Reviews

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

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tayvesyp's review against another edition

5.0

I normally have a mandatory 100 pages before I give up
rule. Extend that rule to 200 for this one since it’s huge. The depth of the characters in this book is so immense, I started noticing that I was reading and not indeed on a cattle drive to Montana with them many of times. Surprisingly dark at times and also surprisingly sweet. Highly recommend. Don’t let the length scare you.

xxscramblesxx's review against another edition

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5.0

I decided to read this book because I saw that Joe Abercrombie recommended it when answering a question during an AMA on Reddit. The question was something along the lines of, "Joe, I've read all of your books now. What do you recommend I read while I wait for your next novel to be published?" Lonesome Dove was his answer.

I've never read a Western before. Heck, I've barely watched any Western movies. The setting never appealed to me. I always thought of it as the thriller/action genre of a bygone era. Maybe it is. Maybe Lonesome Dove is the exception to the rule. If it is, it's a monumental exception.

It's the characters. Augustus McCrae has got to be, single-handedly, one of the most endearing characters I've ever read. But it's not just him. Page after page, the people in this story slowly come to life. I could picture their mannerisms just by how they spoke to one another and thought about themselves.

...my only problem is how I could go about recommending this book to others. I fear I'd spoil the enjoyment if I mentioned any bit of the narrative. It's a book about life and death. About love and fear. Friendship and loyalty. Tough choices and trying to rise to meet the moment... maybe succeeding, maybe not. And what people might do when they don't succeed. There's just too much. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

ch2's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

el_pepe's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book is by far my favorite book I’ve read. There’s so many characters but none of them are forgettable because they all have a purpose in the story. This book does a really good at showing the struggles of the 1870s showing how common death was back then. My only complaint is that not every character in the book got an ending but other than that this book is AMAZING and I look forward to read the other books in the franchise.