He has no knowledge of who he is. He vaguely remembers falling from a window – and he knows that an angry mob is forming that wants to kill him. But other than that he has forgotten everything. It must have been the fall that wiped away his memory.He scrambles onto a departing train. The contents of his pockets are of little help – but they give him the names of a few men who may know his true identity. He observes himself, his style of motion, his instinctive reactions, and his subconscious judgments. From these he learns that he is a man well-trained to survive – and skilled with a gun. But it isn’t until he meets Fan Davidge that he begins to remember. He was hired to protect her ranch. But who hired him? Why is the ranch threatened? And by whom?Jonas Mandarin, as he calls himself, is up against enemies who know more about him than he knows himself – and who may use that knowledge to kill him. Can Jonas remember who he is and what he stands for? And can he save Fan Davidge’s ranch?Discussion.I really, really enjoyed this story. Often when we meet our protagonist, we begin to evaluate him – what does he stand for? How does he behave under pressure? What does he want out of life? What is his background? Sometimes the author skillfully weaves answers into the text in such a way that we don’t realize they’re being answered. Other times, the answers are hammered into us.But The Man Called Noon is different. Because even as we are trying to learn our man, he’s trying to learn himself. He evaluates himself with a curious, critical eye – his memory of himself is gone, but his muscle memory and his inner instincts are all there. From these things and the scanty clues he picks up about himself, Jonas begins to piece together who he actually is – whether he fights for law and order or for gain; whether he is a killer or a peacemaker. It’s really a fascinating study, watching a man reconstruct himself.Jonas soon tumbles to the suspicion that he must be Ruble Noon, a famous gunman. The fact that he’s got a wad of cash in his pocket and vague memories of the assignment to kill four men and a woman supports this feeling. But he needs more to go on. Why do these people need to be killed? And who are they?The fact that Jonas (or Ruble Noon, as he turns out to be) and Fan Davidge come to love each other and together fight their way up and down a couple of mountains doesn’t hurt the plot. : )Ruble takes a jab or two at social theory throughout the course of the story. The results are noteworthy.Here in these western lands men were fighting again the age-old struggle for freedom and for civilization, which is one that always must be fought for. The weak, and those unwilling to make the struggle, soon resign their liberties for the protection of powerful men or paid armies; they begin by being protected, they end by being subjected.[pg. 168]Yup and yup.“You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield, they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed, and crime grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create greater trouble for someone else.” [pg. 202]Good and true.Conclusion. One of the better westerns I’ve read.Visit The Blithering Bookster to read more reviews!www.blitheringbookster.com
Ο κρυμμένος θησαυρόςΆλλο ένα κλασικό γουέστερν του μαιτρ του είδους Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ που περνάει στην λίστα με τα διαβασμένα. Όπως και τα άλλα του βιβλία, μου φάνηκε και αυτό πολύ καλό. Εδώ έχουμε έναν άγνωστο άντρα ο οποίος έχει μια προσωρινή αμνησία και έτσι δεν θυμάται ποιος είναι. Ξέρει όμως ότι είναι τραυματισμένος και ότι κάποιος τον κυνηγάει για να τον σκοτώσει. Και αναρωτιέται: Είναι καλός ή κακός; Τον κυνηγάει ο νόμος ή κάποιος πληρωμένος φονιάς; Τελικά θα βγάλει άκρη, μιας και ήταν γνωστός στην γύρω περιοχή και πολλοί τον αναζητούσαν... Θα μάθει και για έναν θησαυρό που βρίσκεται σε ένα ράντσο, αξίας μισού εκατομμυρίου δολαρίων, μιας και είναι ο μοναδικός εν ζωή που γνωρίζει σε ποιο σημείο είναι θαμμένος - αλλά πρέπει και να θυμηθεί... Ενδιαφέρον μυθιστόρημα, με λίγο μυστήριο στην αρχή και σίγουρα μπόλικη δράση. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι με εξιτάρουν τα μυθιστορήματα όπου ο πρωταγωνιστής δεν ξέρει ποιος ακριβώς είναι και ψάχνει να βρει μια άκρη. Με αυτό το θέμα περιμένει κανείς διάφορες ενδιαφέρουσες αποκαλύψεις. Η γραφή κλασικά είναι εξαιρετική, με ωραίες περιγραφές τοπίων, ανθρώπων και γεγονότων, δίχως αχρείαστες λεπτομέρειες. Ο Λ'Αμούρ είναι μαιτρ των περιγραφών. Έχει γίνει και ταινία με πρωταγωνιστή τον Richard Crenna.
What do You think about The Man Called Noon (1984)?
I still haven't found a solid list of good vs. not-so-good Louis L'Amour books. This title appeared on at least one "Best of..." list, but I thought it had a lot of weaknesses. It's an amnesia story, with protagonist Ruble Noon waking from a head injury, with men after him. He flees -- and then tries to reconstruct who he is and why he's being hunted down. Part of the book feels like it's based on Batman -- Noon has various hideouts (including caves), and there is almost always someone near or at the hideout to help him out. Noon is a sort of super-hero who overcomes challenges pretty easily, with too much help along the way.
—Doug
A man finds himself bleeding from a head wound on a dark street. He only knows that someone is trying to kill him, but doesn't know who or why. L'Amour's book starts at that point and quickly moves into one of a man searching for his past and just trying to stay alive. Full of the author's wonderful description of the west, and his great characters both good and bad (and sometimes a little of both). Throw in some hidden treasure, a lady in distress and the growing mystery of Noon's past, you get a short but solid read. That's what you expect from L'Amour and what made him a bestselling author.
—Steve Chaput
Amnesia in the Old West when hired guns are hot on the hero's trail...perfect reading for a gloomy day! The non-stop action in this story hooked me from the first and didn't let go. The main character, as all L'Amour's main guys, is moral and thoughtful, but ready and able to defend himself and those being mistreated. The heroine didn't have much character beyond the magnetic pull she had over the hero and her own blind faith in the hero, but given the quantity of action, there really wasn't time for much else.I've always loved Louis L'Amour. I've been known to reread Flint and Reilly's Luck whenever I get in a funk. This book will definitely be added to my short list of blue-mood-busting books!
—Lnlisa
