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agoines's review
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
utahmomreads's review
5.0
This review originally posted on my blog : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2011/06/doc-book-review.html
"I'm your huckleberry."
Years ago, I saw Val Kilmer at an airport. That was the only thing--"I'm your huckleberry."--I could think of to say to him. Of course, I thought of it 30 seconds too late and didn't actually say anything.
In the movie Tombstone, Val Kilmer portrays the legendary character of Doc Holliday. It's a performance that I've been unable to forget. What a fascinating character.
In her latest novel, Doc, Mary Doria Russell, strips away the myths and lore surrounding one of Wild West's infamous characters and tells the story of John Henry Holliday, a young, sickly dentist from Georgia, who goes west in search of a cure to the tuberculosis that has already killed his mother.
Tired of life in Texas, J.H. Holliday and his girl Kate, head to Dodge City, Kansas. It's the end of the line for the cattle drives from Texas. Dodge City, full of vice and money and shifty politics, is the perfect place for a card sharp. While in Dodge, Doc sets up his dentist practice and meets the Earp brothers--with whom his name will be permanently linked in the pages of history.
Russell, an anthropologist, may be trying to present a more accurate picture of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp but the characters are only more rich and fully developed and believable in her version. Doc might not have been the gun slinging, cold-blooded, revenge-seeking man as he is generally portrayed (and even possibly became once they move on to Tombstone), but J.H. Holliday is still an intriguing anachronism. How does this highly educated, concert pianist, feeble gentleman fit in the rough and tawdry world that is Dodge City, Kansas? Using wit, skill at cards, unlikely friendships with the Earps and an undeserved reputation, Doc manages quite well.
I've had such a busy and fun week with multiple family get togethers and very late nights, but every chance I got, I slipped away to read this book. Russell is a gifted story teller. While some of the book, especially the beginning, reads more like a historical narrative, Russell does bring the characters to life. She also sets the stage for the inevitable action, by painting a detailed picture of Dodge and giving even the minor characters, such as the Chinese launderer, the Jesuit priest, the proper and beautiful belle of Dodge, and the various prostitutes personality and humanity. Seen through their eyes, Dodge City becomes more than just a Hollywood set of a dusty street of clapboard buildings.
Mary Doria Russell's novel Doc is a stand-out work of historical fiction and gave me a new perspective on this most fascinating character.
I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads.com in exchange for an honest review. No additonal compensation has been received.
"I'm your huckleberry."
Years ago, I saw Val Kilmer at an airport. That was the only thing--"I'm your huckleberry."--I could think of to say to him. Of course, I thought of it 30 seconds too late and didn't actually say anything.
In the movie Tombstone, Val Kilmer portrays the legendary character of Doc Holliday. It's a performance that I've been unable to forget. What a fascinating character.
In her latest novel, Doc, Mary Doria Russell, strips away the myths and lore surrounding one of Wild West's infamous characters and tells the story of John Henry Holliday, a young, sickly dentist from Georgia, who goes west in search of a cure to the tuberculosis that has already killed his mother.
Tired of life in Texas, J.H. Holliday and his girl Kate, head to Dodge City, Kansas. It's the end of the line for the cattle drives from Texas. Dodge City, full of vice and money and shifty politics, is the perfect place for a card sharp. While in Dodge, Doc sets up his dentist practice and meets the Earp brothers--with whom his name will be permanently linked in the pages of history.
Russell, an anthropologist, may be trying to present a more accurate picture of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp but the characters are only more rich and fully developed and believable in her version. Doc might not have been the gun slinging, cold-blooded, revenge-seeking man as he is generally portrayed (and even possibly became once they move on to Tombstone), but J.H. Holliday is still an intriguing anachronism. How does this highly educated, concert pianist, feeble gentleman fit in the rough and tawdry world that is Dodge City, Kansas? Using wit, skill at cards, unlikely friendships with the Earps and an undeserved reputation, Doc manages quite well.
I've had such a busy and fun week with multiple family get togethers and very late nights, but every chance I got, I slipped away to read this book. Russell is a gifted story teller. While some of the book, especially the beginning, reads more like a historical narrative, Russell does bring the characters to life. She also sets the stage for the inevitable action, by painting a detailed picture of Dodge and giving even the minor characters, such as the Chinese launderer, the Jesuit priest, the proper and beautiful belle of Dodge, and the various prostitutes personality and humanity. Seen through their eyes, Dodge City becomes more than just a Hollywood set of a dusty street of clapboard buildings.
Mary Doria Russell's novel Doc is a stand-out work of historical fiction and gave me a new perspective on this most fascinating character.
I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads.com in exchange for an honest review. No additonal compensation has been received.
retired_to_alternate_universe's review
5.0
This was a very enjoyable book. It provided insights into the life of Doc Holliday and the Earps, as well as life in and around Dodge City that I've never been exposed to. Anyone interested in this period of American history would do well to take time to read "Doc"
book_concierge's review
5.0
Audio book performed by Mark Bramhall
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was educated, a Southern gentleman, an accomplished pianist, a compassionate dentist, a gambler, and tubercular. Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and James, were the proof that sons raised by a bully will either follow in his footsteps or rebel by becoming champions of the downtrodden. These iconic figures of the American West are forever linked by the events of one afternoon in Tombstone Arizona. But this book introduces us to the real men behind the legend, giving us their backgrounds from childhood to a year spent in Dodge – a city on the edge of the frontier, but where fortunes could be made servicing the cowboys who drove cattle to market. Saloons, brothels, hotels, restaurants, stables, racetracks, boxing rings, poker games, banks and retail stores all flourished. Doc went there because “that’s where the money is.” And Wyatt Earp, along with his brothers and Bat Masterson maintained the peace.
Russell certainly did her homework in crafting this work. She gives us a real place and real people who are every bit as colorful and fantastic as the legends they became. I love the way she drew these characters, letting them unfold little by little, much as we would get to know someone over time. And still she held back a surprise or two to stun us. Her prose is so evocative; several times I exclaimed aloud, “Oh!”
In this respect, especially I have to give some of the credit to Mark Bramhall’s performance of the audio book. I felt he was drowning in fluid as he voiced Doc in the throes of an attack. I felt Wyatt’s embarrassment, Morgan’s thoughtfulness, Kate’s impatience and fear, everyone’s love of Doc.
This is a book that even non-fans of Westerns will be able to appreciate and enjoy.
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was educated, a Southern gentleman, an accomplished pianist, a compassionate dentist, a gambler, and tubercular. Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and James, were the proof that sons raised by a bully will either follow in his footsteps or rebel by becoming champions of the downtrodden. These iconic figures of the American West are forever linked by the events of one afternoon in Tombstone Arizona. But this book introduces us to the real men behind the legend, giving us their backgrounds from childhood to a year spent in Dodge – a city on the edge of the frontier, but where fortunes could be made servicing the cowboys who drove cattle to market. Saloons, brothels, hotels, restaurants, stables, racetracks, boxing rings, poker games, banks and retail stores all flourished. Doc went there because “that’s where the money is.” And Wyatt Earp, along with his brothers and Bat Masterson maintained the peace.
Russell certainly did her homework in crafting this work. She gives us a real place and real people who are every bit as colorful and fantastic as the legends they became. I love the way she drew these characters, letting them unfold little by little, much as we would get to know someone over time. And still she held back a surprise or two to stun us. Her prose is so evocative; several times I exclaimed aloud, “Oh!”
In this respect, especially I have to give some of the credit to Mark Bramhall’s performance of the audio book. I felt he was drowning in fluid as he voiced Doc in the throes of an attack. I felt Wyatt’s embarrassment, Morgan’s thoughtfulness, Kate’s impatience and fear, everyone’s love of Doc.
This is a book that even non-fans of Westerns will be able to appreciate and enjoy.
annrhub's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jgintrovertedreader's review
4.0
Doc Holliday. To most of us, it's a name out of legend. The Wild West. The Shootout at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp. But there's a real man behind the myth and in this work of fiction, author Mary Doria Russell tries to find him.
I must admit upfront that the O.K. Corral, etc. is not much more than a name to me. I've never seen Wyatt Earp or Tombstone or any of those movies. (I have, apparently, seen enough in channel surfing that I could not for the life of me get Kevin Costner's image out of my head as I read about Wyatt. And now that I've looked up Tombstone I see why Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer kept making appearances in my imagination too).
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I was a little taken aback at first by the style. It reads very much like nonfiction but the author says straight up at the beginning that it's not. I kept thinking that I was reading a nonfiction prologue and the story would begin later. But eventually I realized it was just the style of the book so I settled in and got comfortable. It worked. Telling the story in that way made Doc seem like more of a real person. The legend doesn't need more layers. This was a stripping away to get at the man underneath. And I liked him. A lot.
The cards are stacked against him from the beginning. Born with a cleft palate before the Civil War, he shouldn't have stood a chance. But his family came through and shaped him to be a Southern gentleman. His uncle operated and corrected the palate. His mother taught him manners and music. A cousin taught him horsemanship and how to choose his battles. A--friend? illegitimate cousin? I can't remember--taught him how to play cards and win. Then he had to watch his beloved mother die of tuberculosis, or consumption as they called it back then. And then he started coughing too. And so he was set on the path that would define him forever after.
The Doc in these pages is not perfect by any means. But that's part of his charm. He drinks too much and gambles too much and takes unnecessary risks and is too stubborn for his own good. But he's a loyal friend and a gentleman. He tries to treat everyone with respect if they deserve it. He's equally kind to the respectable townsfolk and to the town prostitutes, the Chinese man who does his laundry, and the Native American teen who does odd jobs for everyone. He has a vicious temper that he tries to keep under control and mostly succeeds in doing. But those who see flashes of it never forget it. He has a real musical talent but he refuses to play on an out-of-tune piano. When he finally does play, he moves his audience to tears.
He's caught in a tumultuous relationship with a prostitute named Kate. They need each other but they're not good for each other. They say hurtful things and hurl accusations and break up and get back together and are on a constant roller-coast ride. They're exhausting. There's one scene where the author imagines how different Doc's life might have been if he had finally left Kate for good and met a "nice girl." It was bittersweet. I was firmly attached to Doc at this point and I wanted him to have this gentle life. But the author points out that he still would have had consumption, so in the end, nothing would really change.
This Doc Holliday probably still isn't like the real Doc, but he's closer than most other books are going to show him at this point. He's a true Southern gentleman doing his best with the lousy hand he's been dealt.
I must admit upfront that the O.K. Corral, etc. is not much more than a name to me. I've never seen Wyatt Earp or Tombstone or any of those movies. (I have, apparently, seen enough in channel surfing that I could not for the life of me get Kevin Costner's image out of my head as I read about Wyatt. And now that I've looked up Tombstone I see why Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer kept making appearances in my imagination too).
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I was a little taken aback at first by the style. It reads very much like nonfiction but the author says straight up at the beginning that it's not. I kept thinking that I was reading a nonfiction prologue and the story would begin later. But eventually I realized it was just the style of the book so I settled in and got comfortable. It worked. Telling the story in that way made Doc seem like more of a real person. The legend doesn't need more layers. This was a stripping away to get at the man underneath. And I liked him. A lot.
The cards are stacked against him from the beginning. Born with a cleft palate before the Civil War, he shouldn't have stood a chance. But his family came through and shaped him to be a Southern gentleman. His uncle operated and corrected the palate. His mother taught him manners and music. A cousin taught him horsemanship and how to choose his battles. A--friend? illegitimate cousin? I can't remember--taught him how to play cards and win. Then he had to watch his beloved mother die of tuberculosis, or consumption as they called it back then. And then he started coughing too. And so he was set on the path that would define him forever after.
The Doc in these pages is not perfect by any means. But that's part of his charm. He drinks too much and gambles too much and takes unnecessary risks and is too stubborn for his own good. But he's a loyal friend and a gentleman. He tries to treat everyone with respect if they deserve it. He's equally kind to the respectable townsfolk and to the town prostitutes, the Chinese man who does his laundry, and the Native American teen who does odd jobs for everyone. He has a vicious temper that he tries to keep under control and mostly succeeds in doing. But those who see flashes of it never forget it. He has a real musical talent but he refuses to play on an out-of-tune piano. When he finally does play, he moves his audience to tears.
He's caught in a tumultuous relationship with a prostitute named Kate. They need each other but they're not good for each other. They say hurtful things and hurl accusations and break up and get back together and are on a constant roller-coast ride. They're exhausting. There's one scene where the author imagines how different Doc's life might have been if he had finally left Kate for good and met a "nice girl." It was bittersweet. I was firmly attached to Doc at this point and I wanted him to have this gentle life. But the author points out that he still would have had consumption, so in the end, nothing would really change.
This Doc Holliday probably still isn't like the real Doc, but he's closer than most other books are going to show him at this point. He's a true Southern gentleman doing his best with the lousy hand he's been dealt.
sarge_fll's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
earthgirl207's review
5.0
I first saw this book in a souvenir shop in Tombstone, Arizona, after watching a reenactment of the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral involving Doc Holliday and the Earps. I assumed it would be a book form of the typical shoot-'em-out Westerns that I grew up with, but this book is so much more.
I read historical fiction to gain passage into another time and place, and this book did not disappoint. In a seamless fashion, the author presents the backstory and perspective of not only Doc but all of the major players of Dodge City, Kansas, and lays bare the unexpected diversity of the typical frontier town of the time. Those who grew up with '50s Westerns and Bonanza are used to a one-dimensional, whitewashed history, but Russell takes care to present the town as the kaleidoscope that it really was, and presents each perspective in a nuanced and compassionate fashion.
The character of Doc was especially a treat, shown to be an elegant, educated (but flawed) Southern gentleman, exiled by tuberculosis and forced by his weakness to project a much fiercer image to those around him to protect himself. This, combined with the famous gunfight, fed the legend that most people know today, much to the dismay of Doc and his genteel family back home.
I read this book over the course of a month (because I read slow), and throughout that month I found myself mulling over one aspect or another of the book while I did other activities. This is the type of book that is so real-seeming and eloquent that it gets under your skin.
I read historical fiction to gain passage into another time and place, and this book did not disappoint. In a seamless fashion, the author presents the backstory and perspective of not only Doc but all of the major players of Dodge City, Kansas, and lays bare the unexpected diversity of the typical frontier town of the time. Those who grew up with '50s Westerns and Bonanza are used to a one-dimensional, whitewashed history, but Russell takes care to present the town as the kaleidoscope that it really was, and presents each perspective in a nuanced and compassionate fashion.
The character of Doc was especially a treat, shown to be an elegant, educated (but flawed) Southern gentleman, exiled by tuberculosis and forced by his weakness to project a much fiercer image to those around him to protect himself. This, combined with the famous gunfight, fed the legend that most people know today, much to the dismay of Doc and his genteel family back home.
I read this book over the course of a month (because I read slow), and throughout that month I found myself mulling over one aspect or another of the book while I did other activities. This is the type of book that is so real-seeming and eloquent that it gets under your skin.
mullensamy's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Really such a great book! Even though I know very little about the actual shoot-out at the O.K Corral, I loved "meeting" the famous Doc Holliday and the Earp brothers. I'm still surprised that the story didn't go into the specifics about the legendary shoot-out but I suppose the ending of the book reveals why. And I'm fine with that. It was a pleasure to learn about their personalities and the lives that they lived prior to becoming famous.