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4.59 AVERAGE
4.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Close to a perfect book for me.
The characters and the writing were excellent. It’s a book I never felt like I was skimming or hurrying because I was so engrossed by every page.
The story is that classic journey and has a few more action packed moments than I expected (perhaps a bit naive of me given it’s a western).
The characters and the writing were excellent. It’s a book I never felt like I was skimming or hurrying because I was so engrossed by every page.
The story is that classic journey and has a few more action packed moments than I expected (perhaps a bit naive of me given it’s a western).
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Pretty much perfect, every one of those 946 pages. Loved the characters, the pace of the story, the description and how much of an emotional rollercoaster it was. Tears, laughter, an adventure I felt part of
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Violence
adventurous
slow-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
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I fear I may have missed the point of Lonesome Dove. At the beginning it almost seemed to be a satirical take on the great American west: two aging Texas rangers have retired in the smallest town imaginable, where they have accomplished nothing except to bicker with each other, trade the same $2 back and forth playing cards at the bar, and take turns stealing cattle and horses back and forth across the Mexican border. Call and Gus had nothing going for them, and their glory days as Rangers were far behind them.
The first section of the book is remarkably slow; I only got through it because I was mildly interested in the characters, of which there is a wide range. The POV switches constantly which helped keep me engaged. Then, by part two of the novel, Call decides to do a cattle drive and things start to pick up. The themes/discussions of loyalty, brotherhood & friendship, death, fate, and luck (plus some I surely didn’t pick up on) come up.
By the end of the drive, some characters have developed (for better or worse) and some have died. Again, perhaps tying back into the themes of luck and fate (especially in the case of Jake, who started running with the wrong crew and hung for it). Then, Gus dies and makes the absurd request for Call to take his body ALL THE WAY BACK to Lonesome Dove. He does, and then the novel ends: with Call exactly where he started. I’m just not sure what the point of it all was.
It’s said that McMurtry’s work is so popular because he shows the “bad” side of the American west, so maybe it’s not a satirical take so much as a realistic one. And sure, some characters ended up better off than when they started, like Lorena, and Newt. Maybe that’s the point, that some people win and some people lose. It just felt deeply unsatisfying to me for Call to go all the way back to Lonesome Dove because a delirious, septic Gus wanted to be buried in a pretty spot. Maybe the point is their friendship and devotion/loyalty to each other.
The actual writing was enjoyable. It was very atmospheric and felt authentic. I did come to be fond of some characters by the end: my favorites were Clara and Newt, I think. However, it did naturally have lots of period- and genre-typical sexism and racism, especially towards Native Americans- all of the ones given any amount of discussion are depicted as excessively aggressive and barbaric, like the main villain Blue Duck, and Gus & Call’s whole career was centered around killing Native and Mexican “outlaws” even though they go and do the same stuff (kill men and steal horses) right back. Perhaps that’s ironic on purpose and is meant as a critique of that behavior? The N-word makes frequent appearances and the African American in the cast of main characters is killed off, though the crew does treat him with respect for the most part.
I’d love to see some explanation of this novel that makes it all click for me because I WANTED to love it. So, please, if you have any suggestions to help in my understanding, let me know.
The first section of the book is remarkably slow; I only got through it because I was mildly interested in the characters, of which there is a wide range. The POV switches constantly which helped keep me engaged. Then, by part two of the novel, Call decides to do a cattle drive and things start to pick up. The themes/discussions of loyalty, brotherhood & friendship, death, fate, and luck (plus some I surely didn’t pick up on) come up.
By the end of the drive, some characters have developed (for better or worse) and some have died. Again, perhaps tying back into the themes of luck and fate (especially in the case of Jake, who started running with the wrong crew and hung for it). Then, Gus dies and makes the absurd request for Call to take his body ALL THE WAY BACK to Lonesome Dove. He does, and then the novel ends: with Call exactly where he started. I’m just not sure what the point of it all was.
It’s said that McMurtry’s work is so popular because he shows the “bad” side of the American west, so maybe it’s not a satirical take so much as a realistic one. And sure, some characters ended up better off than when they started, like Lorena, and Newt. Maybe that’s the point, that some people win and some people lose. It just felt deeply unsatisfying to me for Call to go all the way back to Lonesome Dove because a delirious, septic Gus wanted to be buried in a pretty spot. Maybe the point is their friendship and devotion/loyalty to each other.
The actual writing was enjoyable. It was very atmospheric and felt authentic. I did come to be fond of some characters by the end: my favorites were Clara and Newt, I think. However, it did naturally have lots of period- and genre-typical sexism and racism, especially towards Native Americans- all of the ones given any amount of discussion are depicted as excessively aggressive and barbaric, like the main villain Blue Duck, and Gus & Call’s whole career was centered around killing Native and Mexican “outlaws” even though they go and do the same stuff (kill men and steal horses) right back. Perhaps that’s ironic on purpose and is meant as a critique of that behavior? The N-word makes frequent appearances and the African American in the cast of main characters is killed off, though the crew does treat him with respect for the most part.
I’d love to see some explanation of this novel that makes it all click for me because I WANTED to love it. So, please, if you have any suggestions to help in my understanding, let me know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
There are moments, in very good books, that seize you. Moments that grab your heart and squeeze it until it's dry and stuttering. Lonesome Dove has one of those moments.
There were certainly other moments when I wanted to put the book down. Do I really care about the hole in Lippy's stomach or the stupid sign that Gus wrote and whether it's in Latin or Greek, but I was patient because of all you reviewers out there!
And I was glad of it, dern it! I felt truly teleported into the Hat Creek Company. The characters were 5 stars. Authenticity to the era, 5 stars. Plot and pacing is where I think it drug quite a bit.
Above all, my hat (bowler, of course) tip moment is at the end. When each of the characters, who we've been following for hundreds of pages, from Texas through Kansas and the hellish plains of Nebraska and up to Montany, like falling dominos, do exactly as they've always done, and always will. True to who they are and true to the story.
“It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.”
There were certainly other moments when I wanted to put the book down. Do I really care about the hole in Lippy's stomach or the stupid sign that Gus wrote and whether it's in Latin or Greek, but I was patient because of all you reviewers out there!
And I was glad of it, dern it! I felt truly teleported into the Hat Creek Company. The characters were 5 stars. Authenticity to the era, 5 stars. Plot and pacing is where I think it drug quite a bit.
Above all, my hat (bowler, of course) tip moment is at the end. When each of the characters, who we've been following for hundreds of pages, from Texas through Kansas and the hellish plains of Nebraska and up to Montany, like falling dominos, do exactly as they've always done, and always will. True to who they are and true to the story.
“It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.”
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
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