A reviewer once made a comment that went something like this: "A spaghetti western meets Frankenstein, seen through an opium haze..." And you know what? I think they summed it up perfectly.

It's like a bit of a beat genius, really. And it's also dang funny too. I have to give credit to JJ for this wonderful creation.

This unique combination of a spaghetti western and Frankenstein, filtered through the strange lens of an opium haze, creates a truly one-of-a-kind experience. It's the kind of thing that makes you stop and think, while also making you laugh out loud.

JJ has really outdone themselves with this. It's a work that defies easy categorization and instead invites the viewer or reader to enter a world that is both familiar and completely unexpected.

I can't wait to see what else JJ has in store for us.

While I was browsing through my bookshelves, I happened to pick up this particular book by Richard Brautigan. To my surprise, I found that the title was remarkably fitting for this time of the year, even if it wasn't specifically for the R.I.P. Challenge.

This book is a quick read, consisting of many short chapters, each beginning on a new page. It was not only funny but also frequently made me giggle. However, there were enough eerily strange things that occurred within its pages to make it appropriate after all. A quote from page 46 showcases the nice blend of wacky humour and foreboding: "The road stopped like a dying man's signature on a last-minute will."

It's quite challenging not to give away too much of the plot. So, I'll simply quote the back cover: "In the dead centre of the Dead Hills of Eastern Oregon stands Hawkline Manor, an elaborate Victorian mansion, festooned with chandeliers and valuable paintings, and looked after by a giant butler. It is the home of the two Miss Hawklines [Misses Hawkline?], beautiful, generous with their favours — and identical. But it also houses a very unwelcome guest... whom Greer and Cameron, professional killers, are required to dispose of."

I've had a soft spot for Brautigan ever since I read his short story "The Weather in San Francisco." Since then, I've read several more of his short stories. When I came across this novel at the book market a couple of years ago, I immediately snapped it up. I sort of regretted this impulse buy later on, but now I'm glad I did. Brautigan's writing may not be to everyone's taste, but I truly enjoyed myself while reading this book.

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Dit moet een van de mafste boeken zijn die ik ooit heb gelezen.

Another interesting work from Brautigan.

This particular piece contains some of the magical elements found in In Watermelon Sugar, yet in a distinct manner.

Rumor has it that Hal Ashby was in the midst of planning to turn this into a movie when he unfortunately passed away.

The two main characters, Greer and Cameron, are truly funny and interesting.

Greer's antics and Cameron's unique perspective on life add a great deal of charm to the story.

Readers are sure to be entertained by their adventures and the strange and wonderful world that Brautigan has created for them.

It's a shame that Ashby wasn't able to bring this story to the big screen, as it has the potential to be a truly magical and memorable film.

**The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan: A Captivating Tale**

The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western is a remarkable novel by Richard Brautigan, first published in 1974. Set mainly in eastern Oregon in 1902, it follows the adventures of two morally ambiguous gunmen, Cameron and Greer. Their story begins in Hawaii where, on a job, they are deterred as their target is with his son. After returning to California, they spend time in a brothel. Here, a young woman, Magic Child, who looks Native American, hires them for a job at her house.

On the way, they stop to eat and hear loud gunshot-like noises. That night, Magic Child sleeps with both men and Greer takes a liking to her. When they reach the house on the western plains, surrounded by snow, Miss Hawkline greets them and they discover Magic Child is her twin sister. Once inside, the women's personalities change and they reveal they brought the men to hunt and destroy the "monster" in the "ice caves" beneath the house.
Miss Hawkline and her sister believe the monster killed their father, a Harvard scientist who disappeared while working on "The Chemicals" in his basement laboratory. During the conversation, they realize The Chemicals are altering their minds. Then, the butler suddenly dies and shrinks. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear the monster is a prank created by The Chemicals, manifesting as a "light." After many strange events, Cameron pours whiskey into the beaker with The Chemicals, killing the monster, destroying the house, and restoring the father and butler to normal. Cameron and Greer marry the sisters, but an epilogue reveals they eventually divorce. This novel is a unique blend of Western and Gothic elements, full of mystery, humor, and unexpected twists.

It showcases Brautigan's talent for creating a vivid and engaging world that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

The story's themes of morality, science, and the power of the imagination add depth and complexity, making it a must-read for fans of both Western and Gothic literature.

With its rich characters, detailed settings, and thrilling plot, The Hawkline Monster is a classic work of American literature that continues to captivate readers today.

So weird, but I couldn’t put it down... woah!

This strange phenomenon really caught my attention. It was something that defied explanation and yet, it had an inexplicable allure. I found myself completely engrossed, unable to tear myself away. Every moment spent with it was filled with a mix of confusion and fascination.

I wonder what it is about this thing that has such a hold on me. Maybe it’s the mystery that surrounds it, or perhaps it’s the unique qualities that make it stand out from everything else. Whatever the reason, I know that I’m hooked and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

This book truly cracked me up.

I decided to bring it along with me when I went on a trip to Suisse.

I vividly remember reading a part of it at the bar named Charlie's, which is located in Versoix. It was on Halloween, and the atmosphere there was quite unique.

I even have a few notes in a journal about this book.

One line that particularly sticks in my mind is about a wooden duck foot.

Looking back, I think it's fair to say that this was one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. It had me laughing out loud and kept me engaged throughout.

The author's writing style was so engaging and humorous that it made the reading experience truly enjoyable.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good laugh and an entertaining read.

It’s truly a remarkable experience to read Brautigan for the very first time.

Perhaps it can most aptly be described as a ‘gothic western’, yet it could also fall within the horror genre. What makes it even more notable is that it is written in a comical style.

The plot, such as it is, revolves around two guns for hire in the Montana Wild West, tasked with the mission of killing the monster lurking beneath Hawkline Manor.

The characters are deceiving; one moment someone exists, and the next they don’t. The identities of twins easily melt and split. It is a spoof that combines the best characteristics of classic Westerns, modern gothic romances, and symbolic interpretations of good and evil.

In many ways, Brautigan is a surrealist poet. Over a field of slaughtered sheep, vultures hover “like flesh angels summoned to worship at a large spread-out table.” In the barren Dead Hills where Hawkline is located, a road meanders “like the handwriting of a dying person over the hills,” and, at its end, “The road stopped like a dying man's signature on a last-minute will.”

All in all, it’s a great deal of fun to read.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

This is, hands down, the best Brautigan book I have read so far. It truly stands out among his works.

Did you ever see or read The Shining? Well, in some ways, this book is like that, but with a lot more comedy and less nail-biting tension. In fact, I wonder if Stephen King ever read or was inspired by Richard Brautigan's work - it seems like a great book to draw spin-offs from. At other times, this book reminded of William Burroughs, The Place of Dead Roads, with two killers as the protagonists.

So what is the story about? Well, without giving too much away, The Hawkline Monster is set in an old classic Victorian mansion in the middle of nowhere (in the middle of Montana?). There resides the two beautiful daughters of the scientist Mr. Hawkline who was killed by the monster who lives in the ice caves underneath the house. Magic Child, an Indian girl (or is she?), goes looking for the two men I mentioned above, and commissions them to come and kill the monster.

Well, this is no regular monster. Allegorically this book is full of symbolism and subtle messages. For example, many people fight invisible monsters, sometimes called 'demons', which cannot be just killed by regular means. Also, the developments made in the sciences, especially in this case the chemical sciences, might seem exciting and wonderful on one level, but they can be extremely dangerous if in the wrong hands. It is no accident that Brautigan sets this novel in the early 20th century - a century torn apart by warfare and conflict in which humans found better ways to continue killing each other.

This book is a real work of art and could be turned into a fantastic movie too - maybe someone like Tarentino would do it justice. His unique style and ability to bring out the essence of a story could make this book come alive on the big screen in a truly remarkable way.

Richard Brautigan's "Hawklinesque" is a remarkable piece of literature.

Perhaps he spent seven years writing poetry to be able to pen a single sentence, as he loved writing novels. Brautigan is considered one of the standard-bearers of the Beat Generation.

This book is his fifth work and my fifth reading, and he is also one of the three great living writers for me.

The reading of this book was very smooth, allowing one to easily read and digest fifty to one hundred pages a day. And once again, we encounter the enchanting seasons that Brautigan always brings with him in his books.

Indeed, I give credit to the critics who don't know what literary style Brautigan belongs to. If we have the madness of a cow, then Brautigan's madness is also there.

"Hawklinesque," like other works of Brautigan, is full of satire and very interesting. I heard that Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman will play roles in a film adaptation, and Cameron will be the lead.

For me, "Hawklinesque" functions like a charm. Perhaps Brautigan wanted to bring art to the forefront, but there is a certain place where the main focus of the book cannot be just the story of Cameron.

Here, the discerning reader realizes that Brautigan is sitting behind the book with a caliber. And the target is either the machine system or that same American modernity.

I remembered the poem by Allen Ginsberg during the reading:

{ America when will we end the war with humanity?

Go with your atomic bombs and blow yourself up!

My dream is not good, don't bother me. }

This was the very first Brautigan that I had ever laid my eyes on and delved into.

It is, without a doubt, the absolute craziest freaking western that one could ever hope (or perhaps not hope) to come across.

I don't typically consume a large quantity of western literature, but I couldn't help but share this one with a western-loving friend of mine. She took my recommendation and gave it a go.

After reading it, she wholeheartedly agreed that it was indeed crazy.

Now, it should be noted that she is, truthfully, a bit crazy herself, so she can easily recognize that kind of insanity when she encounters it.

I, on the other hand, consider myself to be very sane.

However, this book is most definitely less than sane.

Despite that, it offers a very, very adventurous read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you with a sense of wonder and disbelief.

It's a wild ride that you won't soon forget.

I knew that Pratchett was a strange type just from his pictures on the internet and from the titles and the kind of books he wrote. But this book was beyond anything. I don't even know how to review it.

The story is about two assassins who are called by Lady Havelock (who is actually two people and not one in the end) to kill the monster that is hidden under the basement laboratory with chemicals in the house, which is located in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Oregon. Everything else that happens in this small book, the monster, the sex, the madness of the house, is beyond description.

The book is characterized as a strange gothic western mystery, which doesn't completely describe what it is, but it definitely comes close. Obviously, it's a crazy story with a nice sarcastic humor that could easily be an episode of the Twilight Zone. The writing is simple, but it's so easy to read and nice that it makes you gulp down the sentences extremely fast. It couldn't have taken me more than two hours to read it, two hours that definitely passed very nicely.

In conclusion, I believe that it's not for everyone's taste. One has to be prepared for what to expect from this crazy story. I was definitely satisfied and had a smile on my face for a few minutes.

I initially thought that I had accidentally picked up another juvenile novel or something similar, due to the writing style of this author. However, as I delved deeper into the story, he began using the word "fuck" rather frequently, which made me realize that this wasn't the case.

As a result, I spent the entire novel feeling confused until I reached the ending. Thankfully, it was a short read.

It turns out that this novel was published in 1974, so perhaps that's why it has the "sound" it does. I'm not entirely sure, as I haven't read Brautigan before. And since this is the only audiobook available in my library, it might be the only one I'll ever encounter.

Johnathan McClain served as the narrator, and he did an okay job.

Overall, I give this novel 3 tepid stars and wouldn't really recommend it. It simply doesn't align with my personal style at all.