5 comments about The Long Night of Winchell Dear (Unabridged).

1. This book reads like a classic. The literary quality flows. It's unfortunate that a lot of people might not read the book because of the title. I'm a librarian so I get a chance to look beyond titles and summaries before I choose to read a book. I give books a chance to interest me. I'm very glad I did with this one. However, still I say, Winchell with the last name of Dear would of kept me off balance while reading the book because the last name (one word!) unknowingly sends a mixed message regarding the content. Everytime I read the word "Dear" my mind kept wanting to revert to light romance reads. There is a meaningful story inside this book and well worth the time it takes to read it. I hope the book doesn't become a "albatross" for the author.



2. I've read several of Waller's books, beginning with Bridges several years ago. The Long Night of Winchell Dear was a good, fast-paced read - except when it got bogged down with too much detail & time spent about poker-playing strategy & techniques. I enjoyed Marty & the Driver characters - they reminded me somewhat of Steinbeck's George & Lenny. They provided suspense, tension and a touch of humor, and I enjoyed their dialogue.



3. The Long Night of Winchell Dear by Robert James Waller October 2007 Amazon
   Winchell Dear, an old-time gambler, a Texas poker player feels a certain foreboding on this certain night as he plays his fiddle and and thinks back to his good days with Lucinda Miller. Luther hunts, unblinking and of nervous temperament moving through the night wind. An Indian squatter on Winchell's ranch moves into the scene thinking about Winchell's housekeeper, and boring toward all of them is a Lincoln with two men traveling from Los Angeles on a mission. Waller takes us through the wind and dust of the high desert of Texas, a far cry from "Old Songs in a New Café" and "Bridges of Madison County." Assuming there is more demand for drama of this kind, Waller seems to have traded his high plains philosophy for high plains terror, each book after "Bridges" gets a little more chaotic. I finished the book only because it was written by James Robert Waller and was left with one question. Who initiated the mission of the professionals in the Lincoln?
   Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope, South State Street Journal, and Memory Flatlined.



4. The review by Charles was pretty accurate, however, I'd like to add my two cents. The plot was good, but I didn't like the way it was put together. I had a hard time with the setting; the story had a feel of the old west, but there were items mentioned that told you it took place in the here and now. There was a lot of attention paid to Dear's education in gambling. In fact, most of the book was about it. There were complete paragraphs and sections of pages I just skipped through because there was just too much detail. I thought the story was a bit slow. And what are the odds, even in a piece of fiction, that half of the players who came together (finally) in the end, not only had run into each other previously, but one was actually related? And what's the deal with 'the driver'? Why didn't he have a name? And was all the cursing really necessary? Something every once in a while when something went wrong I could handle, but every other word? So, if you like to gamble and know something about it and the terminology, and you like stories about drug runners and dumb thugs, this is the book for you.



5. This was another excellent Amazon experience. Excellent product
   and delivered in a timely manner.

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1. I really enjoyed this book. As a bridge beginner its just what I needed. It's by no means a complete guide to bridge but it helps you to take the first steps to understanding the game . It has very simple graphics in black and red as is the text .It is divided into four sections leads you through scoring bidding and through completions of some hands. It also has a useful glossary. I would recommend this book as a good place to start if you want to start learning the game.

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