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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Brilliant. A bit slow to get going but super wasn’t it sets off.
adventurous
emotional
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
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book's imagery is incredible. A true behemoth of an epic.
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Lonesome Dove and Blood Meridian are talked about comparatively, being two big cornerstone western epics published the same year. I suppose my hot take might be that I think I prefer Lonesome Dove overall. Both books set out to accomplish fairly different things, though. Blood Meridian, as much of McCarthy's work tends to be, is maybe his most pure eschatological construction. The hardship and atrocities of the old west are given, and McCarthy is more interested in what that says about human nature and violence.
Lonesome Dove instead gives you a story about the west that, while maybe not fully successful in its hyper-realist tendencies, is true to the adventurous nature of the genre but is not interested in glorifying anything. It's a book that just as often gives you what you want that it makes you want to throw the book across the room. Whatever anyone has told you about Lonesome Dove, it's probably true. There's a lot of beauty and humor to be found here. I'm sure if you find 20 people that have read it, they'll each give you a different character that they fell in love with.
I think if you're going to carry on the needless comparison between this book and what McCarthy writes, Suttree or The Crossing are more similar, in that it gives you a bit more of what you're looking for from Lonesome Dove. I think Suttree is still head and shoulders the better book between the two, and I might even put the Crossing above Lonesome Dove as well. All three are tremendous works of excellence that I'm fortunate to have spent so much time with.
Lonesome Dove instead gives you a story about the west that, while maybe not fully successful in its hyper-realist tendencies, is true to the adventurous nature of the genre but is not interested in glorifying anything. It's a book that just as often gives you what you want that it makes you want to throw the book across the room. Whatever anyone has told you about Lonesome Dove, it's probably true. There's a lot of beauty and humor to be found here. I'm sure if you find 20 people that have read it, they'll each give you a different character that they fell in love with.
I think if you're going to carry on the needless comparison between this book and what McCarthy writes, Suttree or The Crossing are more similar, in that it gives you a bit more of what you're looking for from Lonesome Dove. I think Suttree is still head and shoulders the better book between the two, and I might even put the Crossing above Lonesome Dove as well. All three are tremendous works of excellence that I'm fortunate to have spent so much time with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
“The earth is mostly just a boneyard, but pretty in the sunlight.”
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Deeply loved this novel and was sad for it to end.