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The book takes 250 pages just to get started (the cattle drive doesn't start driving until almost a third of the way through the book). The characters all speak the same, so it's hard to separate them in your mind. They're either not very bright, or stubborn, or keep making poor decisions, and it gets quite frustrating for the reader. They all seem unable to speak from their heart or show emotion, which constipates them all. It's also not a very believable story- it's as if the author did his research to determine what could possibly occur to a bunch of cowboys pushing cattle from Texas to Montana, and included EVERY SINGLE THING he found. Snakes in a river? Hail the size of softballs? Sandstorms? Snowstorms? Native Americans? Grizzly bear encounter? PUT IT ALL IN. It got to the point where I found myself commenting "Really? Come on" at the pages. If you were playing bingo, you'd win, several times. The novel also ends very abruptly, almost as if the author got up one day and decided he was done on a page turn. The 850 plus page novel leaves more questions than answers.
I'm surprised that McMurtry didn't provide a list of characters at the beginning of the novel, as well as a map of the cattle drive to Montana. This would have been beneficial to refer back to, as I kept forgetting who was who and where they were in the journey.
What did I like? For the cattle drive section, it read smoothly and I was mostly engaged with the story. I read it mainly for the few characters I did like, mostly Newt, Dish, Pea Eye and Deets, the only capable cowhands in the bunch. I am intrigued enough to try the next in the series to see what happens to the remaining characters. All in all, it would have been much better if it had started with the cattle drive, included some reference material and eased up on the bingo game. It was fine enough, but nothing life-altering or causing me to rethink my favorite books of all time list.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Violence
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape
Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail
I feel accomplished for completing it. The humor throughout sustained me. The humor also grounded the story, making it feel more real. I think if the humor wasn’t present, I would’ve abandoned or at least thought less of the story.
The length of the book is mostly fitting, since it makes you feel like you’re trudging along at the same pace as the rest of the Hat Creek Outfit. Will the story stay with me? Maybe, vaguely. I’m somewhat curious about how Newt and Clara’s stories would evolve. Not sure I’ll continue reading the trilogy since I read that the next book in the series centers on Call. I wasn’t a fan of his character and lack of growth for 800+ pages. I mean sure it’s realistic, but he disappointed and annoyed me.
Favorite Characters: Gus, Newt, Deets, Po Campo, Clara, the pigs
Most exhausting characters: Call, Lorena, July, Elmira, Bob (the descriptions of his personality pre-accident)
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Vomit
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault
Of course I couldn't help but think of Taylor Sheridan's 1883, especially given both journeys are to end in Yellowstone. It's also just as littered with tragedy and sorrow.
I can see why people would gravitate toward this book. A lot to ponder and lots to discuss to consider regardless of where you land on the political spectrum. I can see people claiming the book represents all sorts of ideas and ideals. I suppose that's what makes this book brilliant.
I shall probably not read the other three. This book was exhausting!
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Violence, Murder
This book was brutal. It plots along and ends in such a hollow place you can't even cry. I feel angry at it because I don't understand the point but that's just it. Sometimes you don't and I'm choked up now for all the tragedy and horror and pointlessness of it all. There was beauty in spots and the journey felt so alive at the end but each death was blunt and brutal and shocking. You couldn't love them for they were so flawed but how could you hate them? It felt like a journey of life with patches that felt stable and understandable torn into pieces in moments.
If I had more of an inkling I'd talk about the brutalist poetic prose or the moral complexity or the hostorical lens but I feel so emptied out by the story that I don't want to anymore. I was so hooked that I couldn't be bothered to stop and write and now here I am without the desire.
If that doesn't say something about Lonesome Doce I don't know what will.
P. S. The pigs were my favorite part
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Ableism, Drug use