Calamity Trail

(...) From Boston to the Rockie Mountains, and parts in between, this is one rip roaring ride. The author allows us to see the trails west through the eyes of a naive greenhorn who is a cross between the Count of Monte Cristo and Steve Urkel. The good-natured young gentleman, intent on being helpful, seems to leave disaster wherever he passes through. He acquires loyal comrades and deadly enemies with equal ease and departs every locale with hilariously preposterous consequences. The author has peopled his story with a large cast of diverse personalities and backgrounds. The convergence of the various groups of characters reminds me of the movie "Hallelujah Trail" (1965) (book by Bob Gulick). For a good belly laugh, this story will deliver. Great fun!

I'm writing because I would like to see the movie Calamity Trail and it can't find that one was ever made. My boyfriend loves the book and we have been searching for the movie. Does anyone know of one?

My brother loves formula westerns, which is exactly what he thought he was getting years ago when he picked up Calamity Trail by Dan Parkinson. About halfway through the first chapter, he realised he'd been had - this book was a subtly riotious journey West. Given my own tastes, I expect this will be a treasured book by fans of Pratchett, D.N.Adams, Matt Ruff, Neal Stephenson, and Robert Asprin. Since my brother likes westerns and loves this book, I'd surmise it's a good one for western fans, too. I really hope we see a rerelease of Calamity Trail, preferably with much better marketing. The cover, back and blurb all do NOTHING to suggest the very droll fun that's inside. Until then, I have to say that Calamity Trail will make you laugh hard and long enough that it's WORTH paying big dollars for.

I mainly enjoy Dan Parkinson because he adds wry humor to his characters. I have most of his western books, but am having a hard time finding this particular book--in hardback or paperback.