Thankyou Osc for that review.

I LOVE a good western too. I liked "Unforgiven" alot. I LOVE western art as well - the backlit golden yellows of high plains grasses against the cool blues of open sky and the solid Rocky Mountains - the horses, the wagons, the gear, the natives, their dress, their art - everything western.

I liked the cinematogrphy in that Austrailian movie, "The Man from Snowy River." I liked, "Dances With Wolves" - the cinematography through the prairies and the Badlands - the native encampment along the poplar strewn river......the Black Hills.

Yup! I love Westerns!

> I LOVE a good western. Movie or book, it
> doesn't really matter. One of my favorite
> western movies is "Open Range"
> with Kevin Costner and Robert Duval. The
> story was adapted from a book written by
> Lauren Paine (a guy!) so I decided to read
> the book as well. VERY good decision! The
> book was even better than the movie, it
> moved at a nice even pace, never rushing the
> story, and when the eventual confrontations
> take place they are swift and sure, almost
> leaving you breathless.

> I am not so much an action fan as I am a fan
> of character development and the resulting
> clash with forces of inevitable doom. The
> classic struggle of good over seeming
> inevitable evil, "High Noon" being
> a prime example. That also is probably why I
> liked "The Lord Of The Rings"
> "Gladiator" and
> "Braveheart".

> But back to the book I just finished...it is
> called "The Good OLd Boys",
> written by Elmer Kelton, and is set in west
> Texas in 1906. Know, I KNOW there are some
> Texans out there so you all probably know
> the history of the state better than most,
> and about west Texas before the oil boom.

> The main character is Hewey Calloway, a 38
> year old cowboy, footloose and honest as can
> be. Hewey is beginning to feel his age,
> especially as he sees his kid brother,
> Walter, marry and raise two boys on a
> hardscrabble 4 section piece of dust and
> weeds, trying to meet his financial
> obligation before the bank takes everything
> away.

> Hewey is proud of his freedom to go wherever
> he likes, whenever he wants, but he is
> cornered by the consequences of his own
> recklessness by being responsible for his
> brother's broken leg, resulting in Hewey
> promising to work his brother's property to
> stave off the bank note coming due.

> Further complicating things is the growing
> affections of the school teacher, Spring
> Renfro, and Hewey. He struggles to come to
> terms with what a woman wants (security) and
> what he can actually deliver. How he settles
> thes conflicts is the crix of the whole
> book.

> As in "Open Range" the pacing is
> leisurely, but it never drags. It is full of
> colorful characters and interesting
> language, such as "It seems like he
> comes from a long line of batchelors",
> and "The pictures above the saloon
> mirror were of pretty women, barefoot from
> the soles up".

> Does Hewey overcome his wandering ways? Does
> Spring Renfro get her man? Does the banker
> finally forclose on Walter's farm? Read it
> and find out!

> A word about Elmer Kelton: Aside from Louis
> Lamour, Elmer is, perhaps, one of the most
> authentic of western writers, having
> himself, cowboyed, rough necked and
> travelled as much as any west Texan could.
> Here's what he said about writing this
> book:"The Good Old Boys is probably the
> closest I have ever come to writing from
> sheer inspiration. Hewey Calloway and the
> other characters took hold of the story like
> a cold-jawed horse grabbing onto the bit,
> and about all I could do was hang on for the
> ride."--Elmer Kelton
> He's a gem!