Deadwood

Pete Dexter

Save:

Find on Amazon

gritty and lawless setting

historical fiction

complex characters

raw and vivid prose

interconnected stories

morally ambiguous characters

episodic pacing

humor in gritty narrative

life in the old american west

central character charley utter

chaotic atmosphere of mining town

real life figures like wild bill hickok and calamity jane

drinking, gambling, and murder

Who Would Like This Book:

If you crave a Western that's raw, witty, and true to the chaos of the real Old West, this one's for you! Pete Dexter brings historical figures like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and especially Charley Utter to life with unflinching realism, dark humor, and an ensemble cast that feels almost journalistic in detail. Fans of unconventional westerns or readers who loved Lonesome Dove and enjoy character-driven stories packed with gritty atmosphere will find a lot to love here. Expect sharp dialogue, morally complex personalities, and a Deadwood overflowing with humanity at its most muddled and memorable.

Who May Not Like This Book:

If you like your Westerns with clear heroes and tidy plots, or you’re sensitive to violence, rough language, and bleak outlooks, this might not be your cup of coffee. Some readers found the lack of a traditional, driving plot frustrating and missed having an obvious protagonist or a grand showdown. Others struggled with the meandering, vignette-style structure and the often harsh, unsentimental depiction of frontier life. Oh, and if you’re hunting for a novelization of the HBO series, this is a very different animal!

A darkly funny, authentic, and gloriously unpolished Western - excellent if you want the wild west without the white hats. Somber, vivid, unforgettable, and very much its own beast.

About:

'Deadwood' by Pete Dexter is a historical fiction novel set in the lawless town of Deadwood in South Dakota during the Old American West era. The book follows the lives of various characters, including real-life figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, as they navigate through a town filled with prostitution, drinking, gambling, and murder. The plot intricately weaves together the different perspectives and stories of the characters, capturing the essence of the gritty and violent frontier life in Deadwood.

Characters:

The characters, based on real historical figures, are complex and often morally ambiguous, with Charley Utter serving as the central character.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is vivid and engaging, balancing humor with rawness, and is characterized by well-crafted dialogue and descriptive prose.

Plot/Storyline:

The story weaves together the lives of historical figures in a lawless town, highlighting their interconnectedness through an ensemble cast and episodic plot.

Setting:

The setting in Deadwood is depicted as gritty and lawless, capturing the chaotic atmosphere of the early mining town.

Pacing:

The pacing is episodic, with slower character development that leads into unfolding conflicts without clear resolutions.

The boy shot Wild Bill's horse at dusk, while Bill was off in the bushes to relieve himself. It was lucky for everybody but the horse that it happened when it did, but not so lucky it had to be God's ...

Notes:

Deadwood was published in the same year as Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986.

Both Deadwood and Lonesome Dove challenge traditional western genre themes.

The novel presents historical figures and events in a raw style that resembles revisionist history.

Deadwood's characters are all based on real people, including Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane.

Unlike typical westerns, Deadwood has an ensemble cast rather than focusing on a single hero.

The setting is an illegal mining settlement that violated treaties with Native Americans.

Women in Deadwood were largely portrayed as prostitutes, often treated as property.

Charley Utter is the main character, serving as a moral compass amidst the lawlessness.

The HBO series Deadwood is thematically different from the novel, with contrasting portrayals of characters.

The novel features significant roles for Chinese immigrants, which are somewhat overlooked in the HBO series.

Pete Dexter's writing is noted for its humor and deep character exploration.

Readers can expect a gritty and realistic portrayal of life in the American West.

The book has been described as a collection of interlinked character stories rather than a traditional narrative.

The story captures the chaotic and lawless atmosphere of Deadwood and its colorful inhabitants.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include graphic violence, sexual content, themes of addiction, and depictions of mental health issues.

From The Publisher:

DEADWOOD, DAKOTA TERRITORIES, 1876: Legendary gunman Wild Bill Hickcock and his friend Charlie Utter have come to the Black Hills town of Deadwood fresh from Cheyenne, fleeing an ungrateful populace. Bill, aging and sick but still able to best any man in a fair gunfight, just wants to be left alone to drink and play cards. But in this town of played-out miners, bounty hunters, upstairs girls, Chinese immigrants, and various other entrepeneurs and miscreants, he finds himself pursued by a vicious sheriff, a perverse whore man bent on revenge, and a besotted Calamity Jane. Fueled by liquor, sex, and violence, this is the real wild west, unlike anything portrayed in the dime novels that first told its story.

1986

•

387 pages

Ratings (5)

Loved It (5)

Reader Stats (22):

Read It (5)
Want To Read (12)
Not Interested (5)

What can you read after
Deadwood?

See the list (79 books)

About the Author:

Pete Dexter is the author of the National Book Award winner Paris Trout and of God's Pocket, Deadwood, Brotherly Love, The Paperboy and Train. He was born in Michigan and raised in Georgia, Illinois, and eastern South Dakota. He lives on Puget Sound, Washington.

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.