Quick Take
- Best for: Everyone
- Vibe: Beautiful, Sad, Devastating, Honorable
- Pace: Perfect
- One-liner: Just read it
Overview
What Worked
I could go on about this book for hours, but I'll try to keep this somewhat contained.
This is one of the greatest stories I've ever read. A true masterpiece. McMurtry has an incredible way of giving each character a particular voice, and sticking to that voice throughout the entire story. And something I felt was really great, that I haven't heard a lot of people mention in their reviews, is how well McMurtry weaves story threads. He bundles together threads, crosses them one over the other, and what's eventually revealed is a beautiful tapestry.
When I heard everyone raving about this book I tried my best to avoid spoilers and not really look into what the book was truly about, and I'm so glad I did. What at first glance seems like "a western about a group of men on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana" becomes SO much more than that because of the bond that the reader develops with the characters. This isn't just a western. This is a love story, a story of revenge, a story of pain, a coming of age story, a redemption story, and not just ANY story, but an incredibly well written one.
There are so many individual storylines in the book that you think it would be hard to keep up with, but McMurtry did an incredible job to separate them while coming back to them just in time to bring them to front of mind. And just when you thought a thread was about to reach its end, he would link them to one another. In that respect I've never read a book that was as well written.
If you haven't read Lonesome Dove you are doing yourself a disservice. I was extremely intimidated by the sheer GIRTH of this book, but I'm telling you I have never had as much fun reading as I have during these 800+ pages. I honestly wasn't ready for it to end. I know this is "book 3 of 4" but my intention was to treat this as a standalone and for now I plan to keep it that way. Next I really want to watch the four part TV series featuring Robert Duvall - I can't wait to see how they turned this absolute masterpiece into a screenplay.
Who Should Read This
If you want to know what good writing looks like, look no further. If you like a love story, or a coming of age, this is perfect. If you are curious about life in the old west, this also fits the bill. If you like Cowboys and Indians, there's a little of that. Honestly - everyone should read this book.