One of thhe best ever "boy and his dog" stories

books:


	• Old Yeller (rpkg) (HarperClassics) Fred Gipson HarperTrophy, 1990 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 122 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Big yellow dog

Old yeller is a book in the 1800's.In the book there is a 14 year old boy named Travis.His dad is leaving to go fight in the Civil War and hes leaving Travis in charge.Taking care of his little brother Arliss was like another chore that Travis had to do.When Travis was younger he had a dog named Bell. Bell was bit in the nose by a Rattle snake and he ended up dying.After that Travis swore that he would never get another dog to take Bell's place.But then one day when Travis was out doing his chores he saw a big object in the corn field. He went to see what it was and when he got there it was a big yellow dog and thats how he found Old Yeller.

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What Movie?

I know that this was made into a movie but I am not sure that I have seen it. I have some vague recollection that it's a Disney movie (so it must therefore be heartwarming, and also be the topic of a ride somewhere), and the actor who plays the protagonist Travis looks goofy. Most folks know the story already or will know it well enough after reading one or two of these reviews. Yes, it's about a boy and an unattractive yellow dog, and yes it has a sad turn of events. I can't say that this story or the storytelling is masterful, but there is a style of delivery in this book that is quite intriguing and no one comments on it. The circumstances of the story are quite rough. A young boy is left in charge of his mother and little brother in the wild Texas hill country while his father, relunctantly, must pursue a little gain on a cattle drive to Kansas. This is no small task, and long before the book is over, we see that at least two or maybe all three of the mother and kids would have died but for the happenstance appearance of said yellow dog (also noteworthy is the generosity and insight of the cowpoke who actually owned the dog but let Travis keep him). The life is hard and matter-of-fact, and the writing reflects it. The animals live in a practically different world, where life depends on instincts, species hate and kill other species and sometimes their own, and even bloodborne diseases have a scent that only dogs can detect. It's brutal. Old Yeller, our hero, bridges this world, and willingly devotes all of his animal kingdom powers for the protection of the humans that he inexplicably adopts and serves. The relationship between boy and dog is always a bit beyond the reader's reach. We never see these two playing fetch or lounging around under a tree. Their bond is one that is forged in combat and hard labor, and this hard practicality might ultimately explain Travis' ability to rationally and quickly make the hard decision to kill his pet. I don't think that it's a spoiler to state here that Travis must, in the end, destroy this animal - Gipson reveals that ending in the very first page of the book (and it is at the point of that destruction where the four great characters of this book - boy, dog, gun, and disease - collide). So, this is a world where the animals are the most cunning, strong, and fearsome, but it's a world that is dominated by Man, and in the end the loyal Old Yeller doesn't even know what hits him. That scene is revealed without sentiment or unnecessary drama.
One other thing. I wonder if it is this book, printed in the late 1950's, that "taught" popular culture everything that it knows about the dreaded hydrophobia. Growing up in the 1970's, I thought that rabies was everywhere, and that the only thing between you and going mad with foaming thirst was the time it would take for any old squirrel to drop on your head and dig in. Of course I also thought that finding a dead Bigfoot was only a matter of time, and that eating Pop-Rocks and drinking a Coke would make your abdomen explode. There must have been some other sources of this rabies phobia though, as this book did not go into any detail about some three week regimine of shots to the belly button in order to cure the disease once afflicted.
Anyway, good book. Read it to my three pre-teens and they loved it.

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Who hasen't read this great book?

I actually got a few chuckles out of this book as well as quite a few tears at the end (who DOESN'T know what happens in the end?) of coarse. From what I can remember about this book, is that you can actually UNDERSTAND the speaking and of their way of life [to a certain extent(thanks Mr. Rayburn)] which makes reading it a whole lot easier. A must-read. For all ages (I think).

One of thhe best ever "boy and his dog" stories

I read this book about three times as a child. It's a book that any dog lover can relate to, and presents it in such a way that children have loved it for decades. Must read for young (and old!) dog lovers!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

At first, Travis couldn't stand the sight of Old Yeller

The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene.

Strong and courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis's family from any sort of danger. But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller?

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