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Telegraph Days

By: Larry McMurtry
Narrated by: Annie Potts
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Publisher's summary

Not since the publication of his own beloved classic Lonesome Dove has there been a novel like this one, another big, brilliant, unputdownable saga of the West from Larry McMurtry. Telegraph Days is at once a major work of literature and a completely absorbing read; not just great fiction, but fiction on a great scale, encompassing many years, many characters, real and fictional, and the whole vast landscape of place, time, life, and heart, which has served for more than 130 years as the background for "the Western" in fiction and on the screen. Nobody writes, or has ever written, better about the West than Larry McMurtry, and nobody has caught better in words its myths, its often brutal reality, its overwhelming size, and the way it captured both the imagination and the hopes of those who settled there, only, as was so often the case, to dash those hopes.

Told in the voice of Nellie Courtright, a spunky, courageous, attractive young woman whose story this is in part, Telegraph Days is the big novel of the Western gunfighters that people have been hoping for years Larry McMurtry would write.

©2006 Larry McMurtry. All rights reserved. (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

  • Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Solo Narration - Female

  • Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, Unabridged, 2007
  • Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Female, 2007

"McMurtry's latest skips through western lore with a wry smile." (Publishers Weekly)
"In his striving to demythologize the West, McMurtry's vision of the reality is compelling." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Telegraph Days

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly disappointing

I have loved much of McMurtry's other works. I found this plot aimless. Nellie is is free-spirited but lacked something of a strength that made me admire McMurtry's other female characters.

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  • Overall
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Another good book from Mr. McMurtry

This is the fourth book I have read by Mr. McMurtry and have enjoyed them all. I recommend it and am off to the next one. Enjoy.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Excellent performance

This is a ridiculous story. Marie Antoinette "Nellie" Courtright is a beauty courted by George Custer, Bill Hickock and two Earp brothers, in addition to a host of non-famous beaus. She works for Buffalo Bill Cody, gets the best of Jesse James, meets Billy the Kid and General Sherman, and witnesses the gunfight at the OK Corral.

I enjoyed this because it's funny, and Annie Potts' narration is perfection. She made me want to keep listening. It would be a quick read on paper, but it's so much better, and time well spent, on audio.

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  • Overall
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Tall tales style Wild West

Tall tales style Wild West. Lots of humor, great narration. Highly recommended for those who like McMurtry at his funniest.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this story!

Larry McMurtry wrote such an excellent story. Annie Potts is perfect as narrator for this character!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful Story

Just an amazing story to listen to the most excellent narration by Ms Annie Potts. It's so good it's like sitting in a comfortable chair hearing it read just for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fun and easy to listen to.

Fun and easy to listen to . Interesting characters and insight into life on the wild west.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brings the West alive.

Great story that pieces together so many of the legends of the West. And Annie Pots reading makes it even more special. She was perfect for this book! Sorry the time went by so quick.

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An incredible reading!

Anne Potts gives an amazing performance that really brings the book alive. I'd love to find more like this from her.

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Delightfully Read

The great Larry McMurtry read by the marvelous Annie Potts: pure heaven. Written with great humor and warmth, and from a woman's point of view, this audio book is a favorite. Smooth:)

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