Robert Coover II Ghost Town

Where Noir had a tendency towards hopping from place to place, the earlier work Ghost Town (12 years older than Noir, published in 1998) takes this quality to the extreme. While I picked it up to get a feel for the author, I ALSO wanted a western. Keep in mind, I ordered both books at once, and I probably wouldn't have got two after reading the one. And that's especially true had I read this one first.

What we're given here is rather a long wet dream the author had, and it was cowboy themed. Characters that had previously been killed return, the town rolls to and from the protagonist, he can't go where he wants/lacking in personal autonomy. Every other line is "X happened, as if Y", the reliance on simile is jarringly obvious to extend the "narrative".

Once again, the story is nothing more than tropes piled one on top of the other, unique only by the utter lack of original substance.

It was a draining book to read.

Interesting note: Noir had only 192 pages, with very large print. Ghost Town is 147 pages, but with much smaller print. So, both are small books, but what appears to be the shorter of the two is actually longer... uh, but again, there's more of an actual story in Noir, so take from this what you will.

Another similarity: In Noir, the secretary turned out to also be the Widow that hired the detective. Ghost Town has the Chanteuse either also be the Schoolmarm, or assumes the identity of the schoolmarm- although considering how everything follows dream logic it can be both/neither/any permutation you want. It's super lame when the only two things you read from a guy have that same twist. It's an odd thing seeing an author tackle the same themes time and again... although, tackling themes is obviously different than having literally the same thing happen.

There is, however, at least one part I thought was pretty funny:
P.72 (needed context- the main guy is getting married to the chanteuse, despite his objections. Remember, no one listens to anything he has to say, because it's all dream logic and he can't do nothing about nothing. Super frustrating. Anyways)

"Belle, I know yu're wantin t'git right at it, says the pegleg, but shouldnt he have some pants on? Anyhow leastways fer the cerymonies? He's desprit unsightly down thar, it kinder turns my stomach.
I ain't finished patchin em up, says the chanteuse, wiggling her hips into a velvet and silk wedding gown. And they stink purty bad. He'll hafta go like he is.
Well aint yu at least got a ole skirt or sumthin t'hide him in?
I ain't wearin no skirt, he says flatly.
And I aint marryin no cowboy in one niether, says Belle, buttoning up.
Awright, gimme it then, he says. I'll wear it."

Credit wear it's due, Coover is good at phonetically copying the western dialect. But I aint readin another book of his anytime soon.