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  • The Kid

  • Written by: Ron Hansen
  • Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
  • Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (14 ratings)

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The Kid

Written by: Ron Hansen
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
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Publisher's Summary

A new novel from Ron Hansen, the award-winning author of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, about an iconic American criminal of the old West: legendary outlaw Billy the Kid.

Born Henry McCarty, Billy the Kid was a diminutive, charming, blond-haired young man who, growing up in New York, Kansas, and later New Mexico, demonstrated a precocious dexterity at firing six-shooters with either hand - a skill that turned him into an American legend of the old West. He was smart, well spoken, attractive to both white and Mexican women, a good dancer, and a man with a nose for money, horses, and trouble. His spree of crimes and murders has been immortalized in dime Westerns, novels, and movies. But the whole story of his short, epically violent life has never been told as it has been here.

In The Kid, Ron Hansen showcases his masterful research and inimitable style as he breathes life into history, bringing listeners back into the late 1800s and into Billy's boyhood as a ranch hand just trying to wrest a fortune from an unforgiving landscape. We are with Billy in every gunfight and horse theft, and we get to know him in full before his grand death in a hail of bullets in 1881 at the age of 21. Original, powerful, and swiftly told, The Kid is an unforgettable listen about a uniquely American antihero.

©2016 Ron Hansen (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Kid

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Note: Not a Biography

I thought I was downloading something that could serve as a documentary of sorts - well-researched, authoritative, and matter-of-fact. I am definitely okay with some artistic lisence when presenting a historical figure, but if it's overdone I usually find it detracts from the authenticity of the work.

This offering is different.

Ron Hansen abandons any semblance of "Biography"..  essentially presenting a screenplay. Every significant episode in the life of Henry McCarty (aka William H. Bonney) - from losing his virginity to his first murder - is superficially truthful but heavily dramatized.. choreographed and scripted with obviously imagined dialogue. This audiobook is far more like a Movie-Of-The-Week than an exposé.
Fortunately, once I set aside my expectations, I found that I genuinely enjoyed it. Even if I didn't get an accurate impression of the man, I was entertained & actually stimulated to learn more about famed New Mexico outlaw 'Billy The Kid'.

Contributing to my favorable impression of the book: outstanding narration from Mark Branhall. He reads much too slowly (set playback speed at 1.20X for the optimum experience), but his diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are exemplary. Most impressive, however: Branhall's voice-acting is unparalleled - from pinpoint-accurate Irish brogues to central casting Texas twangs. The performance is thus imperfect but far above average.

Don't look here for a scholarly summary of the life of a famous American antihero. 'The Kid' is rather a cinematic romp - a fun option for a long drive or a couple of boring night shifts. Yes, the "romantic" plotlines are clichéd Hollywood drivel and the contrived sexual stuff is both off-putting & nonsensical, but they're tolerable.
I got this audiobook as part of the 'Plus' catalogue, but it's actually worth a Credit. 7.5 stars out of 10.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A more entertaining story of Billy’s life

Obviously the author Ron Hansen has some empathy for a young man like Billy and the path he walked
The story presents him as an otherwise decent sort who could have lived a different life - I lived narrator Mark Bramhall’s accents and voice impressions- one of the better voice actors I’ve heard!

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