The Gunfight is a meager two-hundred forty seven pages but don't let that dissuade you. Matheson's books are all meat. You won't find any needless descriptions. If Matheson takes the time to describe something, you know it will be important later.The plot of The Gunfight is fairly simple. A legendary gunfighter, John Benton, and his wife settle in a tiny town called Kellville to enjoy their retirement. Meanwhile, a teenage girl named Louisa Harper tries to make her boyfriend Robby Coles jealous by telling him Benton's expressed some interest in her. Soon the whole town is egging Robby on, saying he has to protect his girl's honor. So guess what Robby does? I'll give you a hint: the title of the book isn't "Knitting Contest."The characters are fairly realistic. Benton's the guy who feels he has nothing left to prove and just wants to enjoy retirement. Robby's the testosterone-laden kid who just wants Louisa to treat him right. Sometimes you even feel sorry for the poor lug, getting pushed in way over his head. The townsfolk are like a lot of small town folk who get out of control once they smell blood.One of the hallmarks of a Richard Matheson story is that he's an expert at misdirection, be it I am Legend, the Incredible Shrinking Man, or that Twilight Zone episode where there's a gremlin on the wing of the plane. The Gunfight is no exception. This book should be a prerequisite for anyone who tries to write a suspense novel, because at its core, The Gunfight is more of a suspense novel than a western. The pacing is perfect and leaves you worn out by the end. Two-hundred forty seven pages is the perfect length. Any more would have thrown off the remarkable pace. I started reading this at lunchtime on a Sunday and finished a little after dark. It's really hard to put down.
A fine novel.John Benton had been a Texas Ranger. When he tracked a gang that had robbed a bank, leaving one dead and one near death. They didn't surrender and when it was over, Benton discovered that two of the three were sons of the other, one of those more of a boy. He hung up his guns and bought a small ranch.The trouble started when a young girl made a comment about Benton to her intended to make him jealous. The young man takes it all too serious and confronts Benton first.The gossip starts and as gossips usually does, it grows with the telling. The girl's old maid Aunt is the worst and, although demanding the truth, has already decided and pushes for help for the poor defenseless women.The young man's father is adamant his son must defend his intended's honor, pushing the boy to face Benton in a gunfight.The Aunt and Father are more concerned about what it will do to their honor.The tension builds until the gunfight is inevitable.
What do You think about The Gun Fight (1993)?
The Gun Fight by Richard Matheson is a whole new genre of writing for one of the greatest writers of all time. The Gun Fight can typically be found in the Western section, which is unusual for the writer of I Am Legend, Hell House, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, and so many more. The Gun Fight takes place in the late 1800s in a small western town in a time where family honor is cherished. When a girl’s lie causes her family’s reputation and her fiancé’s reputation to be called into question, the fiancé is forced to fight for it. Unfortunately for John Benton, he is pulled into the fight since the lie in question was told about him. The entirety of the book takes place over the course of three days and draws to a conclusion that will keep you reading until the last paragraph. Matheson has done a great job in drawing you in and telling the story in his unique way. I can only rate at 4 stars because I think the plot itself is a little lacking and not quite his best work. It doesn’t drag on, but it isn’t quite the page turning thriller of his other works. This book could be read by young adults and adults. I wouldn’t suggest children should read it, but mature teens would probably be fine.
—Dan Roth
