough and tubble narrative of a street laden crime novel. It is great. A small taste of blood and fun in what is an otherwise neglected genre nowadays. "

" My first Leonard novel. I'm hooked! "

" A fine tale of slow boiling justice when Valdez seeks monetary aid for a woman who he was duped into making a widow. Don't make the mistake of judging a man by his easy going nature like the villains in this story do. "

" Goddam perfect for reading aloud around a campfire in the high desert with the light reflecting off the canyon walls, everyone drinking whiskey. "

" A genius story teller. I have no interest in Westerns at all, but this was gripping from first to last. "

" The ending was a bit abrupt & anticlimactic, but I'll forgive that flaw because it was an exciting & compelling read until the very last paragraph. "

" Great little Western, given to me by my Dad. Vengeance is such a classic theme and it was done very well here. I think Hemingway would've liked this story: the prose is clean and honest, and the story reaffirms courage and grace under pressure. A good, quick read. "

" I like to read multiple books by the same author in series. I like to fall into the rhythm of their storytelling and characterizations. I think it makes me more sensitive to the nuances of the writing. This book was classic Leonard. "

" Love westerns and this one is AMAZING. Valdez came! "

" Fairly straight-forward revenge/chase story. Not bad, but not nearly as good as Leonard's other westerns. This one seemed like it should have been a short story instead of a full-length novel. "

" I don't normally read westerns, but his was a pretty good read. "

" A very enjoyable book; perhaps not as tight and balanced as some of Leonard's short stories in the same vein, but part of the fun with him is that he's not afraid to have his plots go wherever they need to. "

" Lean, tough and almost perfectly constructed. Leonard's westerns, often dealing with issues of race and class, are hard-boiled alternatives to rest of the genre. "

" Great book! I watched the (old) movie a long time ago and always wanted to read the book. I am glad I did. It was fast moving and the Valdez character was wonderful. "

" "Tell him Valdez is coming." I wish I'd written that line. "

" Not my favorite E. Leonard book. Worth $7.99 if you can find it for that. I preferred Cuba Libre and Riding the Rap. It reads like a screenplay, very easy to visualize. "

" This is the best of Elmore Leonard's westerns that I've read so far. He expertly uses the "they didn't know who they were messing with" concept that he would later put to such great effect in one of his best crime novels, 52 Pick-Up. "

" I loved the ending. It wasn't at all what I expected, which always makes me happy. "

" Read this for a book club. First of Leonard's westerns I've read. Pulls you in right from the start as Valdez gets caught up in the persecution and death of an innocent man. Valdez attempts at a civil restitution are rebuffed, again and again, until it's time to pull out the guns. "

" A more expanded version of an original short story. Elmore Leonard makes a great western. "

" Superb writing. Wanted it not to end and, objectively, it did end too quickly. But a thoroughly masterful work. "

" A very enjoyable book; perhaps not as tight and balanced as some of Leonard's short stories in the same vein, but part of the fun with him is that he's not afraid to have his plots go wherever they need to. "

" My first Leonard novel. I'm hooked! "

" This is the best of Elmore Leonard's westerns that I've read so far. He expertly uses the "they didn't know who they were messing with" concept that he would later put to such great effect in one of his best crime novels, 52 Pick-Up. "

" Goddam perfect for reading aloud around a campfire in the high desert with the light reflecting off the canyon walls, everyone drinking whiskey. "

" Love westerns and this one is AMAZING. Valdez came! "

" Very satisfying read, with a few surprises. "

" I guess I don't like Elmore's cowboys as well stuff he sets in the present. "

" I like to read multiple books by the same author in series. I like to fall into the rhythm of their storytelling and characterizations. I think it makes me more sensitive to the nuances of the writing. This book was classic Leonard. "

" The ending was a bit abrupt & anticlimactic, but I'll forgive that flaw because it was an exciting & compelling read until the very last paragraph. "

" Fairly straight-forward revenge/chase story. Not bad, but not nearly as good as Leonard's other westerns. This one seemed like it should have been a short story instead of a full-length novel. "

" This is a book about a man (Valdez) who was forced into shooting an innocent man and what he did to try to right that wrong.
The writing style took a little getting used to. "

" This could be one of the best westerns ever written. "

" Not bad for brain candy. "