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The Good Old Boys  By  cover art

The Good Old Boys

By: Elmer Kelton
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's summary

Honored by seven Spur Awards and peer-selected as history's best Western writer, Elmer Kelton is the beloved author of a bevy of Texas tales, including his own revealing memoir Sandhills Boy. Set in 1906, The Good Old Boys is hailed as one of Kelton's finest works.

Cowboy Hewey Calloway loves to ride the open range like a solitary sailor on an endless sea. So when barbed wire and newfangled contraptions threaten his world, he's dead-set against progress - until he meets a pretty little teacher.

©1978 Elmer Kelton (P)2007 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Good Old Boys

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Kelton & Guidall - Great Team!

I must admit I was drawn to this book because I enjoy George Guidall. I also like Craig Johnson's novels of which Guidall is also the narrator. I'm not a western fan and I just finished Dickens' marvelous Dombey and Son. I also noted that Kelton was honored by his peers for his writings so I figured I give this novel a listen. I wasn't disappointed. Rich in characters, full of life and deep in description of the days when the automobile first arrived on the scene in the West. The anti-hero, Hewey Calloway, is a very likable character who seems to attract trouble despite himself. There are several similarities to Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series, so if you enjoyed the Sheriff, you should enjoy this story.
Need I add: Guidall makes it all come to life.

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24 people found this helpful

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My Favorite Kelton Novel

Guidell's reading is unsurpassed by any ebook narrator and his interpretation of both the dialogue and the narration in this book is masterful. I've "read" this book at least ten times and loved the last time as much as the first. I gave it 4 stars for story because of the choice Huey makes at the end. Great book--buy it and love it again and again.

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8 people found this helpful

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Made me yearn for simpler times

I loved this book, but it made me yearn for simpler times before technology ruled my life. I highly recommend it if you like a good western and a good story of times past.

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A Masterful Combination

Where does The Good Old Boys rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is close to the top, if not at the top, of all audiobooks I have listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hughey has to be my favorite.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I search for audiobooks to listen to by searching on George Guidall's name. His excellent tone and emphasis at the proper places is unmatched.

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Great Modern-ish Western!

What must it have been like in the age when cowboys, their horses and way of life were being displaced by the invention of the automobile, the proliferation of travel and shipping by railway and the coming of the modern age? That is what confronts the major character in this very enjoyable story. He is a drifter -- a no-good to some; but confronts circumstances that force him to change his ways -- perhaps forever. Loved Guidall's performance and found Kelton's story telling skill second to none. This is a "good" story -- with a tiny bit of romance; no grotesque violence and an ending that you may not have wanted, but will find satisfactory anyway. I'll be finding more of Kelton's books.

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Why have I never heard of Elmer Kelton?

This is a joint review of “The Good Old Boys,” and “The Smiling Country,” both by Elmer Kelton. I’m reviewing them together because they are essentially one book, and despite what Audible says, “The Good Old Boys,” set in 1906, forms the first in the series to which “The Smiling Country,” set four years later, is the conclusion. Read them together and in order. To only read “The Good Old Boys,” as some reviewers apparently have, is to miss out on half the plot — and the more interesting half at that.

As I read these books I kept wondering how it happened that I had gone so long without ever hearing the name Elmer Kelton. What a fantastic storyteller he is! These are deeply compelling novels, filled with humor, drama, and richly developed and appealing characters. I suppose that the problem is that Kelton just got pegged as a writer of Westerns, a genre now largely obsolete. It’s true that these novels are set in west Texas and that they involve cowboys, but the time is the turn of the last century and what happens here is far removed from any of the standard tales of the Wild West. Absent from these pages are all the usual cliché’s about gunslingers, outlaws, Indians, and lawmen. Kelton’s cowboys are just hard working, free-roaming, independent men who happen to herd cattle for a living. Huey, the main character, does not even have a firearm because, as he says, “he figures that the best way not to need a gun is never to carry one.” The fact is, these stories are a lot closer to something by John Steinbeck than to any of the work of Louis L’Amour. If you want gunplay, go elsewhere. All you get here is a darn good yarn — realistic, warm, compelling — one that starts out gentle enough but then grabs hold and doesn’t let go. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.

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Loved this book! Love Elmer Kelton!!

We travel via vehicle or RV and there is nothing better than a good book to keep one alert and eager to hear more! This was one of the best! We laughed and learned and identified with this great book! The only suggestion, and this is not to take away anything, if there could be a separate person reading for each of the characters! But,! George guidall did and always does an excellent job

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Greatest western writer that ever lived!!

I never tire of Elmer Kelton's writing, his stories grab you and don't let go!!! Great book, great reading, A++++

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Wonderful!!

I seldom write reviews, but have to make an exception for this book. Whether you grew up around horses and livestock or just love good storytelling, this book is a treasure. Wonderful character development, sly humor, good narration, and great plot. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

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Book and movie both great

Really enjoyed the book. The movie is my all time favorite. Excellent cast with Tommy Lee Jones cast perfectly as Huey. Francis McDormand as Eve does a great job as well as Matt Damon as Cotton. I wanted to see if the book went right along with the movie and it did. Loved it. I highly recommend them both

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