The Son

By: Philipp Meyer

Narrated by: Will Patton, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Shepherd, Clifton Collins Jr.

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2014

Soon to be a TV Series on AMC starring Pierce Brosnan and co-written by Philipp Meyer.

The critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling epic, a saga of land, blood, and power that follows the rise of one unforgettable Texas family from the Comanche raids of the 1800s to the oil booms of the 20th century.

Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching examination of the bloody price of power, The Son is a gripping and utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American west with rare emotional acuity, even as it presents an intimate portrait of one family across two centuries.

Eli McCullough is just twelve-years-old when a marauding band of Comanche storm his Texas homestead and brutally murder his mother and sister, taking him as a captive. Despite their torture and cruelty, Eli—against all odds—adapts to life with the Comanche, learning their ways, their language, taking on a new name, finding a place as the adopted son of the chief of the band, and fighting their wars against not only other Indians, but white men, too-complicating his sense of loyalty, his promised vengeance, and his very understanding of self. But when disease, starvation, and westward expansion finally decimate the Comanche, Eli is left alone in a world in which he belongs nowhere, neither white nor Indian, civilized or fully wild.

Deftly interweaving Eli's story with those of his son, Peter, and his great-granddaughter, JA, The Son deftly explores the legacy of Eli's ruthlessness, his drive to power, and his life-long status as an outsider, even as the McCullough family rises to become one of the richest in Texas, a ranching-and-oil dynasty of unsurpassed wealth and privilege.

Harrowing, panoramic, and deeply evocative, The Son is a fully realized masterwork in the greatest tradition of the American canon-an unforgettable novel that combines the narrative prowess of Larry McMurtry with the knife edge sharpness of Cormac McCarthy.

©2013 Philipp Meyer (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Two "Son" books out at same time

What made the experience of listening to The Son the most enjoyable?

The narrators and the very, very interesting story.

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite part of this story was the description of life and customs within the Native American tribe.

Which scene was your favorite?

Many of the scenes in this book are very compelling. So compelling in fact that it is going to make it difficult to know what to leave out when the HBO series is made, which I am only hoping it will be. It is much too big a story for a single motion picture to do it justice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

For me when a book is so good one hates to put it down, I tend to slow things down so as not to finish it too quickly. Great stories like this are just not being written every day. One look at any bestseller list reveals this truth.

Any additional comments?

Listen. Go slow. Don't let the three intertwining stories confuse you. It will all come together in the end just beautifully. Don't confuse this book with, "& Sons: A Novel" by David Gilbert which recently came out and is getting a great deal of attention.

Great story. Excellently read.

I listened to it two times, back-to-back. It was like I was listening to it for the first time.

Good Western

Gritty characters without apologies for the bad or embellishing the good. It was what it was.

Haunting

I'm a long time fan of Will Patton's incredible gift of narration, so when I ran across this one, I couldn't pass it up. I'm certainly glad I didn't. Meyer did a wonderful job telling this story. The book is put together so you are left wanting more after each chapter. It is also unique to see the story unfold across the three generations and be able to hear the perspective from each person. All of the narrators do a superb job at bringing life and a certain personality to each part. I finished the book several days ago and I still find myself thinking about it. I love the way Meyer gave a current vocabulary to the Native Americans. It really helped make the story entertaining and kept this from being a history book. I am from Texas and really enjoyed hearing how the state transformed over more than 100 years.

great book

Great book I would suggest this book to anyone. The book is full of adventure and real life of the American west.

Stories of a Texas family

Very well narrated. Confusing at times but a good read/listen would recommend to a friend

a great cowboy yarn.

a sprawling story about Cowboys and indians, history and two star-crossed families. A great listen, enjoy.

Great Historical Fiction of the Southwest

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is extremely violent, but is great at providing an image of Texas and the Southwest during wild times. It really draws you in.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It was really interesting how each of the primary characters had such different circumstances and challenges despite being in the same family and same location.

Not a single likable character

While this book was in some ways engaging and educational, there was not a single character who was truly likable. At times, the author showed real talent in storytelling. However, ultimately, I found the book depressing and the characters superficial.

great story

the narration was very good. learned a great deal about Indians and cowboys. great listen