Reviews

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

debbjo12's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

cajun_reader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

janemeaton's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I think I could read about the wild wild west of Texas and it’s Cowboys and Indians forever and ever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence

hannmargret's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.5

carlos_bwe's review against another edition

5.0

I've always thought westerns were not for me, yet I love Unforgiven, I love The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, I love The Power of the Dog, and Lonesome Dove has become one of my favorite books of all time.

The harsh and heart-breaking reality of the setting, the characters, the beauty of the prose... I am in awe of this book, what a great pleasure has been living this cattle drive.

moscat's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Oh my heart. What an incredible book. Not a page is wasted, we see the hopes, fears, and regrets of these men and women in a West that's outpaced so many of them. I wasn't expecting to have my heart broken over and again. Nor to have one of my favourite characters not even appear for 500 pages.

The other western I read this year was Blood Meridian and while so incredibly different there are parallels. In BM the west is harsh and unforgiving and populated with the forsaken and the damned. The west of LD is also harsh and unforgiving but seen through the eyes of romantic dreamers and regretful pragmatists.

"It's a fine world, though rich in hardships at times."

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

phlem's review against another edition

So many dead trees 

aleli's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

jellybeanjordan's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really well-written story with complex characters. Augustus McCrae in particular was so complex. As a Red Dead Redemption fan, I made a lot of connections between characters in this book and plots to the games.

pinktulip_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful book and loved the story telling, especially in the second half when the stories were woven together. 

4/5 stars as I found the first half of the book quite slow and hard to push through. I am glad I persisted, but it took a long time to get into.