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Lonesome Dove
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Editorial Reviews:
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A love story and an epic of the frontier, Lonesome Dove is the grandest novel ever written about the last, defiant wilderness of America. Richly authentic, beautifully written, Lonesome Dove is a book to make readers laugh, weep, dream and remember. Now a blockbuster television event.
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Larry McMurtry, in books like The Last Picture Show, has depicted the modern degeneration of the myth of the American West. The subject of Lonesome Dove, cowboys herding cattle on a great trail-drive, seems like the very stuff of that cliched myth, but McMurtry bravely tackles the task of creating meaningful literature out of it. At first the novel seems the kind of anti-mythic, anti-heroic story one might expect: the main protagonists are a drunken and inarticulate pair of former Texas Rangers turned horse rustlers. Yet when the trail begins, the story picks up an energy and a drive that makes heroes of these men. Their mission may be historically insignificant, or pointless--McMurtry is smart enough to address both possibilities--but there is an undoubted valor in their lives. The result is a historically aware, intelligent, romantic novel of the mythic west that won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
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Lonesome Dove
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User Comments:
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IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS ONE, YOU ARE MISSING A READING TREAT!
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On the other hand, when the author records grim happenings, they are truly grim and you feel those as much as you do any other part of this story. His vivid and accurate descriptions of the country are second to none. Suffice to say the setting take place from Texas to the northern U.S. It takes place during the latter part of our western expansion period. I fall into that category. One of the beauties of this book though, is that McMurty has woven quite a number of tales, plots and subplots into this story but has done it in a way that there is not mass confusion for the reader and they all, i.e.
I seriously doubt you will be sorry. The author has the ability to make the reader feel he is there with them, seeing what the characters see, feeling what the character feels. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of his ploys. If you have not already done so, give this one a read. Secondly, the physical description of the country, area and location of this (or these) tales is second to none.
those that actually read the book, will not enjoy each and every word. I do recommend this work very highly. The tale centers around a cattle drive from Texas and then north. and points in between. I doubt that most readers, i.e.
The strength of this work lies in the characters the author has so well developed. McMurtry is a natural story teller and has the wonderful ability to record his stories in the written word. I was that impressed with it. I have to admit that I have actually read this thing twice over the years and if I make it much longer, will probably read it again one of these days. For me though the story was almost secondary. Third, I love McMurtry's humor.
From page one you absolutely become involved with each and ever individual McMurtry introduces, even the bad guys. the subplots are indeed linked in various ways. While I have certainly read Westerns from time to time, I do not particularly like them nor do I seek them out. The story or plot has been reviewed to death here, so I will not dwell on that aspect of the novel that much. I truly feel this is one of the better novels written over the last 40 years or so and truly deserved a Pulitzer for it.
As an added bonus, there has been a wonderful movie made of this story and unlike most instances, the movie is almost as enjoyable (not quite) as the book. This work is quite different though. This is one of those rather rare books that can be classified as a "cross over book." That is, you really need not be a fan of the Western genre to appreciate and enjoy reading it. I have had the opportunity to have either lived, visited or extensively travel in or through all the locations mentioned in this book and can attest to the fact that the author has nailed them perfectly.
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Enduring novel and an enjoyable read
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Put this one your reading list. Robert Beattie. If you've not read this because it is set in the fabled American Old West, you're denying yourself a delicious reading experience.
Reasonable minds may differ on a short summary. Only one of the two main characters survives it, so I'd classify this in retrospect as a tragedy. Readers used to rapid page-turning, short quick chapters, and simple concepts (not that there's anything wrong with that) may not find this to their taste, but as commercial literature for mature adults, this is excellent. But, reading it without knowing the end, this is a grand experience full of comedy, misery, and triumph as they decide to undertake the travel, go on the travel, and arrive at their fated destinations. In early 2003 I first read this tome after eighteen years of having wrongly scorned it as being JUST a cowboy Western. This novel endures.
Like Tolstoy's War and Peace, this is a sprawling book, a mass of life, though all the structural elements of the traditional three-act drama are present. Objectively, this is a post Civil War story about a cowboy trail boss and his best friend, former Texas Rangers, who lead a team of men who drive three thousand cattle from Texas to Montana. It was originally written as a feature film.
It also compares with The Godfather and Shogun as a great epic story with many fascinating characters in life-and-death plots. I re-read it in 2008.
The character that died had lived a full life with few big regrets; the other character had to go on living with his big regrets. My regret is that I waited so long before reading this. This is not merely a cult favorite, but is widely admired by readers who love good literature.
Like Gone With the Wind, Lonesome Dove is a critically acclaimed Pulitzer-Prize winning commercially successful novel about family hardships during the end of an American era. Most of the story takes place on that difficult drive, which is filled with well-developed subplots.
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Not all its cracked up to be
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It also seemed like there were only about 20 people living west of the Mississippi because the same characters constantly encountered each other after traveling long distances. The request and quest at the end of the book were stupid and very annoying. All the characters seem to be at extremes, for example: extremely dumb or very smart. There are one two types of women: proffessional whores and then amateur ones. The deaths seem implausible and it is amazing how much these men cry.
Call, a main character, acts totally out of character at the end.
Maybe I do not know much about the west but it seems really easy to die on a cattle drive and whores are really well accepted.
The whole book seemed kind of pointless when I was done reading and like a waste of time.
Their actions often do not make sense and are totally irrational.
Maybe I missed some great message that McMurtry wrote into the book.
It took a very long time to get to any meaningful part of the plot.
Only a couple characters are actually interesting and almost all of them are one-dimensional.
I was pretty disappointed with this book.
There are two types of men in this book: ones who fall instantly and hopelessly in love with every woman they see, and those who would never touch a woman.
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Absolutely loved it. I have ordered two more books by this author and am sure it won't be the last.
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Miller, author of The Lone War Cry The movie in this case did not hurt the book, as it was well done, but as is often the case did not elicit the same response as reading the novel, chapter by chapter. A richer flavor of the west is seen through the eyes of the reader, whereas the film concentrates more on the characters relationships, perhaps for broader appeal outside the genre. George E. Though published in 1985, this classic reached its peak in the 1990's with the film. Anyone that enjoys the old west with a touch of humor and pathos will identify with McMurtry's rich tale.
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