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The Smiling Country  By  cover art

The Smiling Country

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

Elmer Kelton, author of over a dozen popular westerns, was named the Greatest Western Writer of All Time by the Western Writers of America. He has won multiple Golden Spur Awards.

The Smiling Country, filled with pathos and humor, is set in the last days of the Old West. Hewey Calloway may be pushing 45, but he can still rope and outride most things on four legs. Refusing promotions, he prefers to remain a simple ranch hand. But as he rides the West Texas plains, automobiles are beginning to dot the landscape. When Hewey is critically injured by a wild horse, he must admit that his world - and an age - are passing away.

©1998 Elmer Kelton (P)2001 Recorded 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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11 people found this helpful

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A Premier Author Met a Grand Reader

Kelton and Guidall joined to present a most enjoyable tale of the twilight of the cowboy era. Kelton’s stories and characters always bring one appreciation for the independence, resilience, and courage of the ranchers, farmers, and pioneers who opened up that tough, hard land in and around southwest Texas.

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Great snapshot of the classic western personality

Which shines through almost most every character.
Those few exceptions belong back East, then and now.
Great book. excellent narration

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As engaging as Gus McCrae of Lonsome Dove

One of the most enjoyable series of books I have ever read or listened to and hated for it to come to end. I will relisten to this and the remainder of the quartet many times again.

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Great read

Started out a little slow but once I got into the story I had a hard time turning it off. Another great narration by GG.

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Another Kelton hit

A really good story that I was sorry to get to the ending.
Can’t go wrong with a great writer like Elmer Kelton and George Guidall is an excellent narrator.

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great story!

this was another great story by Elmer Keaton!
made even more exceptional by the perfect narration.

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Kelton is king amongst all western authors

he does it again and again. loved it like every other one of this books.

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super western book

Great love story!! It's a keeper and I will read it again someday. want to read mow about Huey and Spring.

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Most Boring Book of All Time

I've read over 5000 books and this one takes the cake for most boring of all-time. Narrator is of course awesome. But even he cannot bring this book to be enjoyable.

0 action and endless verbosity about nothing worth paying attention to.

This author is horrible! He should find a job writing reports about reports for the government.

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