Texas: A Novel

Texas: A Novel

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Editorial Reviews

In this magnificent historical novel, James A. Michener masterfully combines fact and fiction to present America’s richest, most expansive and diversified state. Spanning four and a half centuries, this monumental saga charts the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors, to its modern-day American character, shaped by oil and industry. A stunning achievement by a literary master, Texas is a tale of violence and conflict, patriotism and statesmanship, growth and development. Among Michener’s finely drawn cast of characters, emotional and political alliances are made and broken; loyalties are established over the course of Texas’s remarkable history, only to be betrayed by the expansion of wealth and industry. With Michener as our guide, this novel is as exciting as it is informative.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant

Reviewed by Nathan C. Damweber, 2009-10-13

Simply a fantastic read. Michener's realistic fiction, describing the trials of multiple families over many generations, was beautifully written. I thought I would get bored reading a 1600 page novel...I was wrong.

(First 3/4 gets five stars...)

Reviewed by C. Krenek, 2009-08-28

I cannot exaggerate the value of Michener's historical depictions in his novel, Texas. I really wish we had been assigned this book in junior high or high school to give us students a better picture of Texas history. It is a truly incredibly work of historical fiction. I fell in love with some of the characters and their story lines, and just when I felt the plot was getting a little bit stale, Michener throws in a bit of romance.

Michener very deliberately and methodically weaves these story lines together to achieve an amazing work of literature...until you reach the last part of the book. Toward the end, Michener seems to become bored, and he rushes through it until it's a bit of a mess. I personally believe that he forgot some major aspects of history that greatly affected Texas, such as the Great Depression and the Spanish-American War. He didn't really say anything about WWI and WWII either. In my opinion, the book just fell apart.

Even so, I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding of American history or just to whomever wishes to read something touching and beautiful.

danhec

Reviewed by Daniel Doherty, 2009-08-08

I NEVER RECIEVED THE BOOK I HAD ORDERED, I WAITED WEEKS. AS SOON AS I COMPLAINED TO THE SELLER I PROMPLY RECIEVED A REPLACEMENT.

Excellent History Lesson, Long and Inconsistent Fiction

Reviewed by Really Like to Read, 2009-07-14

This book is surely one of the most pleasant ways to learn the vast history of Texas, a most unusual place as the author notes. The attention to historical detail and the clear distinction between fact and fiction are meticulous, which was the author's trademark judging from other books.

Regarding the fictional component,it appears that in pursuit of packing in the large history, the story became very long, too long in my opinion. I would have preferred fewer characters in a more compact story. Not surprisingly, the sheer number of characters made it hard to develop them evenly. Some of them simply disappear, or surface much later in the book in a one sentence update.

I recommend this book for readers that view books as an opportunity personal development as well as entertainment - readers that prefer entertainment only will likely find the length too daunting. I am in the former group and I felt very productive as a reader, learning basic Texas history while relaxing with a nice story.

Enjoy the Kernels of Wisdom on Human Nature and Society

Reviewed by Lloyd Sakazaki, 2008-12-15

In "Texas," Michener's storytelling greatness delivers five centuries of colorful, bold and adventurous characters, who settle and build "the biggest state in the Union . . . without Eskimos," best known for its cowboy ranches, oil and football.

To appreciate the author's work is to absorb the tremendous breadth and continuity of his entertaining historical coverage across vast expanses of time, without demanding character development at the deeper level typical of great works of literature. Though a single, unifying literary theme may be absent from the thousand-plus pages of "Texas," a number of notable observations on human nature and society come sprinkled throughout the story:

1. Greed: Coronado and other Spanish explorers' crazed pursuit of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold north of the Rio Grande during the 16th century is an example of how boundless greed often entices people to delude themselves into foolishly chasing illusory riches, even though the evidence of their existence may be only sketchy at best.

2. Indians Against Indians: Though bloody and unforgiving battle between white settlers and Indians persists in the relentless movement of American settlers westward into Indian territory during the 18th and 19th centuries, it is important to realize too that the individual Indian tribes, each by itself a separate nation, often showed as much animosity towards one another as they did towards the white intruders.

3. Prejudice: The prejudices of early Spanish colonizers of northern Mexico regarding social hierarchy--considering Spaniards born in Spain a privileged class compared to, in order of declining social rank, settlers who were Spanish by blood but born outside of Spain, mestizos of mixed Spanish and Indian blood, and Indians--illustrate just how pervasive discrimination based on birthplace and a person's physical features has been throughout history.

4. Culture and Demographics: Aside from the Anglo settlers' climactic victory over Mexico's General Santa Anna at San Jacinto, Texas, in 1836, two significant reasons why the land on which the state of Texas now sits became part of the United States instead of Mexico are: a) Settlement patterns: Anglos, with more individualistic values, were better suited by culture to the expansive open land of Texas than the Spaniards who preferred to cluster together in tight communities reminiscent of Old World Spain; and b) Demographics: More American settlers from the north ventured into Texas in the 1800s than did either Spaniards or Mexicans, leading to Anglo dominance based simply on their becoming a majority of inhabitants in the region.

5. Freedom: The unique past of Texas as a free nation, the Republic of Texas, for nine years prior to becoming a state in 1845, provides an historical basis for the sense of freedom that prevails moreso in Texas today than in any of our other 49 American states.

6. South-North Economic Difference: Even without the Civil War that ended slavery and brought the South into the Union, the Southern states in the 19th century, having a concentrated, less resilient economy reliant on a single industry (cotton, susceptible to the ravenous boll weevil), would inevitably over the decades ahead have lost economic power and political control to the Northern states, which benefited from the strengths inherent in their more diversified, self-sustaining economy.

7. Hispanic Future: Shifting demographics--with Mexicans attracted by economic opportunities north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and Spanish-speaking immigrants having a higher birthrate than the Anglo-American population--are gradually transforming the southern part of Texas into an ipso facto Hispanic state, and resulting ethnic tensions relating to bilingualism, dominant culture and national identity will likely become increasingly volatile in the future.

"Texas," the book, succeeds in its portrayal of Texas, the state, as a place where, at least historically, risk-taking and justice have been intertwined like nowhere else. As Michener's Longhorn cattle drover, R.J. Poteet, puts it, "If Texas is bountiful in rewarding gamblers, it's remorseless in punishing those who stumble." Perhaps this explains why almost all of the primary characters in "Texas" succumb to vengeful deaths by enemy gunshot or other violent means; in fact, only earless Emma Larkin with the wooden nose lives long enough to die by natural causes (heart attack), a refreshingly generous way for Michener to end her eventful life marred by years of cruel and inhuman treatment as a young child in the captivity of brutal Comanche Indians.