Paradise Sky Hardcover – June 16, 2015

Given Joe Lansdale’s strength – that is, natural dialogue that drips its Texas influence and accent all over the place, turning writing into a rich monologue as much as a storytelling device – it’s really no surprise how well Paradise Sky works. The story of a Black bounty hunter/cowboy/soldier/marshal/more, Paradise Sky‘s narrator, Nat Love, all but invites you to pull up a chair next to him at the bar while he sips his sarsaparilla (Nat’s not one for heavy drinking) and tells you his story, starting with how he ended up on the run and culminating many years – and more than a few bodies – later. Is it all done with gloriously idiosyncratic regional dialogue, an ear for character, a perfect sense of comic timing, and a complexity that sneaks up on you because it all looks so casual? Of course – didn’t you hear me say that this was a Lansdale book?What’s maybe more notable here is that Lansdale is working with a real figure here, as it turns out that Nat Love is a famous figure of the Old West – one notable enough to have his own Wikipedia page, if that matters to you, as well as being the subject of a few books and even some movies. Now, to be sure, Lansdale is less interested in a straight biography than in telling a good yarn (as Nat says, “Most of it is as true as I know how to make it, keeping in mind nobody likes the dull parts”), and I’m not an expert enough in Love to know how much is real and how much isn’t. But what I can say is that Paradise Sky absolutely feels like a blend of how the West was with just a hint of Lansdale’s Huck Finn-esque storytelling, never skirting away from the ugly realities of the time (race is a major factor in the book, albeit never quite in the way you might think it will be) but also being willing to deliver great setpieces or gloriously weird action.That also means that Paradise Sky wanders into familiar territory for some readers, as the book spends some time in famed town of Deadwood, and there’s no way that anyone who’s seen the iconic HBO series (and if you haven’t, what’s wrong with you – especially if you liked Paradise Sky, that’s a no brainer) will be able to read some of the scenes without picturing the cast of the show. But that doesn’t stop Lansdale from bringing his creations to life, most notably Wild Bill Hickok, whose friendship with Love is a major thread in the book and genuinely warm and welcoming, and whose presence reminds you just how good Lansdale is at capturing male friendship, as bonds are so often carried by seemingly shallow or superficial conversations.If I haven’t spent much time on the plot of Paradise Sky, well, that’s because, much like a lot of Lansdale’s work, it’s less about the plot and more about the journey. In the broadest sense, the book is framed by Love’s escape from – and subsequent quest for revenge upon – a white man from his hometown. But for many stretches of Paradise Sky, including some of the strongest, that’s barely an afterthought; instead, the joys of the book are the incidents themselves, the ways Nat interacts with the world, the people he meets, and so forth. And in the end, that’s what sticks with me about Paradise Sky as much as anything – less the story or the payoff, but the gloriously windy, circuitous path it took to get there, and all of the delightful weirdness along the way. If you’re a fan of Lansdale or a fan of Westerns, look no further; if you’ve never read either, I suspect you’ll still have a blast here.

You wouldn’t think that taking a moment to appreciate a woman’s well-formed derriere could go so horribly wrong, but in Joe Landsdale’s fantastic Western novel, “Paradise Sky”, it’s that simple (if somewhat mischievous) act that throws Willie Jackson into a bloody life of soldiering, battling hostile Apaches, gunfighting, accidental cannibalism, and revenge … all while riding a horse named Satan.You see, Willie Jackson is a teenaged black man in late 19th-century East Texas, and the son of recently-freed slaves. More to the point, the well-formed derriere belongs to a white woman whose husband is Sam Ruggert, a ruthless and bitter former slave owner and Civil War veteran who fixates on people who’ve wronged him to a pathological degree that rarely results in happy endings.And Ruggert caught Willie glancing at his wife in an ungentlemanly fashion…Willie narrowly escapes Ruggert’s eager lynch mob and returns to his family farm. Knowing what passes for “justice” for black men in the South, Willie’s father gives him an old revolver and tells him to run away for good. That doesn’t quite go as planned, and when Willie doubles back to his family homestead, he finds that Ruggert and his posse burned it to the ground … with his father still inside.In trying to put some distance between himself and Ruggert, Willie discovers that he’s a poor at horse thieving. As a result, he is captured by Tate Loving, a reclusive and highly-educated rancher whose time in the Confederate Army caused him to eschew both God and racism, but left him with other more lethal and practical skills. Seeing something of substance in Willie, Loving takes him under his wing rather than shoot him. Still a wanted man, Willie hides out on the Loving farm for a few years while Loving teaches him to read, write, and identify the constellations. He also teaches Willie how to ride and shoot like a Comanche, and Willie has a natural talent for both.But even after years, Ruggert still seeks revenge against Willie, and eventually he is found by Ruggert’s allies while lying low on Loving’s ranch. This forces Willie (now in his early 20s) to light out quick with a new name, Nat Love, and Ruggert hot on his trail. Though he’s on the run again, this time he’s got a far more dangerous skill set; one that eventually earns him the moniker “Deadwood Dick”.What follows this brutal beginning is a tale of fast-paced adventure and no small amount of violence (as well as some well-handled romance). Landsdale’s “Paradise Sky” not only preserves the tone we expect in a Western novel, but elevates it by weaving in textured, colorful characters (both good and evil), as well as sharp, insightful dialogue. The novel also showcases Landsdale’s trademark sly wit, which entertains and highlights important themes far more effectively than ham-handed preaching.And though “Paradise Sky” can be appreciated purely as an adventurous Western novel, there are some pretty strong themes running throughout. Obviously, race in the Old West is a big one. African Americans at best play a minor supporting role in most Western stories and histories, though it’s estimated that black men and women accounted for roughly 20% or more of that region’s population as soldiers, ranchers, cowboys, tradespeople, and business owners during the Old West era. In addition to providing a great story, Landsdale introduces numerous interesting and entertaining African American characters trying to make a living in the Old West. Some are purely fictional while others are lifted from history (including Bass Reeves). Their tales help the reader see the well-worn tropes of the Old West from a new, and sometimes unsettling, perspective.On the subject of historical accuracy, it should be noted that Deadwood Dick is an actual character featured in numerous Beadle & Adams dime novels published during the Old West era. Though several people laid claim to being the actual Deadwood Dick, Landsdale smartly hangs his hat on the real-life Nat Love, who was born a Tennessee slave in 1854 and earned the name Deadwood Dick after winning a shooting and riding contests in the famed town of Deadwood in the Dakota Territory in July 1876 (depicted in “Paradise Sky”). Eventually settling down as a pullman porter, Love wrote an autobiography in 1907, but like so many cowboy autobiographies of that time, it’s impossible to sift the hard facts from an aging cowboy’s highly fanciful interpretation of events.Though with respect to enjoying “Paradise Sky”, knowing the historical truth behind Deadwood Dick and Nat Love matters not at all. Landsdale skillfully mined the source material (be it historical or fictional) and crafted a smart, fast-paced, and rollicking Old West adventure.

This is one of his best. His humor while dark and bloody captures more than just the geography from Texas to South Dakota and a span of time leading from slavery of the body to freedom of the Soul, but the famous and the infamous who lived through it.

Great reviews all the way, and rightly so.It's a rolling, sprawling, twenty carat gold of a western adventure, onein which nothing is spared: gunfights and downright cruelty makes youwince at times, but it all adds to the unforgiving reality. There's eventime for a bit of romance in Nat Love's life, but even that runs far fromsmooth.The nasty guys in this tale are exactly that: the dialogue crackles withslick one-liners as the pain is dealt out, and Nat is pushed to the limitsof human endurance to survive the punishment, so happily dished outby his adversaries.The pages cruise through comfortably, caressed with Lansdale's wit, andengaging repartee by the characters; you simply feel that this is the real West.If you can stomach the odd bits of true violence, this tale is an absolute must.

I keeping meaning to quick review books almost as soon as I read them, well, at least, if I really like them, but I'm very seldom getting around to it, but I just finished this.I was footering around recently trying to see if I could download to my kindle in an unfamiliar space, and, somehow, and unknowingly, hit on Paradise Sky. I sure struck gold!Rollicking, rolling, swaggering, staggering...and that was just the landscape. Filled with desperados, down at heel racists, bigots, sadists, preachers, prostitutes, gamblers, and psychopathic killers of all creeds, persuasions and none, but still humour prevailed. Characters even cracking jokes right to their dying breaths. Really excellent and a very pleasant surprise.

A truly wonderful book.The story of Nat Love, former slave, farmer, spittoon emptier, saloon bouncer, would-be rat catcher, expert marksman, marshal.Moving, hilarious, and with a cast of characters that is as rich and detailed, the story feels epic in the best way.Some familiar names crop up - Wild Bill Hickock being my favourite, particularly with his descriptions of his interactions with Calamity Jane!The story moves along perfectly taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of the west. I could carry on reading about the exploits of Deadwood Dick for another thousand pages or more without getting bored. Wonderful.

No one tells a western tale like Joe Lansdale, he certainly doesn't glamorise the west. His prose is such that you can almost taste and smell the west, which is not always a good thing.A main part of his stories is the wonderful humour he brings to bear, and a great story telling style that makes you feel that you are there with the richly drawn characters.A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I bought this for my husband he enjoyed it so much I decided to read it too. A really good and thought provoking story told in a way which often had me chuckling and feeling like the author was speaking just to me. I have just started reading The Thicket by the same author.