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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminds you that every great man is still a man. We are flawed imperfect beings with our own joys and sorrows. The life we live inside our heads can differ wildly from the lives others perceive us to have. We are human and flawed. Life is fragile and meant to be lived without regret in both the physical and emotional sense. When all else fails, have a good hearty laugh and take a walk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Just…wow. Incredible.
adventurous
emotional
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living.”
Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove is more than just a Western — it’s a powerful story about life, death, friendship, and the meaning of honor. Set during the last days of the American frontier, it captures a world slowly fading away, and the people trying to find their place in it.
What truly stands out in this novel are the characters. McMurtry doesn’t just describe them — he brings them fully to life. Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call feel like real people, and their deep, complicated friendship forms the heart of the story. Their bond is filled with love, loyalty, frustration, and unspoken emotion, and watching it play out over the course of the novel is unforgettable.
McMurtry also builds a world that feels completely real. From the dusty streets of Lonesome Dove to the dangers of the untamed West, every scene pulls you in. As a reader, you feel like you're riding alongside the characters, experiencing their journey firsthand.
But Lonesome Dove isn’t just a story about adventure. It also challenges the traditional idea of the cowboy — not as a larger-than-life hero, but as a flawed, deeply human person trying to survive in a hard world. There’s a quiet sadness beneath the story, a reminder that the world is changing, and that living with purpose is often harder than dying with pride.
Lonesome Dove is a big, moving, unforgettable novel. It’s not just about the end of the West — it’s about how the lives of those around you shape your life.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jesus Christ.
A masterpiece.
Spent the last 2 hours finishing it in a puddle of tears. Could not stop crying, then I closed the book and I cried some more. Love that ol’ Hat Creek Outfit. At first I was thought “I can’t believe there’s like 5 of these books, they’re massive.” But I get it. I’d do anything to keep hanging out with these guys.
Beautiful book. Larry McMurtry writes some of the most beautiful passages ever written. But then towards the end, in a sea of weeping, he ends a conversation with: “This is is the longest conversation I’ve had in ten years. Goodbye.” It made me bellow at 7:30 AM.
Took me a long time to get around to reading this and I’m real glad I finally just picked it. Going to watch the Robert Duvall/Tommy Lee Jones miniseries now.
A masterpiece.
Spent the last 2 hours finishing it in a puddle of tears. Could not stop crying, then I closed the book and I cried some more. Love that ol’ Hat Creek Outfit. At first I was thought “I can’t believe there’s like 5 of these books, they’re massive.” But I get it. I’d do anything to keep hanging out with these guys.
Beautiful book. Larry McMurtry writes some of the most beautiful passages ever written. But then towards the end, in a sea of weeping, he ends a conversation with: “This is is the longest conversation I’ve had in ten years. Goodbye.” It made me bellow at 7:30 AM.
Took me a long time to get around to reading this and I’m real glad I finally just picked it. Going to watch the Robert Duvall/Tommy Lee Jones miniseries now.
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
emotional
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