Ok: The Corral the Earps and Doc Holliday a Novel

In response to readers who've bemoaned a lack of historical accuracy-- Paul West, as I perceive him, is an interpreter of culture, an artistic revisionist and a master of mapping out the psyches of some of our most iconic figures in social history. I think he remains true to form with "O.K," and that those readers who are expecting an action-packed, factual treatment of the Old West would be better served by somebody else's novel. If you are interested in careful psychological portraits, however, this is a good read even for those who, like me, haven't the faintest interest in the goings-on of the wild, wild West!

Another glorious Paul West novel, with an array of fascinating characters and prose that's so much fun to read. It really humanized the heroes of the Old West for me. I loved it!

The fact that Paul West, "with so little research" (?), could put together such a fascinating look into the life of Doc Holliday is extraordinary. With typical Westian flair he reconstructs Holliday as Holliday himself wishes he had been. This "fictional" account has permanently altered my idea of who Doc Holliday was. Bravo Mr. West. As for genre, I believe this is a literary book, rather than a pulpy one. It reminds me of Robert Kroetsch's The Studhorse Man and Coover's Ghost Town. For any generous reader, this book is sure to be a pleasure.

I enjoyed this novel, as I have all of West's historical fictions. As a reader, you have to have a sense of humor, an inkling when someone is pulling your leg for dramatic effect. When reading West, this is doubly important. He's a master at this sort of thing. In other novels, he's made mention of Shakespeare during Milton's time, of Tourette's syndrome in WW2 China, and the conceit of having Lord Byron's doctor narrate his autobiography from the grave. Take it with a grain of salt, enjoy it. I suspect most readers prefer his spin on the fate of Big Nose Kate. It's fiction. It's wondeful.Besides, West has moved on to bigger and better things. Can you imagine someone staking their whole lives, their entire imagination, their reputation and everything that consumes the soul on Doc Holliday? Life's too short, live a little.