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noonjinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
McMurtry obviously loves his subject: the book is full of western tropes but he manages to undermine the myths by showing how harsh and unforgiving frontier life was, and how survival depended on luck as much as judgement and skill.
The action is nicely paced. The characters are all deep, beautifully drawn and uniquely flawed, so you end up loving and admiring them but wanting to slap some sense into them too. The book is funny as well as exciting and sad. It’s worth reading for Gus’ hilarious monologues alone.
Some of the plot lines depend heavily on coincidence. Characters run into each other all the time and at one point McMurtry tries to explain this away by telling us there was only one road. The last few chapters are tragic and pretty bleak, but worse than that, the introspection goes on too long and gets a little boring.
I also wish the author had been a little braver in his myth busting. There’s a lot of frontier justice in this book and McMurtry can’t help justifying every lynching. I think it would have been more interesting and Captan Call had occasionally got the wrong guy.
Still a great book to read.
Graphic: Rape, Death, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
graff_fuller's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The characters may seem/are stupid or just plain ignorant of the wider world, but they have a strength without worldly knowledge that is oddly translated into wisdom.
This applies especially to Augustus McCrea. He was NOT perfect. He wasn't sparing with his wisdom, and more so...you couldn't shut him up...BUT he was also a good man.
SPOILERS below 👇
So, throughout the story, the main protagonist...turned out to be Captain Call. Not really, but this is how the story ends...carrying on the story...and burying his friend/enemy (in a friendly way) back to Lonesome Dove, TX...to the garden. Such a waste, in my opinion.
I'm glad that Lori ended up with Clara, July and the kids...that really was the best place...and they will NEVER lack for anything...bc of the generous gift by Augustus to Lori.
I so wish that Captain could've done more for Newt. I stand with Clara on that decision, plus what she felt should've been done with Augustus' body. What a shame to have made a promise to a dead man...when ALL the people who loved him were in Nebraska and Montana...and NOT in Texas. Ugh.
I also wonder how the story progresses and who the story will follow? So, it will be interesting. I will not read it now, or soon, but I will continue on with this series.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, and Torture
Moderate: Rape and Racism
mcheath's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape
elizathering's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Murder, Torture, Violence, Racism, and Gun violence
Moderate: Cursing
missjazzage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Child death, Animal death, Colonisation, Blood, Kidnapping, and Death
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, and Animal cruelty
skitch41's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Torture, Rape, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racial slurs
krysley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Now that that's out of the way: I loved this book so much.
Honestly, it was more than I ever expected it to be and brought out all the emotions, from anger and despair to heartbroken. These characters live in my head rent free and I'm glad to share the space with them. This book simply captivated me. Actually, it was more than that - I wanted to nerd out over this book, write a paper about the female characters and how McMurtry handled each one, and discuss every little nuance. It has been a long time since a book has effected me in such a way and I can't wait to read this again.
For a book written in 1985 about the 1870s, I was expecting heaps of misogyny, racism, and all the other hateful things that often spawn from those time periods combining. But . . . that wasn't what I got. Yes, there was misogyny and racism, but it was in the context of the time period (that didn't stop me from angrily crossing out the n-word in my personal copy every time I read it - some things I don't need to read over and over).
Moderate: Sexism, Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Rape
kakabska's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction
deadeye's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, War, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, and Torture
Moderate: Pedophilia, Abortion, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
graceq22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War