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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm kinda surprised at how much I liked this, although maybe not so much after how Ariel of Books Unbound described it. (Boy was she right about all the mouth noises in the audiobook too...) I now need to find more Westerns with spunky girl main characters. Although preferably written with fewer racial slurs.
I really enjoyed the straightforward yet descriptive writing style. I can see myself picking up something else by Portis in the future. But maybe after a detour in reading some Westerns/historical fiction written by Native or Black authors...
Contemporary writers should also take note that this is the perfect length for a book. Lol
I really enjoyed the straightforward yet descriptive writing style. I can see myself picking up something else by Portis in the future. But maybe after a detour in reading some Westerns/historical fiction written by Native or Black authors...
Contemporary writers should also take note that this is the perfect length for a book. Lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-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
I don't know if I would have read this book except for the 2010 movie, which in retrospect was very true to the book. I loved the character of Mattie Ross, she is so gutsy and her deadpan matter-of-fact narration is so fantastic. Rooster Cogburn is one of my favorite types-- tough as nails on the outside and a teddy bear on the inside. I love a good Western, and this is the best! Well, this and Lonesome Dove. Both tops.
Even if you aren't a huge fan of the Western genre, don't write this one off. It's a great story and a quick-moving read. It's told as first-person account after the fact, which added a warmer feel to it. The dialog is clever but not at all forced. There's plenty of action, but it's very funny too. I was a little surprised by how much liked it. Stories with a 14-year-old girl as the main charcter usually don't make my reading list. Definitely recommended.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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
As good as the movie (Cohen brothers remake) which was awesome.
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
More like 4.5 than 4, but I'm happy to say I'm two for two on the last couple books I've finished.
Need to rewatch the 2010 movie, and find the original 1969 version. Great read, and a little quicker than I planned during my airport travels.
Need to rewatch the 2010 movie, and find the original 1969 version. Great read, and a little quicker than I planned during my airport travels.
Well-written in what appears to be an authentic Southern voice first-person account of a manhunt from Arkansas to the Oklahoma territory.
Like Shane, the description of the fighting and fighters is that of a young person caught up in events that they can't quite fathom.
Unlike Joey in Shane, Mattie Ross is an instigator of the events and an active participant in the adventures that follow.
There is just the right balance between humour, tragedy and grisly vittle eatin', pistol shootin' and snake bitin' that made me feel as if I was there. I liked the pace and the characters in what is an easy but fulfilling read.
Like Shane, the description of the fighting and fighters is that of a young person caught up in events that they can't quite fathom.
Unlike Joey in Shane, Mattie Ross is an instigator of the events and an active participant in the adventures that follow.
There is just the right balance between humour, tragedy and grisly vittle eatin', pistol shootin' and snake bitin' that made me feel as if I was there. I liked the pace and the characters in what is an easy but fulfilling read.