Reviews with content warning for Death - Lonesome Dove

i think i'm actually going to have to sit down at my computer one day and write an essay or at least a blurb about this whole book and it's insane effect on me. it is a wonderful story and one that made me cry countless times not only because of its sadness from the expected deaths on a long journey in the wild west but also because of its humanity. i have never been so moved by a story simply from its existence. there were times i found myself crying when i least expected it and times i sat stone faced when i thought i would cry (and i say these both as positives — it makes me question "why?" and evokes a deeper search into answering that). the characters of Lonesome Dove are all three-dimensional and incredibly interesting to pick apart. there are things you can like or appreciate and dislike about all of them. their mistakes are real, their wants are familiar, their stubbornness and pride and curiosity and love is utterly human and so so beautiful. Larry McMurtry did a brilliant job at creating a world that is equally as moving as it is funny. the members of the Hat Creek Outfit became my friends and i laughed and i mourned and i adventured with them and i am so so grateful i made the decision to pick up this long book that has become a hidden gem in these recent years.

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kuhnja's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A western Oddysey. Very unlike any other western I’ve consumed before.

This one took me a minute to get though at almost 900 pages and one missstart. I started this on audio and abandoned it about halfway through because I thought it warranted a little more of my attention and I was so right. I’m glad I restarted from the beginning because it made me appreciate the story so much more. This is one I felt like I would have read and written a paper on in college. I wish I could be in a class and hear the debate and analysis over this one.

The length helped the epic timeline of the story have more impact. The multiple storylines were an annoyance at first but a delight once I settled in. I loved the interconnectivity. The ending felt a little rushed and tacked on. It was so close to being perfect.

The story was so heartbreaking and raw and real. Trajedy was matter of fact without the drama that most books add. It made the loss feel more like it does in real life. The book was so sad, so funny, so full of longing and what might have been. Hubris and comradery.

Last year it felt good to hit my reading goal, and this was a different kind of goal, to get through such a long book, but it was such a delight.

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noonjinx's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

This is certainly an epic. McMurtry spends 300 pages introducing his characters and then another 600 weaving their stories in and out of a 3000 mile cattle drive from Texas to Montana.

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.

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graff_fuller's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

As you can see...I really enjoyed this book. The number of notes, how quickly I read the story...all of it. Also, this book is very deep.

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.

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