A review by chemistreader
True Grit by Charles Portis

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a book I couldn’t wait to put down. This book didn’t capture me and it was hard to follow along with Maddie’s first person narrative - it felt choppy. I was left with a lot of questions about whether she was telling the truth and whether she really accomplished what she set out to accomplish without losing herself and her humanity. The book seemed like a justification of her actions and how her life turned out. She didn’t seem….human. The book didn’t feel believable and I think the 1st person narration is to blame. It brought up some interesting questions about what justice looks like and how that has changed over time. I couldn’t disagree more with Donna Tart (not a suprise I DNF A Secret History because of how bad it was) in her essay at the end of the book that claims this is one of the best books she has ever read. I cannot agree that this is THE great American novel. 
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