European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes May 1985 ally Magazine revived interest in old West fiction by Brad Smith United press International americans used to buy books about the old West As quickly As they came off the the likes of Zane Max Brand Louis Lamour were always among the nations As readers hungered for their special kind of adventure and that was years science fiction replaced westerns As the popular literary with the exception of those by who remains one of the most popular authors most Western books disappeared from shelves at the there have been some indications that books about the old West might be regaining some but the publishing Industry int ready to declare a Complete there certainly seems to be a resurgence in interest in the not Only in the Book Industry but in the movie Industry As says Lisa Ross of North Point the san Francisco House that published Evan Connelly son of the morning at least three books about the old West have made it on a bestseller list in the past year and a fourth is a Book of the month club after a dearth of westerns in recent is coming out with two this one of them Fea Tures Clint Eastwood in his first Western in eight the is directed by Lawrence who directed the big it May be a reflection of the level of interest in West erns that none of the three bestselling books is pure two arc nonfiction son of the morning about Custers last and a collection of essays by and one is historical fiction dream a fictionalized account of John Fremont exp a bloc alternate selection for May is the Snow Blind a fictionalized account of the events leading up to Custers Ross says the Success of son of the morning Star is a Happy coincidence of the subject matter and an Excel Lent in the Success of the new Western books May be in spite of their subject according to some Michael who edits about a dozen hardcover Western books published each year by Walker and of new says the books must match a fundamental change in the Reader of the 80s is different from the Reader of the Sagalyn the characters in a Book must be individuals and not just Sagalyn thinks Western books must overcome an image problem the Conception in the minds of the Reader and the Book Industry of the horse operas or the the publication of westerns is hampered by the fact that certain mainstream readers wont touch certain reviewers wont review certain film producers and to producers wont show he that is partly because some writers have played end Lessly on the Sagalyn also says Western writers have not made an Effort to be part of the new York literary Western writers often Are he there not trying to impress the new York times Book re there not trying to gain the approval of Peers at an East coast writers everyone interviewed agreed that any increase in interest in Western books is for nonfiction Western americana or historical and not so much for the fictional portrayal of gun slinging cowboys Riding off into the Lamour has remained an anomaly throughout the new York times photo Louis Lamour writes about Strong decline of the he has published 92 All but one with 160 million copies in his huge popularity is almost coming As the genre itself became the novels of Louis Lamour Are enjoying unprecedented said Stuart Applebaum of Bantam labours i dont think the Western genre is particularly a healthy but Lamour is More popular than its the Applebaum Hes a terrific his stories have likeable a Middle and compelling a a sweeping narrative his fans look on him As a kind of living link Between the 20th Century and the values and traditions and history of the one publishing House taking a Chance that westerns Are coming Back is pocket which is publishing a series of three novels by Loren Zane the son of the first of the highly popular Western All three Are based on the from his fathers salvation for Victor Hugo exile on a by Marilyn August associated press from his chair in the dining room of his Home on the British Island of Victor Hugo had Only to raise an Eye to life is an the inscription in latin he had carved above the exile was something Hugo knew about first a staunch Republican who opposed Napoleon ills coup de Tat in Hugo fled France in 1852 in Workman clothes under a false but for the Man who wrote a third of his lifes work in a cozy attic hideaway overlooking the exile was it was peace and a respite from Paris Hugo was More than Frances most popular 19thcen Tury Man of he also was a Brilliant visual artist and an avid antique it was exile in Guernsey that provided him the Leisure and Freedom to let his imagination Fly not Only with a but with Hammer and Haut Eville the four Story victorian Villa in Peter port where he lived and worked for 15 is living testimony to Hugos Genius in the graphic a successful mix of the Sublime and the the elaborate decorations that Hugo himself Down to the last Square Are tangible proof of his belief in reincarnation and life after for Hugo Hugos overriding obsession with the mysteries of death was the direct Conse Quence of the premature deaths of three of his four the dark haired Beauty who drowned in a boating Accident along with her Young husband in left Hugo his other daughter whose insanity was immortalized by French filmmaker Francois Truffaut in the Story of Adele was emotionality disturbed and spent most of her life in insane British Isle the author of Les miserable came to the British Island of Guernsey one Stormy morning in the fall of 1855 after being expelled from the nearby Island of expulsion was nothing new to a Man whose passionate involvement in politics was surpassed Only by his interest in with the arrival of Napoleon i to Power in fearing repercussions because he earlier opposed the escaped to Belgium with the help of his he later made his Way to the largest of the Channel islands 14 Miles off the French where he spent three years surrounded by fellow but Hugos condemnation of the English Queens visit with Napoleon Cost him and he was forced to pull up roots settling this time on the rival Island of Haut Eville on the Edge of Peter has been a French funded and run museum since 1927 when Hugos heirs donated it to the City of besides hundreds of pieces of furniture Hugo de signed it is floor to with his own rare porcelain and priceless Hugo believed in making something new out of some thing a room on the ground floor contains a Mas Sive Chimney piece in foreboding Wood that was made from a four poster even the 32 wooden chests which transported Hugos belongings from Jersey were taken apart so the slats could be used to line Walls throughout the Hugo commanded dozens of but he loved to pick up the Hammer and chisel Many rooms Are adorned with statues and animal Heads he made nothing is what it seems to Stephen a Haut Eville House told a group of visitors during a recent the House is full of secrets which you can if you just look Hugo designed his House with a sense of there Are countless hidden cubby fals Bottom cupboards and camouflaged doors which served no Pur pose except to amuse him and impress Hugo had a Fine he would spend hours rummage in the town antique shops and abandoned he once snapped up some old chairs and had their Iron backs fitted into the dining room a collection of magnificent Delft tiles he bought for a song decorate the Walls in the form of a Large letter who once said he communicated with the Spiri claimed Haut Eville House was the names of famous men including George Washington and Christopher Columbus Are carved into the his children would hold seances regular on Hugo devoted himself full time to besides voluminous he completed Les undoubtedly one of his finest and wrote toilers of the sea from his Lookout Over the Hugo was an infamous and scholars Reck on that the to floor which is equipped with a porcelain Basin and running water cleverly concealed in a secret was where he would rendezvous with his chamber Hugo was a Man with an insatiable sexual Appe Wragg besides his wife and his he had hundreds and hundreds of even with his mistress Hugo also feared assassination and the Doz ens of mirrors scattered throughout the House on and some even built into the floor were installed to warn him of Hugo was also a tireless in later the Stocky Frenchman with a sprightly step could be seen lost in thought in the most Remote parts of the and despite the harsh he would dip in the Ocean summer and