Lonesome Dove

I'm having trouble with the book. Perhaps I should not read the two prequels first, but I'm about halfway through, and I'm finding it unbelievably tedious. I stopped, left it a week, and then read some more, but it's not working for me.

I'm going to park it here and try again later in the year. I don't like leaving books unfinished.

Fantastic.

Rare to find a book with characters that leave me before I get tired of them. Incredible read.

Years ago I watched this mini-series and always meant to read the book. I think I owned the book at least different times. The book starts very slow as McMurtry is really developing the characters who will be the focal point of the entire novel.
As the book is over 800 pages I was not sure I was up to the challenge. I struggled through the beginning as I knew the story was going to improve.
Now that I have completed it I have a new appreciation for Lonesome Dove. When you read a book there is so much a production could do.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants not only an adventure book but also a story of love, a story of hope, a story of loss. The drive itself is a journey to try and reclaim youth.
Just fantastic

Years ago I watched this mini-series and always meant to read the book. I think I owned the book at least different times. The book starts very slow as McMurtry is really developing the characters who will be the focal point of the entire novel.
As the book is over 800 pages I was not sure I was up to the challenge. I struggled through the beginning as I knew the story was going to improve.
Now that I have completed it I have a new appreciation for Lonesome Dove. When you read a book there is so much a production could do.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants not only an adventure book but also a story of love, a story of hope, a story of loss. The drive itself is a journey to try and reclaim youth.
Just fantastic

4.5

There a reason this is king's favourite book.

Loved this epic western. The author does a great job of making the characters feel alive. That being said, it was just too long, definitely could have been a little shorter. Multiple times I found myself having to go back because my mind would drift.

About a bunch of cowboys who live on the border between Texas and Mexico, and then decide to leave their small town to make an epic journey up towards Yellowstone. For a book you'd assume to be totally about men, I was surprised (in a good way) with how well the women were written - both strong and weak characters alike. However I felt a bit let down with how the author builds up these female characters, and then tears them down by making them prostitutes and have to endure rape, etc. Maybe realistic, but not really a fan of how that's used as a plot device.

From the first chapter, I was sure I wouldn't want this book to end. Some 800+ pages later, I would still happily have read a few hundred pages more. McMurtry's omniscient narration is a wonder; the warmth and skill with which he explores his huge ensemble's flaws and foibles are a joy to behold. I loved this book.

Book of the year on January 11th? Crazier things have happened.

There's nothing to say that hasn't been said. This book is a masterpiece.

I loved this book, but fuck me it was dark.

Pathos (/ˈpeɪθɒs/, US: /ˈpeɪθoʊs/; pl. pathea or pathê; Ancient Greek: πάθος, romanized: páthos, lit. 'suffering or experience') appeals to the emotions and ideals of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them.[1] Pathos is a term used most often in rhetoric (in which it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and logos), as well as in literature, film and other narrative art.

I cannot believe it took me so long to finish this book, though I will say I put a greater effort into reading in the last month and a half.

I really enjoyed this book! The amount of characters is so vast, it was a bit tough in the beginning figuring out who everyone was— I had to end up looking at a list with character definitions to get me through the first act of the book.

I really appreciated the journey that the characters went on and the people they transcended into becoming (and falling short of). Lonesome Dove is a great test of satisfaction because like life itself, there's a lot of closure left to be desired. That being said, I kind of appreciated that about McMurtry's novel. Not everything has to have a nice bow on it in the end.

Ultimately, I really appreciated the greater themes and messages that this book has. It's more than a cattle drive— It's about love, loss, someone's last great adventure, not being the person you wish you were, being satisfied with the life you've lived, and being willing to move on when it's finally time.

Really, really enjoyed my first McMurtry trip. Looking forward to more in the future!

One of the best pieces of media I've ever come across and it beat Steel Ball Run as my favorite western.
Character is the name of this book.

I really enjoyed the first part, with a good range of characters, atmosphere and setting adeptly established. Even a three-page story of creating a sign on the grounds outside the Hat Creek Cattle Company was entertaining. It's just a shame that the second part foregoes any continuation of character development and opts to introduce yet more characters, whose purpose - it turns out - is to simply run into the characters from the first part.

It works as a counterpoint to the over-romanticization of the wild wild West in examing the brutality and unforgiveness of the landscape that Gus, Call and many others encounter. Underneath it all, there isn't much of a plot, though. Much of the book seemed to consist of an expositional backstory where McMurty elected to describe a character's origins and thoughts in great detail at the expense of the story.

Also, that dern ending. I expected a much stronger conclusion than whatever that was!

I really enjoyed the first part, with a good range of characters, atmosphere and setting adeptly established. Even a three-page story of creating a sign on the grounds outside the Hat Creek Cattle Company was entertaining. It's just a shame that the second part foregoes any continuation of character development and opts to introduce yet more characters, whose purpose - it turns out - is to simply run into the characters from the first part.

It works as a counterpoint to the over-romanticization of the wild wild West in examing the brutality and unforgiveness of the landscape that Gus, Call and many others encounter. Underneath it all, there isn't much of a plot, though. Much of the book seemed to consist of an expositional backstory where McMurty elected to describe a character's origins and thoughts in great detail at the expense of the story.

Also, that dern ending. I expected a much stronger conclusion than whatever that was!

Very weird one for this. Joe Abercrombie reddit mentioned this one a number of times to read. I am not drawn to Westerns and I was balking after a few hours and realizing the time constraint I was up against with the library due coming up. But after pushing through the initial expo of characters I came to relish the writing (yes, it is a bit dated in parts) and, most of all i appreciated the matter of fact of many character's end. Although centered around the love of a woman, the book is more bromance between the two protagonists. I'm still not sold on Western genre but this was a might fine read.

I LOVED this book! The characters were brilliant, engaging, complex, likeable (for the most part, you know I'm talking about you) and fleshed out. The interactions between characters and the dialogue was probably my favourite aspect of the book!

The plot was simple but masterfully done with twists and turns that kept me wanting more. Thrilling, funny and a dern good time

This has slotted in as my second favourite book of all time and considering its only the second Western I've read, I will certainly be coming back for more!

This is already one of my favorite reads for 2023.
It is a slow paced book but chapter by chapter it sucks you in.
At the heart of the book is the character development and the relationships between the characters. It is about loyalty, love and making choices in life and live with the consequenses.
This book is easy to recommend to anyone, whether you are a Western fan or not. Lonesome Dove goes beyond the boundaries of genres.

Perfection is a near impossible term that is often used in our imperfect world filled with wonderment and excellent pizza. The best thing about imperfection is the rugged edges and irregularity that show character and genuineness. Nothing is perfect, and that's amazing. Almost as amazing as Lonesome Dove, because that shit is absolute perfection.

This book hits all the right notes and the right times in the right manner. It's impossible to give more light to a book that is already foolproof. Augustus and Call are an unbreakable duo that would do anything to laze around or commit to a unforgivable task; an absolute dream team, especially when Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones play these two on screen amazingly. Although the story mainly focuses on these two, the viewpoint is in 3rd person omniscient and switches from character to character at any point in a chapter, which can make or break any book's character development. In this case, Lonesome Dove highlights each passing person as if they're just as important as everyone else. Stubborn, ugly, kind, courageous or evil, each character is displayed in the best possible way. The book's technique on ‘show don't tell' is beyond masterful because of this viewpoint.

Lonesome Dove is a book that isn't distinguished as a western, or historical fiction, but an excellent story. This book is easily recommendable even to people who haven't read a western before, because it has elements that anyone could enjoy, hell there are even characters that you can find in your usual fantasy novel. The book reminded me a lot of The Stand in its own unique way that it builds character's ups and downfalls.

I've thought it over for a while now, and I can't quite decide if Lonesome Dove is my all time favorite novel. I have a lot of favorites that I love in different ways, but there isn't a doubt that this is by far one of the greatest stories ever told. Top three if anything.

Well-written, with interesting characters. An American western epic. But (and I shouldn't have been surprised by a Western, I suppose) ultimately a paean to westward expansion and the rangers whose genocide of indigenous populations made it possible. The novel isn't entirely uncritical or unreflective about some of that ugly history, but I was disappointed by the way that indigenous, Black, and Hispanic characters played only side roles with little depth that primarily served to advance the plot for the white characters at the heart of the novel.

This is a real 5* book. Makes me feel like I have to go back through all of my Goodreads reviews and knock everything else down a star just to make things fair! It's an epic tale told in incredible style and I highly recommend it. My only complaints would be about certain annoying characters, but that's just another facet of the genius of this book: because the characters are so well drawn they leap off the page and they can't help but be who they are and do what they do. July's moping - while utterly aggravating - is just a reflection of who he is, his inability to communicate, his fear of women. I was also pretty distraught at the death of little Janey who I'd hoped would be around for a long time. She was a shining light for the 30 pages she got. McMurtry - like the wild west itself - does not play favourites. Good people die horrible deaths, while evil ones get to live. That's just the way it is. Gus understands that, I wish I had even a small amount of this guy's tolerance and stoicism. What a legend. This book is going to stay with me for a long time.

Ho giocato a Red Redemption 2 e ultimamente mi sono fatto una scorpacciata dei film di Sergio Leone con il mitico Clint Eastwood e così non avendo mai letto nulla di western ho cominciato a cercare un libro che ne rappresentasse la parte migliore, un potpourri di tutto quello che questo genere ne potesse rappresentare: Lonesome Dove. Quasi all'unanimità questo testo viene definito un classico del western e ha vinto anche il premio pulitzer.

L'inizio è stato lento ed è stato difficile entrare nell'ambientazione e famigliarizzare con i personaggi, forse perchè non avendo letto niente di simile prima non ero abituato al genere, sebbene lo stile di scrittura dell'autore è sembrato subito immediato e semplice, dunque un problema mio non della storia.

Mano a mano che m'inoltravo nelle vaste pianure del West e prendevo confidenza con il mio cavallo nella mente, dall'incespicare sono passato al passo, poi al piccolo galoppo e in men che non si dica mi sono ritrovato a cavalcare a perdifiato e a sparare circondato dagli indiani! I personaggi si sono rilevati molto più complessi nelle storie rispetto ad una prima impressione e anche la storia ha preso sviluppi di trama complessi e interfacciati fra di loro.

La storia narra di un gruppo di personaggi che decide di spostarsi dal Texas al Montana con una mandria di bovini, un viaggio enorme per quei tempi e irto di pericoli. Il viaggio sarà lo spunto per tracciare un conto della vita di ognuno e ci saranno momenti di perdita, di redenzione, rimorsi, amori, gioia e disincanto, tutto scritto benissimo.

E' stata davvero una piacevole lettura che consiglio a tutti, anche ai non appassionati. Dagli amatori dei film di Sergio Leone a quelli della Casa della Prateria.

I've had a trepidation to reading any novels from the Western genre, mainly because of the clichés and the typical tropes that come with them from literature, movies, television, comic books, and more. But my wife purchased a used copy of this novel and told me she had always wanted to read Lonesome Dove. I had a curiosity about Larry McMurtry as well and decided to overlook any preconceptions about this adventure set in the Old West. And, boy, am I glad I did.

I'm not going to go into too much summation because there are too many storylines and too many characters. But I will say this: two former Texas Rangers, Woodrow McCall and “Gus” McCrae, are inspired to gather a herd of cattle and drive them north to begin the first cattle ranch north of the Yellowstone River because of an old friend's description of a beautiful and “uninhabited” Montana (by white folks, of course). The first thing I noticed, almost immediately and enjoyed for the entirety of the novel, was just how funny it was, the way the characters razzed each other, some of the situations they got themselves in. I found myself laughing out loud quite often and enjoyed the banter between the men in the Hat Creek outfit. Gus was the instigator of a lot of this banter, mainly because he just loved to talk, something that loveably irritated most of the outfit; they hated it when Gus was around but missed it when Gus was gone.

Although the novel takes place in the Old West, the narrative isn't bogged down with minutiae of setting or the things used in this time period like apparel or whatever. With the exception of naming a particular brand of gun or weapon, the story mostly focuses on the relationships between the characters rather than the details of the setting, something that a lot of genre fiction does i.e. to nerd-out on the details. The comradery of the friends, the women in their lives, and the men in the Hat Creek outfit is the nucleus of the novel. Their hopes and dreams propel them north for a better life although death shrouds them like a specter. The Hat Creek outfit as well as the other people that orbit them are constantly dealing with death.

Clara, the old flame that Gus pines for throughout the novel and is introduced to us later in the story, is in my opinion the conscience of the book. She meditates on death, having lost many children and a husband too soon, at one point concluding, ‘It's too much death, she thought. Why does it keep coming to me?' And as she recounts the things, places, and people that have traversed with her through her life, the narrator concludes, ‘It struck her that endings were never as you would expect them to be.' And I meditated on these two points often throughout the book. Although the dream of settling Montana with cattle propels Gus and Woodrow to move the Hat Creek outfit with the herd north, it isn't the culmination of the story or the ending we think will be. In fact, that dream dims and fades as friends are lost to unimaginable horrors brought on by bad weather, animal attacks, Indian ambushes, criminal interventions, and the like.

It's a brutal story, one that can't help but make you wonder, ‘What's the point of it all?' Not just with this story, but in all our lives, with death on the horizon. And late in the story (I'll do my best not to spoil the story) when Clara asks McCall why he's doing what he's doing for Gus, he simply states, “I can't forget no promise to a friend,” Call said. “Though I do agree it's foolish and told him so myself.” This is a touching summation to a great novel, that friendship is what gets us through it all.

Broke my heart. Beautifully written. Not a fan of Westerns but I loved this book.