Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Lonesome Dove

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

72 reviews

carojust's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I understand why this book is so loved and lauded. It's an enormous read that encourages you to dedicate a lot of patience and heart to its slow-moving narrative. My inner voice currently has a Texas accent -- that's how much it embeds itself in your imagination.

The book follows Texas rangers Call and Augustus as they decide to make money driving cattle to Montana, across risky terrain full of bandits, wild animals, rivers and dry plains. Larry McMurtry takes great care in fleshing out the contrasting personalities of the two main characters, as well as their moments of heroism and loss. The fight scenes, especially, were so well imagined, and make your heart race.

What held me back was how one-dimensional the secondary characters were, particularly how Native Americans and women were portrayed. Violent or starved, a whore or a mother. And I don't think this was done in any kind of pursuasive way, it was just convenient to stereotype, and serve as ornamental means to manhood.

Nevertheless, you'll enjoy this if you're in the mood for adventurous plots, a large cast of characters, and rooting for heroes. Please consider the content warnings, too.

Content Warnings

caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional funny sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.99 stars, because I HATED that last line. (And NO, you are not allowed to skip to the last page. You have to read the whole thing to understand because if you read it out of context, it will seem funny.)

This book, and its characters, will live rent free in my head for the rest of my life. When I finished reading it a week ago I told my book club friends that I was going to need bereavement leave from work so that I could properly mourn both the end of this book, and the loss of so many characters in the story. When you first look at this 850 page book, it can seem overwhelming, let alone listening to 36 hours of an audiobook. And yet, every.single.day, when I got in my car to drive to work, I could not wait to find out what adventures (or misadventures) would my Lonesome Dove friends get into next. I laughed, I gasped, I got ANGRY, I cried. Larry McMurtry is a master storyteller. I'm now off to watch the mini-series so I can spend more time with my friends because I miss them so much.

Content Warnings

qlarisa's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark funny sad

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

gavinsko's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

seanml's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

McMurtry gives such a realistic depiction of the characters in the story that they are more realized in three paragraphs than the main character of a series might be in three entire books. Even characters doesn't feel like the right term sometimes because they just feel like people. People that make bad decisions and keep making them, or contradict themselves constantly. McMurtry's writing doesn't follow arcs as much as it does the natural way of things. It only goes to serve the dreary nature of the novel, but at times it does give its little moments of cheer. 9.5/10.

Content Warnings

josiah17's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Well, that's finally done. Unfortunately a very lackluster reading experience as a whole due to several factors, including this tiresome book. But it is still solid. McMurtry's writing is nice and the characters are good, albeit extremely irritatingly sexist and racist thanks to 19th century Texas. Clara—the only respectfully written female character—in particular felt like the saving grace of this book as it admittedly became more grueling to read. But the last 150 pages was quite enjoyable and wraps up things nicely. I really liked Newt too and the banter between Gus and Call was great.

On a reread, perhaps I would like this book more when I'm not in a slump. But I'm extremely doubtful I'll ever try a reread. Altogether, a good book, but SEVERELY overhyped and frustrating.

Content Warnings