The Misfits: Story of a Shoot

"The Misfits" is reason enough to read this collection. Feeling themselves apart from a materialistic society whose norms they cannot live by, three men who want to be free from the pretenses and profiteering of American business make a living, ironically, by capturing wild horses. The character portrayals are brief but entirely compelling--Guido has lost a wife in childbirth and refuses to work as a pilot for an airline, despite the financial remuneration. 47 year old Gay feels a connectedness with all those on the range, yet cannot connect well with anyone in particular. The young Perce struggles with the morality of capturing the wild horses and provokes Gay's jealousy with his vitality, ability, and the attention Perce receives from Gay's girlfriend. Poetic descriptions of the western landscape also contribute to a fascinating story with many interconnecting elements and ironies. The representations of women may seem offensive at first, but Miller seems to be pointing to a psychological portrait of men on the open range and does not champion or support the men's beliefs about women so much as he uses them to reveal the men's weaknesses through them. A must read, even for those who have no interest in "Western" stories.