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Butcher's Crossing

Butcher's Crossing | John Edward Williams

28 posts | 36 read | 1 reading | 30 to read

In the 1870s, Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek "an original relation to nature," drops out of Harvard and heads west. He washes up in Butcher's Crossing, a small Kansas town full of restless men looking for ways to make money and ways to waste it. One of these men regales Will with tales of the immense buffalo herds hidden away in the Colorado Rockies and convinces him to join an expedition to track them down. At the end of a grueling journey, the men reach a place of paradisal richness, where they abandon themselves to an orgy of slaughter. So caught up in killing buffalo that they lose all sense of time, the men are overtaken by winter and snowed in. In the spring, half-insane with cabin fever, cold, and hunger, they stagger back to Butcher's Crossing to find a world as irremediably changed as they have been.

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review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

A book that immersed me into the gruelling life of hunting buffalo hides in 1870's kansas. Will Andrews is a harvard graduate who seeks to live life in the tough Western landscape. His experience is harsh + vividly described with astonishing prose in this excellent story. The writing, as with the wonderful Stoner, is incredible to the extent that I had to get a glass of water as they crossed the desert+ put on a jumper as they hit snow. Great read

LeahBergen Wonderful review! I must get to this one soon. 👍 1y

Aimeesue We were stationed at Ft. Leavenworth KS for a few years. The prison had a buffalo yard around it! Kept open space between the prison and the community, and no one wants to try to break out through a bunch of buffalos! The buffalo were very neat to watch, though. 🦬 🦬 🦬 1y

Tamra I really enjoyed William‘s novels. I wish he had written more! 1y

37 likes1 stack add3 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

Like Melville in Moby Dick, Williams harnesses all of his epic/narrative powers in this condemnation of capitalism and the extermination of species for speculative profits.

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

My reading view just got exponentially more enjoyable! 🎄✨

LeahBergen Beautiful!! 4y

Cathythoughts I enjoyed this book. Nice tree 🌲 4y

Tanisha_A Lovely 😍 4y

See All 7 Comments

batsy So pretty! 🤩 4y

Reviewsbylola Your tree looks so pretty! 4y

Bookzombie Love your tree! 4y

Suet624 So lovely! 4y

71 likes7 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

5 ⭐️It‘s the 1870‘s , & Andrews, at 23 , leaves Harvard to travel west & discover his country. He arrives in Butchers Crossing & the story moves quickly to the buffalo hunt.
The opposite of Stoner & yet echoes of Stoner in the end “ and then maybe when your ready to die it comes to you .... “
Images haunting & brutal & beautiful & of the buffalo
A powerful book , that like Stoner, will stay with me

#AnimalonCover

Cathythoughts @merelybookish thankyou ! It was your recent review of Stoner that made me want to read another by Williams. And it‘s another brilliant book X 🙏 5y

batsy Lovely review, Cathy ❤️ 5y

Cathythoughts @batsy Thanks ! I loved the book 5y

See All 20 Comments

TrishB Lovely ❤️ is there animal cruelty to the buffalo? 5y

Cathythoughts @TrishB there is a massacre ... it‘s really a good book 5y

TrishB I wouldn‘t be very good with that ☹️ 5y

merelybookish I'm so happy to hear there is more Williams to read, and that it's good! Adding it to my TBR! 5y

Cathythoughts @merelybookish I hope you will like it 👍🏻❤️ 5y

Cathythoughts @TrishB that part is upsetting alright 💔 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Oh that‘s lovely ❤️. I hope I‘ll like it when I read it. 👍 5y

Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm I hope so too ❤️👍🏻 5y

Tamra I adore Williams and I wish he had written more. I‘m glad you liked it! 5y

Cathythoughts @Tamra I loved it. I must read Augustus next.... maybe in the summer 👍🏻❤️. Have you read Augustus ? Did you like it 5y

Tamra @Cathythoughts I haven‘t read that one yet! I think I have it on my Kindle. 😊 5y

andrew61 That's good, i loved stoner and picked this one up in a charity shop. Ill give it a go soon. 5y

Cathythoughts @andrew61 Great 👍🏻 Look forward to your thoughts on it 5y

Cathythoughts @Tamra maybe later this year a buddy read of Augustus.... if we can , that would be brilliant 5y

Tamra @Cathythoughts yes! 5y

Cathythoughts @Tamra great ! Let‘s plan a date later ,when we get a grip of ourselves after all this trouble .... I‘ll remember 👍🏻 5y

Tamra @Cathythoughts good plan! If I‘m in a grad class I won‘t have the brain power, but if not I‘m game. 😁 Thank you for asking! 5y

63 likes2 stack adds20 comments

quote

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

“ There was a quiet, slow fluidity to the scene which was strange to Andrews, and it absorbed him so that for a moment he did not remember why he had come here “

Which describes my own experience of reading this book so far 👌🏻... reading for #AnimalonCover #Booked2020

erzascarletbookgasm Look forward to your review. The passage sounds lovely 👌 5y

Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm I loved Stoner .... I love the writing in this one too , early days 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 5y

sisilia This is my fav Williams so far (I‘m left with Augustus, which I plan to read some time this year) 5y

Cathythoughts @sisilia Thats good to hear. I‘m loving it so far .... who would have thought ? A western ..... & I‘m so engaged 👍🏻❤️ 5y

47 likes4 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

Williams is a masterful writer. I loved this tale of adventure and greed as four men set out to make their fortune hunting Buffalo in mid-1800s America. #nyrb

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Starting my third book by John Williams. He must be one of the most underrated American authors. #nyrb

BarbaraBB I‘m happy he has been rediscovered lately. He definitely deserves it. 5y

BarbaraBB Also I love your collection of #NYRB books. 😍. You should join our #NYRBBookclub! 5y

JenniferP @BarbaraBB maybe I will! How do I follow the group? I‘m still confused why I can‘t follow a tag. 5y

See All 11 Comments

BarbaraBB If you click on the hashtag and scroll downwards you‘ll find all posts about the #NYRBBookClub. We read a book echt month, selected by the members of the group. After all members have nominated a book the the group will be open for new members. This will take a few more months. Until then non-member can join in reading and discussing the book (last weekend of the month). This month‘s read is

[tagged book]

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne

5y

BarbaraBB I‘ll tag @vivastory, the initiator, so he knows you might be interested in joining! I hope you will! 😘 5y

Liz_M I second @BarbaraBB in recommending the #NYRBBookclub! Are those tbr books, or read books, or both? 5y

JenniferP @Liz_M they are both read and TBR. I think I own about 30 and have about 10 unread. 5y

JenniferP @BarbaraBB thank you! 5y

vivastory Yes, I'd love it if you could join us with the monthly discussions! 5y

vivastory Thanks for tagging me @BarbaraBB ! 5y

JenniferP @vivastory I‘m sure I‘d be interested - I do love nyrb books. I‘ll pay attention for December. 5y

26 likes1 stack add11 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

5⭐️ This book is not just about buffalo hunting. Deeper within the story, there is a familiar sense of human ignorance. Motivated by greed, we grit our teeth and endure the worst; we often expect too much and self-destruct when things don‘t work out. Right?!

This is my second Williams after Stoner. It‘s wonderfully written with vivid imagery. I highly recommend this, even to those who are not fans of western 👍🏻

erzascarletbookgasm Fabulous review. Will put this further up my tbr. 5y

Tamra I‘m so glad you liked it! 5y

Leftcoastzen You‘re killing me ! Need to read Stoner. 5y

sisilia @Leftcoastzen 😄 John Williams won‘t disappoint. His writing style is exquisite! 5y

Suet624 @Leftcoastzen I‘m with you. 5y

57 likes1 stack add5 comments

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

It‘s been a busy week!! All the time that I have is for work and gym 😞 I hope that I have a peaceful weekend so that I can finish reading this wonderful story 🤞🏻

erzascarletbookgasm Hope you‘ll find some time for reading this weekend. Look forward to your thoughts on the book. I loved Stoner. 5y

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I have this in my TBR. Can‘t wait to get to it. Stoner was wonderful. 5y

71 likes2 comments

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Fangirling over John Williams now 😍 He wrote with such poise. Gawwwdd!! ❤️❤️❤️

cathysaid ❤️❤️❤️

[tagged book]

5y

sisilia @cathysaid Stoner was an amazing read, and Butcher‘s Crossing is of a totally different theme with the same brilliant writing. I‘d read anything he wrote - even if it‘s a phone book 😆 5y

ValerieAndBooks I loved Stoner. Need to read his others! 5y

58 likes3 comments

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Just started this this morning, and am loving it 😍

Hooked_on_books Beautiful cover! 5y

Cathythoughts I‘ve been tempted by this one. Loved Stoner. Look forward to your thoughts 5y

Anna40 Looking forward to your thoughts too. Stoner is one of my favorite books 5y

See All 10 Comments

Tamra 👏🏾 5y

LeahBergen Oh, good! It‘s sitting on my NYRB shelf. 😄 5y

Suet624 I really need to read something by him. 5y

sisilia @Suet624 👍🏻

[tagged book]

5y

sisilia @Cathythoughts @Anna40 @erzascarletbookgasm I just finished it! 🎊 It‘s a must-read! So different from Stoner, and yet is equally brilliant 😍 I‘m now eyeing his last work Augustus ( @Tamra have you read it?) 5y

Tamra @sisilia yes, I really enjoyed it! 5y

Cathythoughts Good to hear 👍🏻♥️ 5y

66 likes1 stack add10 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

So it's just a fact. If a book has many scenes of people trying to survive in the wilderness during cold weather conditions, I'm going to love it. Bonus points for being set in the 1800's. 5⭐

claffy_reads Add to the #MountTBR2019 pile! 5y

Tamra John Williams - he deserves a devoted following. 💜 5y

Zelma This has been sitting on my shelf bread for too long. 5y

claffy_reads @Zelma I had been sitting on it because I thought it might be a slow read, but it was really a page-turner 5y

74 likes1 stack add4 comments

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

For me, Butcher‘s Crossing is the ultimate #wildwildwest village. John Williams describes it in such a way (the heat, the dust, the men, the streets) that I can completely visualize it, even years after reading the book. For me the chapters about this village are even better than those regarding the buffalo hunt. #heatofjuly

tagged users icon

LeahBergen I need to move this up my TBR. 6y

Kalalalatja I agree! 6y

Wilkie Loved this book! 6y

See All 8 Comments

Cinfhen Echoing @LeahBergen ☺️ 6y

hilded Is this just as good as

[tagged book]

6y

BarbaraBB @hilded Honestly? For me no, but they are hard to compare as they are completely different. 6y

hilded Thanks, sounds interesting though 👍 6y

BarbaraBB @hilded it absolutely is! 6y

81 likes4 stack adds8 comments

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Will Andrews get‘s into #deepwater when he joins a team of buffalo hunters on a dangerous journey to the Colorado Valley. #marchintooz

tagged users icon

Cinfhen, Lizpixie

Tamra Williams 💜 7y

Cinfhen Such a beautiful photo 🤩and I‘ve heard really good stuff about this book...NOT confusing it with another book that I already bought

[tagged book]

The Butcher's Hook: A Novel

7y

Wilkie @Cinfhen I was suprised how much I loved it. It was one of my favourite books of last year 7y

Wilkie @Tamra 💕❤️ 7y

Tamra @Wilkie I wish he had written more. 7y

40 likes2 stack adds5 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Edward Williams

Pick

pick

This unsentimental story of a man drawn to the West and a buffalo hunt is well written & bleak. Idealism & mythology about the American West fall away as the harshness and brutality of slaughter and survival overwhelm the beauty of the land & the young man‘s innocent hopes. The tale stings; I‘m horrified & saddened by this glimpse into a sad truth of white men in the West. Thanks to the NY Review of Books for publishing this neglected story.

Tamra Love John Williams - I wish he had written more. 7y

6 likes1 comment

review

wanderlustforwords

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

4 out of 5
This couldn't be more different than Stoner. At first I didn't know if I liked it, but I wanted to pick it up, I wanted to find out what was going to happen. It slowly creeped its way in, I know I won't forget the story.

BarbaraBB Great review. I felt the same. 7y

wanderlustforwords @BarbaraBB sorry my reply is so late Barbara! Thank you. Sounds like I‘m in good company. 7y

9 likes2 comments

review

wanderlustforwords

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

My currently reading stack. I finished Housekeeping last night, and started Butcher's Crossing tonight. I'll do a quick review on my next post. I'm excited to read John William's BC tonight, I loved Stoner! #book #bookstack #currentlyreading

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

I think this might be the closest I can get for today's #cowboyDan prompt. I don't really read westerns, and I am just not that fascinated by cowboys. 😄

I love Williams' writing style, but the subject matter in this one wasn't for me.

#90sinJuly

tagged users icon

Cinfhen, Robothugs

Cinfhen Pretty photo! 7y

hlgreenfield I loved Stoner so i've been thinking of reading this one eve of westerns aren't for me! 7y

Kalalalatja @hlgreenfield I loved Stoner too! That quietness that Stoner has, is also there in this book, but it is more action oriented, and not as focused on the characters. 7y

Kalalalatja @Cinfhen 💙💙 7y

78 likes1 stack add4 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

A story unlike any other. A real cowboy book I think. Plus Williams can make me picture all scenery and the village. Very good.

9 likes1 stack add

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

This post contains spoilers

Meh

so-so

Well-written but uncomfortable to read. By uncomfortable, I mean that you can sense the looming dread coming over you as you near the end. I had a hard time reading about the buffalo killing and the senseless refusal to stop killing until they wiped out the entire herd--and frankly, I wanted to see their greed punished.

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

I remember a part of this book, where Williams quite vividly describe an episode with a lot of #dustinthewind which cause a lot of trouble for the characters. Okay, it might have been sand, but same same. 💨

#RockinMay

tagged users icon

Cinfhen Hahaha I agree dust, sand either one is unpleasant when it's #blowinginyourface (edited) 8y

erzascarletbookgasm 😂👍🏼 8y

JazzFeathers This sounds like a gruesome read 😱 8y

Kalalalatja @JazzFeathers it is more philosophical and quiet than gruesome. But the prairie setting is not really for me in this one.. 8y

68 likes4 comments

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Pick

pick

Mans romantic views of nature clashes with the harsh reality of nature. Very well written and a hell of an ending. If you like Westerns, philosophical fiction, or adventure, check it out.

review

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

Meh

so-so

It's a crisp and lovely Autumn day in Denmark, so I took my book with me when I went for a walk and finished the last 50 pages. 🍁🍂

It's an okay book. I didn't love it as much as Stoner, but it was still a good read. John Williams does quiet and slow books in an amazing way.

blurb

Butcher's Crossing | John Williams

I am slowly getting over the #readathon this weekend. 😴
I started this today, but so far I am not completely hooked.

Is it worth the read?

I-read-and-eat I thought it was worth it. It isn't my favourite book but I am glad I read it. Hang in there 😊 8y

Kalalalatja @I-read-and-eat thanks, I will keep at it! I felt sort of the same way about Stoner, but wound up really liking it 😊

[tagged book]

8y

13 likes1 stack add2 comments