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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
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
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
A great little book that everyone should enjoy. Reminded me a bit of Huck Finn mixed with Cormac McCarthy.
***These are my random thoughts after finishing the book. Some of the thoughts are an overall review of the book, or any questions/feelings that nagged at me throughout. There will almost definitely be spoilers. Read at your own risk.*** ‐----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.75 stars up
Surprisingly funny, very deadpan humor
Mattie Ross is the heroine I didn't know I needed, wish I read this when I was 15
The last 50 pages really took off
The horse :(
Just a great adventure overall
4.75 stars up
Surprisingly funny, very deadpan humor
Mattie Ross is the heroine I didn't know I needed, wish I read this when I was 15
The last 50 pages really took off
The horse :(
Just a great adventure overall
Using the near monotone narrative of 14-year old Mattie Ross, Portis crafts a laconic American gem. Set in the 1870s, Mattie is determined to bring the murderer of her father, Tom Chaney, to justice. She enlists the help of Marshall Rooster Cogburn to do so. The two, joined by a Texas Ranger, set out into the Indian Nation to apprehend the criminal. Mattie is not unlike Ahab in her obsession with finding Chaney. Her courage and perseverance testify to her own true grit. Without question this book is recommended for western fans. But it's really for anyone who would like to read what must surely be considered a classic.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
The voice of the unique, prickly, and very likeable narrator, Mattie, makes this a delightful read.
A fast-paced adventure that takes advantage of standard themes of Western fiction--justice and revenge--but manages to create a unique tone and avoid tropes of good vs. evil.
A fast-paced adventure that takes advantage of standard themes of Western fiction--justice and revenge--but manages to create a unique tone and avoid tropes of good vs. evil.
I wish I’d read this before seeing the movie (the remake that is so true to the text). The funny bits still made me laugh out loud even though the plot held no surprises. The afterword by Donna Tartt mentions Mattie as more like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz than others she is compared to. What a character. What a trick to make someone who is so humorless be so funny with no loss of dignity.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a wonderful story! Mattie Ross is a funny and captivating narrator, and “Rooster” Cogburn is a very believable and compelling anti-hero. The plot is not very complex, but I think that’s one of the things that makes this story so fun to read. The book itself feels very cinematic, which might explain why it was adapted into two successful films. I look forward to reading this again sometime in the future as well as Charles Portis’ other works.