Customer Reviews

The Good Old Boys

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Elmer Kelton is in top form with "The Good Old Boys," a book I'll always remember for its remarkable characters and unusual story. Hewey Calloway struggles with the arrival of automobiles and technology... not unlike the struggle some of us have today with computers and a changed world.

It's rare to see a Western novel with character development of this depth. Kelton found the formula earlier in "The Time It Never Rained" and "The Time The Cowboys Quit" and improved on it even more for this novel. I've always been fascinated about the arrival of the automobile in the early West. Everyone didn't one morning wake up and say, "Let's go buy a car". So the transition yields rich opportunities for story development. Like J. Frank Dobie, Kelton grew up on a ranch and heard many of the old-timers sharing tales of a life long since gone. In this book they're woven into a believable tapestry of hard life in an unforgiving landscape. Kelton does a wonderful job of putting Hewey Calloway in both the past and the present...and what's so believable is that this character sees both as well as the challenges of the future. He just hates to see it come. As the years go on these books will continue to rise to the top as evidence that Westerns are more than shoot-em ups. They are documentaries on a way of life that set standards, which this Country will seldom see again. Kelton says this book nearly wrote itself. Thankfully, he was there to show it the way.

The Good Old Boys takes the reader into the world of the early century cowboys that lived and worked on their horses. The men who were top in their field only to see their field melting away. I totally enjoyed every page, and when I saw the snobbish review of an elitist reviewer who said "Aficionados of the oat-burner genre will likely find it a notch above the general fare. More literary tastes will find it wanting. It is not nearly as elevated a book either thematically or stylistically as the afterword by Don Graham would suggest." I simply thought that poor person just doesn't understand! This work by Elmer Kelton depicts a time, a place, and a voice that many may not understand, and will not appreciate. I think that poor soul should not be reviewing "oat-burning genre" but those who live near the land will either remember or learn about another time. Seldom do you find such an original and wonderful story as "The Good Old Boys".

I hope some day they show this to the kids in school. This is the way it really was. I lived there from 1953-1958, and even after so many years away, and despite the fact that the setting is removed by 50 years, the country and the kinds of people were virtually unchanged. The eccentricities, the differences betwen (there were lots of immigrants there, even then) but most of all, the character of the people makes this, for me a classic - because it is so true to its subject. Nowadays, many of theste little towns are disappeaering (Upton, in the book). When they're gone, a big part of history will go with them. See the movie. Read the book. Then, if you dare, go there an look around.

The Good Old Boys by Elmer Kelton:
Author Elmer Kelton started writing The Good Old Boys while his father was still able to retell the stories from his former ranching and cowboy days. Those stories inspired Kelton to write The Good Old Boys. He created the character Huey Calloway who epitomizes the wandering happy-go-lucky cowboy who's out looking for the next round-up. Huey owns nothing but his horse, Biscuit, and his saddle. He calls in at his brother Walter's ranch, and as usual the welcome from his sister-in-law Eve is chilly. She thinks Huey ought to be settling down and starting his own spread. Eve goes so far as to try to set him up with the local school teacher. Through an ill-timed accident Walter's leg is broken. Huey feels responsible, so he stays around to work Walter's farming & ranching spread so that the bank can't call in the mortgage in the fall. One of Walter's sons adores Huey and his tales; the other son doesn't have much use for him, as he's come to realize so many of Huey's stories are blown up `bull-oney.' Well, I won't tell you any more of the plot. I will tell you though there's no murder, serious violence or gun battles. The Good Old Boys is the tale of cowboys feeling the cinch being tightened as the wild west Huey & Walter find, has been roped & corralled. Through it all a passel of humor helps them through the trials.
There's a movie version of The Good Old Boys staring Tommy Lee Jones as Huey. You'll enjoy it if you're lucky enough to find a copy on DVD or video. -Robin Moore

Turn of the century how it was western tale. Restores the good ole boy image to what it was. A little slow to start but a compelling and quick read. Enjoyable.

No western heroes in this book, but great characters. Story contains a mix of serious subject matter and humor. No suspenseful plot nor blazing gun fights. Just a relaxed story about dealing with change. I think anyone who is middle aged or older can relate to this. Smooth writing style. I didn't want this book to end. Now I want to see the movie.

A great novel filled with timeless characters. At the end you'll find self-acceptance for yourself, whether you're a Hewey or Walter.

If you're a Kelton fan or just looking for a great novel set in the west, this is a sure winner. One of Kelton's best in my view.

Simply put, The Good Old Boys is as good as it gets. The characters and dialog are real. Kelton's prose is as comfortable as the old boots his characters wear. This isn't just a pulp western - it's a fine piece of literature. The story of regular people making their way in a time of change is both of its time and timeless.