The King of Taos
A Novel
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The underground world of con men, winos, prostitutes, laborers, and artists has been an abundant source of material for great writers from Dickens to Bukowski. The underground world of Taos, New Mexico, is no different. In the late 1950s this mountain town was higher, brighter, poorer, and farther removed than London, Paris, or Los Angeles, but it was every bit as rich for the explorations of a young writer. Max Evans, the beloved New Mexican writer of such enduring classics of Western fiction as The Rounders and The Hi-Lo Country, returns to form with The King of Taos. Set in the late 1950s, the novel tells the stories of sharp-witted Zacharias Chacon, aspiring artist Shaw Spencer, and a circle of characters who drink, fight, love, argue, and—mostly—talk. Readers will enjoy this witty and moving evocation of unforgettable characters as they look for work, love, comfort, dignity, and bottomless oblivion.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Evans (The Rounders) draws on his years in 1950s Taos, N.Mex., for this wistful picaresque (after For the Love of a Horse), an entertaining outing that engenders empathy for its flawed characters. Zacharias Chacon, supported by his hard-working and long-suffering wife, lives in perpetual hope that his fortunes will change. Every day, he expects a check promised by the government to compensate him for the noncombat injury he suffered during WWII, in an amount that will give him and his family some financial stability. Zacharias maintains his optimism and equanimity (with the frequent aid of alcohol) despite years of disappointment. Shaw Spencer, an aspiring portrait painter, is a newcomer to the small community who has no problem pocketing someone else's loose change left on a tabletop, and who finds companionship and inspiration with a prostitute. After he meets Zacharias at a bar, the two men latch onto a plan to start a construction business with Zacharias's elusive check, and experience various ups and downs Shaw is ripped off by a Santa Fe gallery owner, and Zacharias eventually gets a new lease on life. While the rambling story line features minimal action and lots of talk, the characters are consistently charming. It's a treat to watch Evans pull this off.
