Commentary/review

I have not been posting much as I have been having the pleasure of reading Craig Johnson’s saga about Walt Longmire. It made my summer of 2024.

I found this list which may be useful here:

1 The Cold Dish (2004)
2 Death Without Company (2006)
3 Kindness Goes Unpunished (2007)
4 Another Man’s Moccasins (2008)
5 The Dark Horse (2009)
6 Junkyard Dogs (2010)
7 Hell Is Empty (2011)
7.5 Divorce Horse (2012)
8 As the Crow Flies (2012)
8.5 Christmas in Absaroka County (2012)
8.6 Messenger (2013)
9 A Serpent’s Tooth (2013)
9.5 The Spirit of Steamboat (2013)
10 Any Other Name (2014)
10.5 Wait for Signs (2014)
11 Dry Bones (2015)
11.5 The Highwayman (2016)
12 An Obvious Fact (2016)
13 The Western Star (2017)
14 Depth of Winter (2018)
15 Land of Wolves (2019)
16 Next to Last Stand (2020)
17 Daughter of the Morning Star (2021)
18 Hell and Back (2022)
19 The Longmire Defense (2023)
20 First Frost (2024)
Tooth and Claw (2024)
21 Return to Sender (2025) – source.

I read most of the books above (with the exception of 7.5, 8.5, 8.6, Tooth and Claw and 21). I still believe “First Frost” is sensational (see here) but here is my take on other parts of the saga.

I find it encouraging that Mr. Craig Johnson seems to become a better writer with almost every new book he writes – and he started off quite well. I did not like only one of the books – “Any Other Name”, there is too much tension in it for me. In the saga taken as a whole, as much as I can tell, there is no trace of “writing as therapy”; the characters have been mature and well-developed from the start. They keep becoming more complex but within limits of reason and facts known to the reader. If there are any inconsistencies, they spring out from the fact that the writer does not know the particular subject too well. An example of it may be the way Walt takes care of his dog which I find rather incompetent (I suppose Walt’s friends take care of Dog’s diet and grooming).

As a European, I enjoy the wholesomeness of the books set in a fictional county in Wyoming, near the Northern Cheyenne Indian reservation and Crow Reservation, based on Buffalo. The Author gives a credible impression of a coherent, pluralistic, multi-faceted and rich culture. There is a number of realities brought in by different people, nations and tribes. They do not seem separated but combined together. The sense of community and familiarity is immense. People can travel from one reality to the next without loosing their identity or credibility as individuals. All characters, in their own right, are important and are presented as platforms of reality in themselves. There is a lot of humor, very interesting background information and beautiful depictions of nature and landscape. I also learned more about Native American history from this entertainment than from any historical pieces I was able to finish. The subject of Indian spirituality is portrayed in a very interesting way, hinting that perhaps this part of the stories is particularly important to the Author. As Walt remains loyal to all his friends, the space given to the members of Cheyenne and Crow tribes suggest that there is more to the series that may be expected from a crime series about a sheriff than meets the eye.

My favorite book in the series is perhaps “Land of Wolves” just because it is much more relaxed than the rest. The book portrays the main character uncharacteristically detached and appreciating the land around him in a very realistic manner. I also liked “Hell is Empty” and “Hell and Back” for the elements of Indian culture and history. “Hell if Empty” is particularly well-written with respect to the setting and creation of scenes. It has the ambiance of a cartoon recorded using some unusual technique like painting with sand and air.

I like to read an author who makes an effort at making the right decisions. He chooses his subjects well. He tries to be just and let people know about the sins of the white colonizers of North America. He refers to the painful facts in a way which makes them meaningful in the difficult process of moving on. He writes entertainment for a large audience. He understands the requirements of that entertainment. He does not forget to make his characters powerful in one way of another, to keep adding fast-paced action, love, friendship, redemption. He made it possible to create a TV series which has been spreading his message to an even larger audience. I admire the scope of that feat and appreciate that it had been in the making all along because the Author made the right considerations and choices at the beginning. Chapeau bas, boy howdy.

Oh yes, I forgot. The interpretation by George Guidall is simply terrific. His impressions are creative, vibrant and based on profound knowledge. I do not watch movies but with such narrators, I do not really need them any more.

Again, the covers do not tell much but they are not meant to. Nothing wrong with them.

Cover Photo by Matthew Bornhorst on Unsplash