Library Journal - Audio
Schaefer's classic Western has finally been released in audio. Here, the author gives longer treatment to the themes he explored in his better-known novella, Shane. This book chronicles the adventures of the eponymous Walsh, a rascally, womanizing bronc rider and his stalwart, rope-prodigy partner Chet Rollins. It includes a silent, gunblazing charro, boyish cowboy pranking, rocky romances with big-hearted hookers, and mournful meditations on the disappearance of the frontier. Veteran voice actor Eric Dove's lighthearted and masculine performance suits the work and brings it to life. VERDICT Essential for all Western audiobook fans and highly recommended to readers generally.—Mark Swails, Johnson Cty. Community Coll., Overland Park, KS
MAY 2013 - AudioFile
Cowboy Monte Walsh never met a horse he couldn’t ride, and his sidekick, Chet Rollins, can rope anything. Eric Dove narrates this romantic Western in a perfect rough-and-tumble tone. The story takes place as the day of the cowboy wanes. Dove narrates with style and aplomb as Chet and Monte meet the challenges of range fires, rustlers, and blizzards. Listeners will enjoy the journey as Monte ages yet resists leaving the open range and Chet marries and finds success. Other important characters are distinguished by small changes in tone, volume, and pacing. The author’s depiction of Christmas Eve at the Slash Y Ranch, as read by Dove, is heartfelt and atmospheric. This is a classic story of how the West met the challenges of progress. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
