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ekbuege 's review for:
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I gave this book three stars for being well-written in many aspects, though I would not recommend it to anyone.
This book seems to set out to show the brutal reality of the American Wild West in contrast to the romanticization in many cowboy stories. The thing is... (a) that's all it does, and (b) it does it too thoroughly. If you're looking for Game of Thrones-level gratuitous human nature but in a Western setting, great. You'll love this. It's certainly better written (I was bored by the first GoT book and never read the others; this one never bored me). If, however, you're looking for a hero, you won't find one here. You'll find a bunch of broken people who suffer and refuse to grow as people, and you'll find a whole line of deaths, dismemberments, mutilations, assaults, heartbreaks, crimes, and dashed dreams.
I'll read a LOT of hard content in books, but I almost quit halfway through this one it got so dark, and for no redeemable reason. I only finished it so I could have a full picture of the book to discuss at book club in a few days. The book was beautifully written in terms of characterization, scene pacing, descriptions, and even an omniscient viewpoint, which is why I gave it the stars I did. I just wish the author had used those talents on a story with more hope to it than these 900 pages of pain offer.
This book seems to set out to show the brutal reality of the American Wild West in contrast to the romanticization in many cowboy stories. The thing is... (a) that's all it does, and (b) it does it too thoroughly. If you're looking for Game of Thrones-level gratuitous human nature but in a Western setting, great. You'll love this. It's certainly better written (I was bored by the first GoT book and never read the others; this one never bored me). If, however, you're looking for a hero, you won't find one here. You'll find a bunch of broken people who suffer and refuse to grow as people, and you'll find a whole line of deaths, dismemberments, mutilations, assaults, heartbreaks, crimes, and dashed dreams.
I'll read a LOT of hard content in books, but I almost quit halfway through this one it got so dark, and for no redeemable reason. I only finished it so I could have a full picture of the book to discuss at book club in a few days. The book was beautifully written in terms of characterization, scene pacing, descriptions, and even an omniscient viewpoint, which is why I gave it the stars I did. I just wish the author had used those talents on a story with more hope to it than these 900 pages of pain offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail