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4.59 AVERAGE
4.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
Now that I've finished I understand why this is a classic, still read today. It was hard for me to get into, starting the book at the sad, dusty Hat Creek ranch, where things seemed pointless and needlessly hard. But now I keep thinking about the characters and wishing I knew what happened next for them. Impressive feat to write so many distinct characters who come alive with unique speech patterns, motivations and desires. Also major flaws in the book, sexism and racism. Lorrie's journey was the least realistic for me, and I wish there was more of her inner life. Overall I'm so glad I read it and got to know these characters.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved it even more on reread!!
———
This isn’t the kind of book I’d usually reach for. Honestly, it’s one I would’ve passed by without a second glance. Westerns have never been my thing, and I wasn’t sure I’d connect with a story set in a world so far removed from my usual reading tastes but after hearing so many glowing recommendations, I decided to take a chance… and wow, am I glad I did.
From the very first pages, I was completely hooked. I went in thinking I might struggle to get into it but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was utterly swept up in the lives of these characters and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about them, constantly!! McMurtry has this incredible gift for writing people who feel heartbreakingly real. They aren’t just characters on a page, they feel like old friends (or people you wish you knew), and I found myself deeply invested in every single one of them.
Gus McCrae completely stole my heart and honestly, I’m still not over it. His charm, wit, and quiet depth made him impossible not to adore. I especially loved how he cared for Lorena after everything she endured … His patience and quiet strength in helping her heal added so much depth to his character and brought even more heart to the story.
But it wasn’t just Gus. I could go on forever listing names—Roscoe Brown, Lorena, Newt, Deets, Dish, Clara… I loved them all. Every single character is so layered and authentic. They’re flawed, funny, vulnerable, and resilient and their relationships are just as compelling—messy, beautiful, and painfully real.
And then there’s the dynamic between Gus and Captain Woodrow Call. Their friendship is the heart and soul of this story, and it absolutely floored me. They’re complete opposites—Gus, with his humor and easygoing charm, and Call, with his rigid sense of duty—but their bond runs so deep. Their relationship is full of affection, frustration, and so many unspoken moments of understanding … It felt raw and genuine, and it’s easily one of the most memorable friendships I’ve ever read.
What surprised me most about this book was how immersive it is. McMurtry’s storytelling makes you feel like you’re right there beside them—riding through endless plains, dust in your lungs, heart in your throat. Then, sharing quiet moments by the fire. The American frontier isn’t just a setting, it’s alive. The harsh, unforgiving landscape shapes everything in this story—the characters’ decisions, their struggles, their triumphs. It’s both brutal and breathtaking, and it adds such weight to every moment.
McMurtry’s writing is deceptively simple but incredibly powerful, every bit of dialogue feels natural, and his descriptions bring the world to life without ever slowing the story. He strikes a perfect balance between the brutal reality of the frontier and its raw, untamed beauty … I was completely transported.
And the emotions, oh they hit hard. One moment (IYKYK) absolutely wrecked me. I had to close the book and just sit with it for a while, it was that devastating. But that emotional weight, that heartbreak, is exactly what makes Lonesome Dove so unforgettable, and just when you think it’s all too heavy, McMurtry finds a way to make you laugh, grounding the story in the realities of life.
Beyond the adventure, this story digs into friendship, regret, aging, and the haunting pull of the past, it really made me think about how we chase dreams and live with the consequences of choices made long ago. Those deeper themes give this story so much more weight.
Even at over 800 pages, not a single moment in this felt wasted. I found myself savoring every bit of it, not wanting the journey to end. It’s that perfect kind of story that lingers long long after you’ve turned the final page.
I honestly never thought I’d fall so deeply for this book but yet here I am! Lonesome Dove isn’t just a Western. It’s a story about friendship, love, loss, and the messy, beautiful imperfections of life. It’s sprawling in scope yet deeply intimate in its storytelling. It surprised me in the best possible way, and I know it’s a story I’ll carry with me for a long time.
“It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living.” — Gus McCrae
———
This isn’t the kind of book I’d usually reach for. Honestly, it’s one I would’ve passed by without a second glance. Westerns have never been my thing, and I wasn’t sure I’d connect with a story set in a world so far removed from my usual reading tastes but after hearing so many glowing recommendations, I decided to take a chance… and wow, am I glad I did.
From the very first pages, I was completely hooked. I went in thinking I might struggle to get into it but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was utterly swept up in the lives of these characters and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about them, constantly!! McMurtry has this incredible gift for writing people who feel heartbreakingly real. They aren’t just characters on a page, they feel like old friends (or people you wish you knew), and I found myself deeply invested in every single one of them.
Gus McCrae completely stole my heart and honestly, I’m still not over it. His charm, wit, and quiet depth made him impossible not to adore. I especially loved how he cared for Lorena after everything she endured … His patience and quiet strength in helping her heal added so much depth to his character and brought even more heart to the story.
But it wasn’t just Gus. I could go on forever listing names—Roscoe Brown, Lorena, Newt, Deets, Dish, Clara… I loved them all. Every single character is so layered and authentic. They’re flawed, funny, vulnerable, and resilient and their relationships are just as compelling—messy, beautiful, and painfully real.
And then there’s the dynamic between Gus and Captain Woodrow Call. Their friendship is the heart and soul of this story, and it absolutely floored me. They’re complete opposites—Gus, with his humor and easygoing charm, and Call, with his rigid sense of duty—but their bond runs so deep. Their relationship is full of affection, frustration, and so many unspoken moments of understanding … It felt raw and genuine, and it’s easily one of the most memorable friendships I’ve ever read.
What surprised me most about this book was how immersive it is. McMurtry’s storytelling makes you feel like you’re right there beside them—riding through endless plains, dust in your lungs, heart in your throat. Then, sharing quiet moments by the fire. The American frontier isn’t just a setting, it’s alive. The harsh, unforgiving landscape shapes everything in this story—the characters’ decisions, their struggles, their triumphs. It’s both brutal and breathtaking, and it adds such weight to every moment.
McMurtry’s writing is deceptively simple but incredibly powerful, every bit of dialogue feels natural, and his descriptions bring the world to life without ever slowing the story. He strikes a perfect balance between the brutal reality of the frontier and its raw, untamed beauty … I was completely transported.
And the emotions, oh they hit hard. One moment (IYKYK) absolutely wrecked me. I had to close the book and just sit with it for a while, it was that devastating. But that emotional weight, that heartbreak, is exactly what makes Lonesome Dove so unforgettable, and just when you think it’s all too heavy, McMurtry finds a way to make you laugh, grounding the story in the realities of life.
Beyond the adventure, this story digs into friendship, regret, aging, and the haunting pull of the past, it really made me think about how we chase dreams and live with the consequences of choices made long ago. Those deeper themes give this story so much more weight.
Even at over 800 pages, not a single moment in this felt wasted. I found myself savoring every bit of it, not wanting the journey to end. It’s that perfect kind of story that lingers long long after you’ve turned the final page.
I honestly never thought I’d fall so deeply for this book but yet here I am! Lonesome Dove isn’t just a Western. It’s a story about friendship, love, loss, and the messy, beautiful imperfections of life. It’s sprawling in scope yet deeply intimate in its storytelling. It surprised me in the best possible way, and I know it’s a story I’ll carry with me for a long time.
“It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living.” — Gus McCrae
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A darkly funny depiction of weird people going on a journey and creating their purpose together. The eccentricities of each character make the world feel lived in and visceral, as does the anti-mythic depiction of the American West during the cattle driving days. If you read one Western, it should be Lonesome Dove.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes