The Untamed

Description

The Untamed by Max Brand

A Western story with mythical undertones and a style and atmosphere that set it apart, The Untamed by Max Brand fascinates the reader with all the wildness one can expect of a true Western, spiced up with a bit of supernatural at every step.

The title does not refer to one single main character – it refers to a group of creatures, out of which only one, Dan Barry, is human. The other two, a black horse aptly named Satan and a wolf-dog called Black Bart are both dark and indomitable creatures that only Dan Barry can control.

The story starts with the conflict between Dan and Jim Silent, the leader of a gang of bank robbers. The gang kidnaps Dan’s sweetheart, so Dan sets out to rescue the girl with the help of Texas Calder, a marshal in the pursuit of the gang. The story is eventful from beginning to end – there is kidnapping, jailbreak, pursuit and counter-pursuit, gun duels, bloody murder and lots of fights and heroic deeds by the good protagonist. The novel is not short of romantic elements either: Dan sets out on his journey because of love – and love seems to conquer all obstacles. However, the novel does not seem to end as expected, as there is no culmination in happy ending and marital bliss. The Untamed stays untamed, just like his two ferocious creatures, and he rides off toward new adventures in the end.

The novel is quick-paced and full of turns, and Brand’s style matches the speed. Fights are described in great detail and the events are described in a dramatic style that never fails to create the right impact on the reader. With this novel, Brand surely creates something remarkable: a mythic account of a hero’s journey that mixes that supernatural with the realistic.
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