My problem with most Westerns is the protagonist is almost always without fault. You know the type if you’ve ever read a Louis L'Amour story: clean-cut, above doubt or suspicion, always acting disinterestedly. Those kinds of protagonists are boring to me. When I read something, I want the characters about whom I’m reading to be real, to be human, and not ideal. I want characters that fall short of being angels.With The Law at Randado we have the same problem with the protagonist as we find in prototypical Westerns: the protagonist is selfless, the epitome of the law officer wearing the white hat seen in cheesy black-and-white Western movies.Kirby Frye is — in a word — unreal. He is the main character and deputy in this story. He has a romantic interest, of course, that never goes beyond infatuation so the image of purity is maintained and he never lets a single speck of dust spot his Teflon honor, as is classic of the Western heroes. The same is true of his superior, Danaher. Both are uncharacteristic of the way things were. I'm not saying the West was entirely devoid of folks of this high-caliber, people like Bat Masterson, but most of the lawmen of the Old West were fairly shady characters, say along the lines of Wyatt Earp. Whereas Earp was never an outlaw in other parts of the country, he was money-hungry and acted selfishly. Many lawmen, too, had at one time been outlaws. It then stands to reason the majority of these men did not suddenly awaken one day and think to themselves, “Why, I’ll just be good as all get-out from now on”, and try to save the world or, in the usual cases, a town. Likewise, the outlaws themselves were not without their good sides. Real people and believable fictional characters tend to be gray.The same can be said for a good villain. Villains should have at least a few good qualities and there isn't any for Randado's antagonist.You know by now I was disappointed in the too black-and-white characters of The Law at Randado. What I liked about this story was Elmore Leonard’s writing. His is fast and entertaining, and he has a knack for action, a good storyteller. I recommend The Law at Randado if you like the classic, all-too-predictable stories of old regarding the West. If you’re looking for something truer to life, something down and dirty and gritty and more reflective of the Old West the way it was, The Law at Randado is not for you.
I believe this is Leonard's second novel, written in the early '50's, and as such doesn't really display the trademark humor and terrific dialogue we know him for. For all that, though, it's still very well-written, spare and lean, befitting the Arizona setting.A group of Randado's prominent citizens, manipulated by rich cattle baron Phil Sundeen, lynch a pair of rustlers without waiting on due process of law. When the young, green deputy sheriff, Kirby Frye, gets wind of it, he sets out to serve warrants to the men involved-- only to be humiliated and run out of town. But Frye isn't about to let the law be subverted; he gathers himself, along with a loose handful of allies, and sets out to bring Sundeen and his lackies to justice. It's a fairly standard Western scenario, especially in the last fourth, with Frye on the trail of the fleeing Sundeen, but still manages to play out in the end in unexpected ways. Frye is an interesting character, torn between youthful impetuousness and level-headed responsibility, and Sundeen is a nicely sleazy villain. The other characters all straddle lines somewhere between the two, but their main crime seems to be cowardice.So... THE LAW AT RANDADO is a typical Western, elevated by a fast-pace and superior writing.
Do You like book The Law At Randado (2002)?
Another classic Elmore Leonard western. Two men are arrested for rustling and town leaders, urged on by the son of the wealthy rancher, form a kangaroo court. They decide to hang the men and do so. When the deputy sheriff in charge of the town returns he confronts the men responsible. He is run out of town, but returns with the sheriff and deals with those responsible.There are a lot of standard Western themes in this story; the young deputy, the entitled son of the wealthy rancher, the tough older mentor. All great themes. While some of the plot is predictable, there are some really great twists and turns on these themes. I would say more about them, but then that would ruin the story.
—David Williams
The only reason I couldn't rate this any higher is the amount of vulgar language throughout the book, which kept me from enjoying it as much as I could have. I guess magazine standards of decency in the 1950s kept that out of Leonard's short Western fiction, which I have read and enjoyed. (The difference between the short fiction and this novel illustrates a point I've always held: it is definitely possible to write a good and even a tough story without that type of language.) Aside from that issue, The Law at Randado has all the same crisp, tight writing and sharp character delineation as his short stories. I particularly liked the portrayals of protagonist Kirby Frye, the young deputy; and his superior Danaher, the sheriff, and the relationship between them. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, but I did appreciate the crafting of the story and characters—it's unfortunate the language had to detract from it.
—Elisabeth
I've read three of Elmore Leonard's westerns now: the excellent Valdez is Coming, the disjointed The Bounty Hunters, and now this, which ranks somewhere in the high middle between them. This starts with a very standard, traditional Western – young deputy trying to make his way in a semi corrupt town having to prove himself – but it plays a lot on your expectations. There is an extremely suspenseful and well-written hanging scene in the beginning of the book, which initiates the action. Young Kirby Frye has to bring the perpetrators to justice, fully knowing that they will probably not receive more than fines and short jail time for their crimes. He embarrassingly loses the first couple of confrontations that keeps coming back, earning the respect of the town and some of the people involved with the crime. What is interesting in this novel is the lack of the open confrontation one might expect in a High Noon type of question. His battle with Clay Jordan, a hired gunslinger, is an example of patience and brains over skill ( although Kirby has plenty of skill). The final confrontation, with wealthy land owner Phil Sundeen, goes against every one of your expectations of the " shootout in the saloon" ending you have seen in a million westerns. After having read and been totally disappointed in The Bounty Hunters, I was glad to see that Elmore Leonard's reputation was well deserved.
—Rich P
