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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mattie Ross is probably the only person who could say "I tell it like it is" without sounding like an intolerable jerk.
The Donna Tartt audio book is so good. Highly recommend.
It's fascinating to read True Grit, especially in view of the original film (I haven't seen the more recent remake yet). In the film (and in some other Westerns since) the characters speak in sentences that have few contractions and are almost awkward in their formality. I first read the novel when I was a teenager, and took it at face value.
However, True Grit (the novel) is actually an extremely skillful example of an unreliable narrator. Mattie Ross is telling the story of her search for her father's killer 25 years after the event; she is a smart, inflexible, formal woman who knows what's right. She is telling the story in her own voice -- and all the characters in it talk in her voice as well.
And she is not a great writer. Her descriptions are often stilted, and she sometimes goes into weird digressions. The dialog she puts into the mouths of Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf and the others only vaguely resembles the way the men probably really spoke -- and while she is being honest about the events, she is telling them from her point of view.
It's something to remember when watching the films as well. It's not that the denizens of the American West spoke formally; it's that Mattie would have them speak that way.
However, True Grit (the novel) is actually an extremely skillful example of an unreliable narrator. Mattie Ross is telling the story of her search for her father's killer 25 years after the event; she is a smart, inflexible, formal woman who knows what's right. She is telling the story in her own voice -- and all the characters in it talk in her voice as well.
And she is not a great writer. Her descriptions are often stilted, and she sometimes goes into weird digressions. The dialog she puts into the mouths of Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf and the others only vaguely resembles the way the men probably really spoke -- and while she is being honest about the events, she is telling them from her point of view.
It's something to remember when watching the films as well. It's not that the denizens of the American West spoke formally; it's that Mattie would have them speak that way.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
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
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't really enjoy Westerns. They are just not my preferred genre. However, I felt I owed it to myself to read this book after seeing the Coen brothers' magnificent adaptation of it late last year. Let me just say that while the book is slow in parts, it was certainly well worth my time and interest. Mattie Ross feels like an authentic voice and I applaud Portis' decision to write it in first person. At times funny, sad, heart-breaking and suspenseful, this book really hit on all cylinders. If it weren't for the slightly sluggish mid-section and the fact that I absolutely adored the Coen Brothers' adaptation, I would have rated this a full five stars. It is definitely worth a look even for those who claim, like me, to dislike Westerns.
An entertaining and quick read. I love Mattie's spunk and her grit and comedic narration at times. Easily one of my favorites this year.