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4.59 AVERAGE
4.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk—and feisty gentlemen.”
This must be one of the richest, most layered novels I have ever read. Gus will forever be one of my favorite characters in Western literature, and McMurtry's description of a seemingly simple cattle run for Texas to Montana is a novel I will never forget. Under the nonstop action is a message about the unpredictability of life and the inability to prepare for the unknown. McMurtry shows the reader the importance of living in the moment and doing what one feels like - be it sipping whiskey on a porch, settling in a town, or driving cattle north after retirement. While they all have differing levels of intensity, they all fundamentally touch on the desires and goals of each character. And when one does push oneself and make oneself uncomfortable, one may find a semblance of reward along the circuitous path to a goal...or not.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I need to process this before I write a full review, but I have to share one comment… whoever decided that the Preface should be BEFORE the novel, rather than using that same text as a post-read Author’s Note, should probably be shot*.
*it’s a joke, hopefully in line with something Gus would say.
FULL REVIEW
Okay, now that I've had a minute to process... I think I would give this 4.5 stars, so I'm rounding up herre on GR to 5. I have to agree with a quip on the back cover: "If you only ever read one Western novel, make it this one." Full of delightfully human characters, a real understanding of Texas heat (and, I can only assume, the emptiness of the Great Plains), and a breadth of experiences, I laughed out loud and also wept as I flew through almost 900 pages of narrative. Texas Monthly chose this to be their first book club read, and while I had to finish early (library copy someone else put on hold!), I'm glad I had the encouragement to give this a shot. If the size of this is intimidating to you, but you love a good story - I'd encourage you to try the first 100, even 50 pages. I loved the exploration of themes like family, growing up, responsibility, love and endurance, and in today's news cycle I also found plenty of chilling reminders of what motherhood (and life in general) was like barely 150 years ago but before modern medicine really became a thing. I'd rather not go back to that, thank you very much. The heart of so many characters was presented in such a real way - particularly Newt's search for identity, Lorena's hope for something better, Call's reluctance to empathize, and Clara's perseverance are just a few examples of characters who feel more like people you might meet and live beside, each doing what they can in a world that is stacked against them. I would recommend this book to readers who are willing to read about real hardship, and who appreciate real, quality writing.
Come because this book was awarded the Pulitzer, stay because you've got to know what happens to X character(s). ;)
*it’s a joke, hopefully in line with something Gus would say.
FULL REVIEW
Okay, now that I've had a minute to process... I think I would give this 4.5 stars, so I'm rounding up herre on GR to 5. I have to agree with a quip on the back cover: "If you only ever read one Western novel, make it this one." Full of delightfully human characters, a real understanding of Texas heat (and, I can only assume, the emptiness of the Great Plains), and a breadth of experiences, I laughed out loud and also wept as I flew through almost 900 pages of narrative. Texas Monthly chose this to be their first book club read, and while I had to finish early (library copy someone else put on hold!), I'm glad I had the encouragement to give this a shot. If the size of this is intimidating to you, but you love a good story - I'd encourage you to try the first 100, even 50 pages. I loved the exploration of themes like family, growing up, responsibility, love and endurance, and in today's news cycle I also found plenty of chilling reminders of what motherhood (and life in general) was like barely 150 years ago but before modern medicine really became a thing. I'd rather not go back to that, thank you very much. The heart of so many characters was presented in such a real way - particularly Newt's search for identity, Lorena's hope for something better, Call's reluctance to empathize, and Clara's perseverance are just a few examples of characters who feel more like people you might meet and live beside, each doing what they can in a world that is stacked against them. I would recommend this book to readers who are willing to read about real hardship, and who appreciate real, quality writing.
Come because this book was awarded the Pulitzer, stay because you've got to know what happens to X character(s). ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape