The Winter family
Ratings1
Average rating4
Traces decades in the lives of a post-Civil War Oklahoma family that includes such members as a psychopathic killer, a group of cruel brothers, an impassive ex-slave, a dangerous child prodigy and a pathologically deviant patriarch.
After their actions during the Civil War lead to a courtmartial, a group of hardened Union soldiers recasts themselves as outlaws, and find that the disorder of Reconstruction allows for all sort of savage freedom. The psychopathic killer Quentin Ross; the mean and moronic Empire brothers; the impassive ex-slave Fred Johnson; dangerous child prodigy Lukas Shakespeare-- but the malevolent center of this 'family' is their cold, hardened leader, Augustus Winter, a man with an almost pathological resistance to the rules of society and a preternatural gift for butchery.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
This is a Quentin Tarantino movie put to print. Kicking off during the American Civil War the Winter family is a brutal band of killers, sadists, hired guns and ex-soldiers that sow terror through the United States in the late 1800's led by Augustus Winter.
From their exploits during the civil war, to the bloody politicking in Chicago down to Phoenix scalping Indians and up to California it's a blood-splattered, debauched and over the top escapades involving an ever changing cast of well-formed, uniquely eccentric characters.
I'm always looking for a Western to recommend. The question is not “is the Winter Family a Western?” the question is, “can I recommend this book to readers who just want to read Louis L'amour?” Nope, this is far too gritty. This is 3 miles past Unforgiven, and another 2 miles past Let There Be Blood (or Oil!) gritty. There are psychos killing for the fun of it in here and using the Civil War and the Wild West as a playground to do it. In fact, there are so many of them doing it for no reason that there is a wonder that there is anybody left in the area to actually homestead and farm.
I was actually stunned while reading some parts-almost wished someone else was reading it too so I could lean over and ask– did you just read that too? Other parts were a bit repetitive. I loved Bill Bread and I can't say why. And the whole reason I picked this up was Chicago, but in this time period right after the fire the setting might as well be a pile of ashes, not the Chicago I just visited. Duh, me.
Anyway from all of this chaos is born a hero, and I loved that. This, however, is not that hero's story. It is the story of the chaos.