Old Yeller
By: Fred Gipson / Narrated By: Peter Francis James
Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
Life in more fraught times, and I cried yet AGAIN!
I hadn’t realized how hard-core Old Yeller really is. I mean, there’s mule-whacking, piglet-castrating, a goring by hogs, bulls fighting to the almost-death, attacks by wolves, panthers, and hydrophobia GALORE! I was flabbergasted and at the edge of my seat, understanding that it all hadn’t fazed me a wink whenst I was but a kidlet, reading the book for the first, second, third times. I LOVED the book, loved the bond between dog and boy. And I still loved listening to it (my second listen); I just didn’t knoooooooow!
Still, I think it’s a fantastic story for kids. It’ll make them appreciate what our forefathers did whilst settling the country and trying to make lives in a harsh new land.
By the way. I’ll say it here, damn the consequences. I know I got panned BIG TIME over on Audible when I mentioned in my reviews of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but really. Old Yeller doesn’t have it anywhere near as much, but both this book and that series would serve as GREAT jumping off points to discuss why Native Americans are still kinda sorta majorly upset with mainstream America: in this book and in that series, it’s obvious land was taken from “the Indians” and that it wasn’t any Native American’s choice. There! I said it. I mean, at least in this book, “Ma” is not hissing about smelly nasty ol’ Injuns. But here in Old Yeller, ya gotta watch out for some peeved enough to do some angry settler scalping.
Okay, enough of that. On to this glorious book!
Peter Francis James has the Texas twang that serves 14-year old Travis so well. As always, I listened on 1.25 speed, and to me, it served the story beautifully. This audiobook has plenty of action to convey, as there was always LOTS of work to do on the homestead. Travis and his mom were always busy a-heftin’ and a-haulin’. A-plowin’ and a-huntin’ aplenty. Only his 5-year old little brother had time to get stark naked and play in the family’s drinking water, to gather snakes and critters (oh yeah—and there’s a near bear-mauling. Forgot about THAT mishap for a minute!).
Travis doesn’t want a dog, wants the ol’ yeller dog to am-scray, maybe even to shoot ‘im. But when Old Yeller saves lives many times, Travis comes to appreciate the dog. And working with the dog, over and over and over, witnessing Old Yeller’s many talents (not to mention profound work ethic and devotion), makes him appreciate the lovable mutt in a big way. This is a book of two inseparable souls, meeting in a hard time, in a hard place.
There’s no sweet gamboling going on here, dog and boy without a care in the world. Look to modern day books for depictions of times like that. Instead, there’s heartfelt writing about a boy coming to love a dog soooo much, he’ll go back from a boar attack to save his loyal dog, of momma loving both dog and boy soooo much she’ll take a hair from a mule’s tail to stitch the dog’s entrails back into him. There’s the corn patch to keep ‘coon free, the watermelon field to keep skunk-clear. There’s the family to keep safe, the family to love.
And as always, there’s the heartbreaking decision to be made, the horrible action to take at the end. I sobbed like a speckled pup without its mother. AGAIN! I don’t care how many times I listen to this book, after hearing the evolving story of kinship, I weep like crazy.
So there you go: The audiobook is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Just keep a tissue handy…
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