May There Be a Road: Stories

This was a gift but my son loves the westerns by Louie L'Amour, and whatever it takes to get men to read, IT's GREAT!!!

This is my first Louis L'Amour book and certainly not my last. I prefer short stories because I can read each quickly and not be caught up for too many hours, trying to find out what happened. All ten short stories captured my interest and each was very different from the other, altogther a thoroughly enjoyable read. The main appeal of this compilation for me is the wide range of stories that occur within unique settings: Hawaii, Tibet, Brazil, Mexico, and the Southwest, USA. There are several stories about boxing/prize fighting, which amazingly, I enjoyed. The key to this author's writing is how he builds suspense, gradually reveals his characters, and keeps the reader hooked, wanting to know more, as the story unfolds in unexpected ways. The author has a keen grasp of human nature. He knows the human condition which he reveals in its myriad of aspects in each story.One of my favorite stories is "May There Be a Road" which is about the courage shown by Tohkta, a young Tibetan, when he is planning to capture his future wife, but ends up unexpectedly fighting the Communists, and doing a very daring deed to save his village. Serendipty strikes, as I read the words, "Yol Bolsun", an old Tibetan greeting, meant for those who took the old mountain trails. It means, "May there be a road" and is the title of a recent CD by Sevarah Nazarkhan (Uzbekhistan) which I bought [and reviewed]. The other favorite is "The Cactus Kid". Reading this story is like watching an old TV Western from the 1950s. It is just as satisfying. Nesselrode Clay, aka, "The Cactus Kid", inadvertently stumbles upon a dastardly plot by the Uncle of a beautiful senorita. He plans to swindle her out of very expensive land. Of course, "The Cactus Kid" saves her from this awful fate. My highest recommendations. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Everything you would expect from Louis and more! I wish his son & daughter would write.

I have long been a fan of the western adventure stories of Louis L'Amour, especially the series chronicling the Sackett family, so I picked up this collection of short stories in eager anticipation. While this collection includes only three stories set in the old west, I was certainly not in any way disappointed. These ten stories include, as Beau L'Amour points out, some of the author's earliest writings. "Ghost Fighter" and "Fighter's Fiasco" were the second and third short stories that Louis L'Amour ever sold, while "Wings Over Brazil" was one of the last two short stories in the Ponga Jim Mayo Series. The characters and locales are a varied lot which range from groom-to-be Tohkta in the Kunlum Mountains of northern Tibet to the hulking brawling boxer Bambo Bamoulian in New York City. Regardless of location, what these stories have in common is L'Amour's consummate story telling skills. That alone should suffice as an incentive to give the book a try. It is a collection full of action, adventure, unexpected twists and turns, and characters rising to meet challenges and overcome great odds. It's just what the doctor ordered (pardon the cliche')for some great summertime reading.

In spite of some powerful western novels written during the nineties, Louis L'Amour, who died in 1988, remains the king of the genre. "May There Be a Road" showcases Mr. L'Amour's incredible skill as an author, but not in the genre that has made him a household name. Instead this ten-story collection spans the globe and the genres. From the Himalayas to Alaska to Brazil, the stories take readers on a global tour. From a hard-boiled detective story to a war between Tibetan peasants and Chinese soldiers to a boxer seeking a second chance, etc., the tales encompass literature as a whole. This is my first look at a Mr. L'Amour story outside the West and I found each tale well-written, exciting, and keeping with his famous theme of people in conflict trying to overcome the odds. This is an excellent collection that fans of the awe-inspiring writer will want to read as well anyone who enjoys a variety anthology.Harriet Klausner