What do you think?
Rate this book
Honkytonk Man
The Depression-era story of a dying young man as he makes his way to Nashville to play music at the Grand Ole Opry. Source for the Clint Eastwood movie of the same name, also written by Clancy Carlile.
252 pages, Paperback
Published May 27, 1982
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 27, 2010
I just loved this book! It is easily one of my favorites. A book about dreams, coming of age, life, honkytonks. It was such an interesting & entertaining read. One that will tug at your heart strings & make you want to cry while in other parts you will be laughing out loud. Definitely a book I will read again in the future.
Read
August 6, 2025Published in 1980 and adapted by Clint Eastwood into a movie two years later, Honky Tonk Man is narrated by a fourteen-year-old Oklahoman whose uncle - a rambling, semi-famous country singer in the late 1930s - wades into town from California en route to Nashville with the hopes of playing the Grand Ole Opry. He takes his nephew and the nephew's grandfather with him. Adventure and coming-of-age trials ensue. I loved it.
The book is split into three parts. The first part takes place in Oklahoma where we spend time with the narrator's family and his uncle, who arrives at their farm drunk and coughing from tuberculosis. The second part is a rollicking road trip with honky tonks, a jailbreak, a whorehouse, a robbery, a shootout, a stowaway girl, and good times on Beale Street. Then there's the Nashville section, which I won't spoil, but it's a perfect final act to the story.
This book has great characters, moments that make you laugh, moments that make you cry, and a big heart. It’s a country song in novel form. Sure, the story’s a little predictable. And Carlile's writing isn't amazing or anything (his similes and "holy shits" get old), but it propels you along nicely. It's obvious he was a musician based on the way he writes about music. That Bob Wills cameo is a highlight, and the Beale Street evening excursion is beautifully, vividly described.
Recommended for country fans, and fans of good, no-nonsense American novels. I’m sure I’ll read this one again someday.
Re-read 1.5 years later: I love this book so much.
The book is split into three parts. The first part takes place in Oklahoma where we spend time with the narrator's family and his uncle, who arrives at their farm drunk and coughing from tuberculosis. The second part is a rollicking road trip with honky tonks, a jailbreak, a whorehouse, a robbery, a shootout, a stowaway girl, and good times on Beale Street. Then there's the Nashville section, which I won't spoil, but it's a perfect final act to the story.
This book has great characters, moments that make you laugh, moments that make you cry, and a big heart. It’s a country song in novel form. Sure, the story’s a little predictable. And Carlile's writing isn't amazing or anything (his similes and "holy shits" get old), but it propels you along nicely. It's obvious he was a musician based on the way he writes about music. That Bob Wills cameo is a highlight, and the Beale Street evening excursion is beautifully, vividly described.
Recommended for country fans, and fans of good, no-nonsense American novels. I’m sure I’ll read this one again someday.
Re-read 1.5 years later: I love this book so much.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews