Butcher's Crossing
Book description
In his National Book Award–winning novel Augustus, John Williams uncovered the secrets of ancient Rome. With Butcher’s Crossing, his fiercely intelligent, beautifully written western, Williams dismantles the myths of modern America.
It is the 1870s, and Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek “an original relation to nature,” drops…
Why read it?
1 author picked Butcher's Crossing as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Vivid details and excellent writing bring the Western frontier to life in this unique novel that avoids cliché.
A greed-driven frenzy for buffalo hide based on market speculation decimated the species in the late 1800s.
The tragedy of the buffalo is paralleled by the plight of William Andrews who, inspired by transcendental philosophy, sets out to find his true self on the Western Frontier, yet ends up losing more than his innocence as he follows the buffalo into the abyss.
The tragedy of the buffalo is conveyed through story and is in no way pedantic or political. This novel taught…
From Alison's list on existential and experimental historical fiction.
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