Browse any
reader’s list of favorite Western novels and any one of several books by Elmer
Kelton is likely to pop up pretty soon. The
Day the Cowboys Quit. The Time it
Never Rained. The “Lone Star Rising” trilogy. The Far Canyon. And on and on.
I have read
many Kelton novels and enjoyed every one. Some so much that you’ll find them on
my list of books to re-read and read again. While, at some level, comparisons
become silly, The Good Old Boys is
probably my favorite among favorite Elmer Kelton books.
For one
thing, it’s lighthearted, even humorous at times. And, with a penchant for
hyped-up action so common among Westerns, there aren’t nearly enough smiles in
the genre. Beyond that, Hewey Calloway and Spring Renfro are people you’d like
to know. So much so, in fact, you believe you do. They’re real right down to
the core.
I had the
pleasure to know Elmer Kelton. A finer, kinder, more considerate gentleman
you’ll never know. While talking about writing one time I heard him say that he
believed the opening line of The Good old
Boys was the best he’d ever written. If it has slipped your mind, here it
is:
For the last five or six days Hewey Calloway had realized he
needed a bath.
He’s right. You can’t help but
read on.
