Lonesome Dove
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- Create Date：2021-07-11 07:52:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Larry McMurtry
- ISBN：1447203054
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Summary
It begins in the office of The Hat Creek Cattle Company of the Rio Grande。 It ends as a journey into the heart of every adventurer who ever lived。
Here is Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece。 A powerful， triumphant portrayal of the American West as it really was。 More than a love story， more than an adventure， Lonesome Dove is an epic: a monumental novel which embraces the spirit of the last defiant wilderness of America。 Legend and fact， heroes and outlaws， whores and ladies， Indians and settlers， Lonesome Dove is the central， enduring American experience dramatically recreated in a magnificent story of heroism and love; of honour， loyalty and betrayal。
Here is Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece。 A powerful， triumphant portrayal of the American West as it really was。 More than a love story， more than an adventure， Lonesome Dove is an epic: a monumental novel which embraces the spirit of the last defiant wilderness of America。 Legend and fact， heroes and outlaws， whores and ladies， Indians and settlers， Lonesome Dove is the central， enduring American experience dramatically recreated in a magnificent story of heroism and love; of honour， loyalty and betrayal。
Reviews
Sarah
，
Loved it。 A new all time favourite book。
Heike
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Awesome storytelling， and I forgive the parts I found really really sad （some people are just not supposed to die！） for so many interesting characters and the seemingly authentic cowboy life on the trail。 Audio， narrator Lee Horsley was also 5 stars。
Caelin
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Witty， tense， profound， and heartbreaking。 This novel provides a glimpse into the difficult life on the frontier with unforgettable characters。 I'm so glad I got around to reading this book Word of warning: there is some pretty overt racism in the book， usually from the "bad" characters， but it took me by surprise。 For the historical time period， it unfortunately makes sense， but even so it's worth a mention。 Witty， tense， profound， and heartbreaking。 This novel provides a glimpse into the difficult life on the frontier with unforgettable characters。 I'm so glad I got around to reading this book Word of warning: there is some pretty overt racism in the book， usually from the "bad" characters， but it took me by surprise。 For the historical time period， it unfortunately makes sense， but even so it's worth a mention。 。。。more
Matthew McDonough
，
This might be my favorite book ever。 I'd give it ten stars if I could。These characters will stay with me， always。 This might be my favorite book ever。 I'd give it ten stars if I could。These characters will stay with me， always。 。。。more
Alienz
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when I read it ， I knew it was the best western book of all time and it did not let me down 。 if there is a better western out there please tell me cause Lonesome dove was amazing ！！！！
Sarah
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My paternal grandfather would have fit right in with the men of Lonesome Dove。 He called my brothers girls， said offensive things about women and people of color， smoked unfiltered cigarettes and had a special fondness for saying， "By God， Sarah， you're a Georgia peach，" while grabbing at my neck fat。 Then， often as not， he'd start jiggling said fat between two lanky fingers and laughingly bark: "gimme some sugar。" I loved the man - of course I did - but I'm putting it mildly to say he was rough My paternal grandfather would have fit right in with the men of Lonesome Dove。 He called my brothers girls， said offensive things about women and people of color， smoked unfiltered cigarettes and had a special fondness for saying， "By God， Sarah， you're a Georgia peach，" while grabbing at my neck fat。 Then， often as not， he'd start jiggling said fat between two lanky fingers and laughingly bark: "gimme some sugar。" I loved the man - of course I did - but I'm putting it mildly to say he was rough around the edges。 And his favorite book？ Lonesome Dove。 I vowed I'd never read it。 Then， along came Julie and her flippin' fantastic book reviews， one of which names "Lonesome Dove" the Great American Novel。 So， I relented。 I picked up the book。 I read it （all 843 pages）。 And by God， if I didn't love it。 I won't start slinging offensive slurs， or smoking cigarettes， or grabbing at people's necks in cringe-worthy fashion; however， I do feel a certain newfound respect for a loutish grandpa who， turns out， had pretty great taste in books。 。。。more
Abby
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Yeah， it's pretty great。 Even if you don't think you like Westerns， read it for the outstanding character development。 Yeah， it's pretty great。 Even if you don't think you like Westerns， read it for the outstanding character development。 。。。more
Laura
，
I was talking with someone about film adaptations of books and mentioned that， in this case， I thought the television miniseries was probably better than the book。 He rightly pointed out that I had not read the book。 Well， now I have read it and stand by my statement。 I think， in my case， it's more a matter of why I read。 This book and its stories simply aren't something I would normally choose to read， but I would watch on television。 The particular narrative and perspectives of the characters I was talking with someone about film adaptations of books and mentioned that， in this case， I thought the television miniseries was probably better than the book。 He rightly pointed out that I had not read the book。 Well， now I have read it and stand by my statement。 I think， in my case， it's more a matter of why I read。 This book and its stories simply aren't something I would normally choose to read， but I would watch on television。 The particular narrative and perspectives of the characters in this novel warrant supplementation from counter-narratives。 The novel merits critical reflection from the reader to note whose voice is not heard in this story， who is overlooked， and who is misrepresented。 Larry McMurty won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel in 1986。 This year， one of my favorite authors， Louise Erdrich was awarded the prize。 I am particularly partial to her three part novel series that examines conceptions of justice。 They can be read singly or together。 The Plague of Doves， The Round House， LaRose。 。。。more
Brad Grensewich
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The best book
Ivy Cai
，
Before reading Lonesome Dove， I have been urging myself to get a bottle of laundry sanitizer because somebody informed me that laundry detergent itself is not sufficient to clean my clothes thoroughly。 One week after starting the book， I still haven’t been to the supermarket downstairs， and I gave up on the thought altogether。 My wonderfully civilized life only seemed dull after reading LD。 Here I am worrying about sanitizing my underwear and my socks， while there have been men out there （Pea Ey Before reading Lonesome Dove， I have been urging myself to get a bottle of laundry sanitizer because somebody informed me that laundry detergent itself is not sufficient to clean my clothes thoroughly。 One week after starting the book， I still haven’t been to the supermarket downstairs， and I gave up on the thought altogether。 My wonderfully civilized life only seemed dull after reading LD。 Here I am worrying about sanitizing my underwear and my socks， while there have been men out there （Pea Eye， in this case） running stark naked on the Montana plain。Texas， all the way up to Montana—a mysterious area where I have never set my foot on。 The vast plains， buffalos， horses， even Gus’s two pigs， suddenly seemed incredibly luring。As someone determined and socially awkward， I see myself more or less in the image of Call。 Gus then naturally becomes my favorite character because he is Call’s foil， who possesses all the charming characteristics that I have dreamed of。 Clara was another character that I found extremely attractive。 She does not appear until Part III of the novel， but McMurty builds up her character so quickly and vividly through her words and actions。 One would have no trouble understanding why a charismatic man like Gus， who has met countless beautiful women in his life， would still tear up thinking about the picnics he and Clara had in the orchard。 Clara is almost a perfect female character—beautiful， strong， loyal， and intelligent。 But the perfect Clara has led a tragic life。 Why tragic？ Tragic because of the numerous heartbreaking deaths of loved ones that she suffered from; tragic because she has never gotten what she truly longed for， even though she was eventually able to lead a peaceful and sufficient life in Nebraska。 I did not tear up when any of the characters died， including Gus， but I did tear up when Clara speaks about her relationship with Bob and with Gus。Clara must have loved Gus deeply， but she reasoned and made the ‘smart’ choice of avoiding the uncertainty that Gus would have brought her and married Bob instead。 She not just married Bob; she bore Bob’s children， stayed with Bob， and cleaned up after Bob day after day even when he was no longer conscious。 If Elmira was in Clara’s position， she would long have left Bob dying and fled to her old love。 Clara did not， but it seemed that her fate was no better than Elmira’s。 She did everything she could as a wife and as a mother， without claiming the type of happiness she wanted—which she could have easily gotten from Gus—simply for the feeling of certainty that Bob can provide。 She is perfectly aware that she is unhappy， but she decided that her unhappiness is better than suffering from Gus’s mysteriousness。 When Gus stood in front of her again after sixteen years， she could not stop herself from kissing his lips， yet she would still say no to his proposal。 This is Clara’s curse—the curse of intelligence。 What Clara shared with Bob， and with Gus， reflects love and marriage in real life so accurately; the person one ends up spending her life with isn’t necessarily the one that she loved the most or made her the happiest。 Did Clara make the correct choice？ She might not even be able to provide the answer herself; most of us are not capable of justifying our life decisions， either。I hope there were more interactions between Janey and Roscoe， between Big Zwey and Elmira。 It also seemed puzzling to me that Call could doze off when his best friend was dying。 But why should a novel be perfect， when real life isn’t？ This is a magnificent story that had made me laugh and made my heart ache。 It will be on my mind for a sufficiently long time。 And there will be a second， and possibly a third reading。（This is my first official review on Goodreads， dedicated to Lonesome Dove。） 。。。more
Mary
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This was better than I thought it was going to be。 It took longer to get involved but it was certainly an epic。 I read a review that it was a realistic unromantic vision of cowboys and the west and I’d wholeheartedly agree。 What I liked most was the grey characters who maybe didn’t do what was right but did what needed to be done。
John Poulain
，
An absolutely beautiful book with amazingly memorable characters who cattle drive through the twilight of the old west。 Laden with Western Tropes with enough realistic and little details to show authenticity it's the way the characters play off of each other and their stories intertwine that really is the star of the novel。 The common theme of vision， characters who can't see what will come on the course they pick， goes across the whole group whether it's Jake Spoon wandering into everything min An absolutely beautiful book with amazingly memorable characters who cattle drive through the twilight of the old west。 Laden with Western Tropes with enough realistic and little details to show authenticity it's the way the characters play off of each other and their stories intertwine that really is the star of the novel。 The common theme of vision， characters who can't see what will come on the course they pick， goes across the whole group whether it's Jake Spoon wandering into everything mindlessly or the plans of Gus unravelling。The writing reminds me of Steinbeck at times with poetic descriptions of the American landscape。 It's a great book to get lost in。 。。。more
Ben Bailey
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The best dern book about drinking whiskey， poking whores， and ranging cattle that I have ever read。
Amy
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4。5 stars
Patricia DeBoe
，
Lonesome Dove will be one of my top reads of 2021 and most certainly one of my favorite reads of a lifetime。 It’s been on my tbr for quite some time。 I listened to the audio and recommend it very highly。 Certain books cannot be forced。 You need to be called to read them at just the right moment。 They are books that will likely have a great impact on your life and as such they should not be rushed。 I have a whole library filled with some truly wonderful books。 Books that I know in my heart will b Lonesome Dove will be one of my top reads of 2021 and most certainly one of my favorite reads of a lifetime。 It’s been on my tbr for quite some time。 I listened to the audio and recommend it very highly。 Certain books cannot be forced。 You need to be called to read them at just the right moment。 They are books that will likely have a great impact on your life and as such they should not be rushed。 I have a whole library filled with some truly wonderful books。 Books that I know in my heart will be influential to my life。 Lonesome Dove was among this selection of books; books just waiting for the right time to call out to me。 A few weeks ago Lonesome Dove decided it was time and circumstances presented themselves such that I found myself on the front porch of the Dry Bean getting acquainted with Call and McCrae。 What a masterpiece！ I’m not sure what can be said about Lonesome Dove that hasn’t been said before。 It’s too bad McMurtry recently passed because I would have loved to sit down with him and explored the origins of how Lonesome Dove came to him。 The book really is a fine work of art。 I will never look at carrots in the same way I did prior to reading Lonesome Dove and the word “poke” has gained new meaning。Perhaps some of the highest praise is that this book has helped me find guidance for decorating my home。 I’ve lived in the desert southwest for eight years now， a transplant from Michigan， and I’ve struggled to entirely embrace the desert style decor。 I’ve wanted to keep my Great Lakes colors- lots of blues。 Experiencing Lonesome Dove for all that it is has connected me more deeply to this area of the country than I could have ever expected。 Bringing southwestern decor into my home will bring back memories of my time spent with the Hat Creek outfit。 And they are fond ones for sure。 Gus is one of my most favorite characters of all time。 I think we’d all be better off if we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with someone like Gus just once in our lives。 I’m so glad I did this book as a buddy read。 I recommend you do the same because you’ll most definitely want someone to discuss your feelings with along the course of the book。 It’s even better to do this with a dear friend because trust me you’ll want to talk and act like Gus from time to time and will need someone to appreciate the portrayal of such a fine fellow。 。。。more
Karen
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Saw the movie/mini series years and years ago， and reading the book this long after in now way detracted from the saga。 A great story teller！
Liz Renner
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The plot's pacing really snowballed towards the final third of the book。 Too much time was spent simply getting out of Texas and I would've preferred more vivid descriptions of the landscape than vivid descriptions of what the cowboys dreamt of doing to their favorite prostitutes， but the ending story arc was worth the wait。 The plot's pacing really snowballed towards the final third of the book。 Too much time was spent simply getting out of Texas and I would've preferred more vivid descriptions of the landscape than vivid descriptions of what the cowboys dreamt of doing to their favorite prostitutes， but the ending story arc was worth the wait。 。。。more
Grandpa Jud
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A superb western， with excellent characterization， and unpredictable plot turns and twists。 Lonesome Dove is said to be， by far， Larry McMurtry's most popular book。 A superb western， with excellent characterization， and unpredictable plot turns and twists。 Lonesome Dove is said to be， by far， Larry McMurtry's most popular book。 。。。more
Kendra
，
Audible version narrated by Lee HorsleyLonesome Dove was written when I was a teen and has been on my TBR list for 30 years。 I knew it was beloved by millions and I haven't ever shied away from a lengthy novel so I'm not sure what held me back。。。until now。 I am sure I enjoyed the story more because I knew nothing about it。。。I have not read the other books in the series， never watched the TV mini-series or the show （Return to。。。） and all I knew for sure is that it was a western。This story is， oh Audible version narrated by Lee HorsleyLonesome Dove was written when I was a teen and has been on my TBR list for 30 years。 I knew it was beloved by millions and I haven't ever shied away from a lengthy novel so I'm not sure what held me back。。。until now。 I am sure I enjoyed the story more because I knew nothing about it。。。I have not read the other books in the series， never watched the TV mini-series or the show （Return to。。。） and all I knew for sure is that it was a western。This story is， oh my， so well-written and so good its almost too difficult to describe。 The characters are so vivid （even support roles that come and go quickly） and their language so true to life its as if the author had diaries or letters from that time period （maybe he did。。。I haven't researched it at all）。 I felt as if I was there with them in this wild， untamed place full of brave， adventurous people fighting to survive。 I hated to finish it。。。I have to say a few things about the Audible version。。。this was the worst audible recording I have ever experienced。 It was recorded in 1992 and begins with an announcement that its been "digitally remastered"。 All I can say is， just like so many other things， book recordings have come a VERY long way in 29 years。 There are very odd and distracting pauses。。。the narrator would pause for so long I thought it had stopped。 There is a lot of background noise， you can hear people talking and phones ringing in the background。 And the narrator reads straight through the chapter breaks so they inserted （not well） a woman boldly stating the chapters。 It doesn't make sense why they don't rerecord it。。。especially when there are some horrible reviews on Audible about it and many people didn't finish the book solely because of the narrator。 I was aggravated and distracted， especially through the first 1/4。。。but then I fell into the groove， got used to the up and down volume issues and didn't judge the book based on the reader。 I can't recommend this book enough。 But， a bit of a warning， it is not for the faint of heart。 There are sequences of extreme danger and scenes that include rape， tortue， murder， hangings， cruelty， etc。 But also eloquent prose， hope， strength， perseverance， loyalty， bravery， and enduring friendship。 I dare you not to fall in love with Lonesome Dove。 。。。more
Darla Bokeno
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Loved McMurtry's writing - he really knows how to take the reader into the story。 I was left wanting more at the end。 Loved McMurtry's writing - he really knows how to take the reader into the story。 I was left wanting more at the end。 。。。more
Seva L
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“Life in San Francisco is still just life。 If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment。 The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things， like soft beds and buttermilk - and feisty gentlemen。”Long read that hooked me in from the beginning with its western cowboy ranch hand lifestyle story。
Mia Dunn
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One of the best books of all time。 Do not hesitate because you think it is a "western"， this is am amazing tale of friendship and love。 One of the best books of all time。 Do not hesitate because you think it is a "western"， this is am amazing tale of friendship and love。 。。。more
Reagan Hahn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I remain unconvinced that any author understands the human condition and the way we behave as well as Tolstoy， but Larry McMurtry sure came close。 I loved that all his characters， in their love and determination and anger， seemed incredibly realistic。 I only wish the author had let us grieve the deaths of major characters a little longer， but that may be more of a problem with my breakneck speed in finishing the book than with McMurtry's pacing。 I remain unconvinced that any author understands the human condition and the way we behave as well as Tolstoy， but Larry McMurtry sure came close。 I loved that all his characters， in their love and determination and anger， seemed incredibly realistic。 I only wish the author had let us grieve the deaths of major characters a little longer， but that may be more of a problem with my breakneck speed in finishing the book than with McMurtry's pacing。 。。。more
Dwayne Roberts
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The saga of two ex-Texas Rangers driving a herd of cattle from Lonesome Dove， Texas to Montana — a trip from border to border。 The men， women， and children in their lives。 The births and deaths。An outstanding story of the Old West brought to vivid life。
Mark Porton
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I’ve just received the disc set of the 1989 TV series; in some ways I am nervous about watching it as there is no way it can come anywhere near this book。 Also， my minds-eye image of Lorena has her as the most beautiful creation who ever walked amongst us。 They can’t cast someone that gorgeous – I mean， not even Jodie Foster or Doris Day could pull that one off！！Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty has lived up to the considerable hype of the 5-star reviews and comments from the GR community， in addit I’ve just received the disc set of the 1989 TV series; in some ways I am nervous about watching it as there is no way it can come anywhere near this book。 Also， my minds-eye image of Lorena has her as the most beautiful creation who ever walked amongst us。 They can’t cast someone that gorgeous – I mean， not even Jodie Foster or Doris Day could pull that one off！！Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty has lived up to the considerable hype of the 5-star reviews and comments from the GR community， in addition to the comments from GR mates saying such things as – “it’s the best book I’ve read” and “you’ll never be the same”， I was expecting a wonderful story and indeed it was。 This is a rare thing。 This book didn’t disappoint in any way。 It really is probably the best story I have read （along with Grapes of Wrath）。 This Western （of all things）， of two crusty old Texas Rangers taking a few thousand cattle from a small town in Texas to Montana。 It’s 945 pages of bliss， it could have gone on forever for all I cared。The two main characters are just so fascinating – Woodrow Call， the ever competent ‘bloke in charge’， reserved， capable， no frills， matter of fact – man of ‘no words’ and his old time friend Augustus （Gus） McCrae， loud， mouthy， chatty， always joking and arguing。 Two very different men， but two men who loved each other at some non-acknowledgeable level for a whole lifetime。 Gus is my favourite。 I love the guy – sure he could be a tough ratbag， but he was so tender and caring to those he loved。 There are too many characters to mention in this review， McMurty effortlessly introduces them to the reader， I had no trouble remembering who they were – they were welded into my memory immediately。 He seemed to introduce them to us in drips and drabs， beautifully timed。Just as one thinks McMurty has this story settled as far as new characters go， McMurty repeatedly throws in another unique actor such as Sally Skull， at p541 for heaven’s sake。 I mean you could write an entire book on this character alone。 Bad teeth， poor hygiene， rough as guts and smelled like onions no less！！The prose is brilliant – of course it is。 Such as during one of Gus’ quieter moments when he was reflecting on Dish’s obsession with Lorena “……the young have no sense of the swiftness of life， nor of its limits。 The years would pass like weeks， and loves would pass too， or else grow sour。 Young Dish， skilled cowhand that he was， might not live to see the whores of Ogallala， and the tender feelings he harboured for Lorena might be the sweetest he would ever have”。 Oh my， that passage took me by surprise， I had to put the book down – reflect， and re-read it a few times。 What a gem。 The writing is consistently top shelf。My thoughts about some of the main characters:Jake Spoon - selfish lazy bastard。Rosscoe - hilariously incompetent Deputy Sherriff。Lorena - SwoonGus - an interesting bloke with a dark edge – tough as nails but has softness about him， I love himCall - dependable， totally capable， stoic， someone you could put your life in his hands， loyalDan Suggs and his brothers – probably the most detestable blokes you’d ever come acrossDish - hopelessly in love with Lorena from afar。Newt - hopelessly in love with Lorena from even further。Blue Duck - the meanest， toughest Indian going around， as big as the HulkClara – strong， opinionated woman – capable of lashing a man to a pulp with her tongue （even Call）Lorena - SwoonDeets – made me cryYep， this book made me laugh and tear up， there were moments of terror and appalling violence， abuse and scenes of tenderness and examples of touching almost unattainable loyalty。 Some of my most memorable times with this story were the cowboys with their constant bickering， laughing， and making fun of each other， throughout all types of adversity – this banter and ribbing is unforgiving， and I loved it！！ There is also one other comment element running through this epic， and without giving out any spoilers for those who haven’t read this – there are numerous characters who were suffering from unrequited love。 I wonder if this was why the book is called Lonesome Dove， loneliness is a recurring theme。I must stop this review now and start my new book。 One just must move on。 I’ll miss the Hat Creek Cattle Company that’s for sure。 A lot （sob）。5 stars 。。。more
Kristen
，
Interesting bookIf I’d realized I was starting a thousand page novel about some men taking some cattle to Montana in the old west， I doubt I would have gotten this book。 That being said， it was really good。 Good way through the book and nothing really had happened but some movement of some cows and I was enthralled。 I really enjoyed it。 That being said， the misogyny coming not from the men in the book but from the author himself was off putting and took me out of the story。 The men were fleshed Interesting bookIf I’d realized I was starting a thousand page novel about some men taking some cattle to Montana in the old west， I doubt I would have gotten this book。 That being said， it was really good。 Good way through the book and nothing really had happened but some movement of some cows and I was enthralled。 I really enjoyed it。 That being said， the misogyny coming not from the men in the book but from the author himself was off putting and took me out of the story。 The men were fleshed out and three dimensional， but women are nothing more than a backstory at best， their entire lives tied to men， dead or alive。 Ick。 。。。more
Drew
，
No matter what medium Westerns are presented in， they are often just these silly， predictable stories with paper-thin characters that romanticize the most violent aspects of the period。The reality is that those who experienced said period were humans too， and they had to live through it。 It's a time that was entirely unique， and we get so few genuine stories about it。 But this， this beautiful piece of work， basically redeems the genre all by itself。 Well， this and Red Dead Redemption 2， also one No matter what medium Westerns are presented in， they are often just these silly， predictable stories with paper-thin characters that romanticize the most violent aspects of the period。The reality is that those who experienced said period were humans too， and they had to live through it。 It's a time that was entirely unique， and we get so few genuine stories about it。 But this， this beautiful piece of work， basically redeems the genre all by itself。 Well， this and Red Dead Redemption 2， also one of the greatest Western stories ever， surprisingly enough。Doesn't matter who you are and what your taste in fiction is or what prejudices you justifiably have about the genre， you have to read this book。 The story is an outstanding， densely layered adventure told through the eyes of extremely well-realized and diverse characters and the dialogue absolutely crackles。You will not regret it。 It is magnificent。 。。。more
Nathan
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I have mentioned before how rarely I read fiction。 Despite it being my genre of choice when I was young， it takes intentionally rotating non-biographies into my reading list。 Lonesome Dove has been on my list for years at the strong recommendation of my father-in-law。 It’s his favorite book， so when author Larry McMurtry died earlier this year， the event bumped his most famous piece to the top of my list。 I’m pleased I didn’t wait any longer because the book proved itself immensely worthy of the I have mentioned before how rarely I read fiction。 Despite it being my genre of choice when I was young， it takes intentionally rotating non-biographies into my reading list。 Lonesome Dove has been on my list for years at the strong recommendation of my father-in-law。 It’s his favorite book， so when author Larry McMurtry died earlier this year， the event bumped his most famous piece to the top of my list。 I’m pleased I didn’t wait any longer because the book proved itself immensely worthy of the 1986 Pulitzer。 Part of the reason I deeply enjoy biographies is gaining insight into the ideas and philosophies that shape individuals。 I enjoy learning what guides how they respond to meaningful moments—particularly their response to challenges。 In McMurtry’s magnum opus， the detail and character development not only made me care about the Hat Creek Cattle Company， but McMurtry also weaved in some of the philosophies and world views I most enjoy contemplating。 The end result is over 800 pages that still felt far too short。 I couldn’t have enjoyed Lonesome Dove any more than I did， and the experience is likely to cause me to mix in a few more fictional books to my reading schedule。For a quick summary， the book centers on Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrae and Captain Woodrow F。 Call during the 1870s。 Both men worked together as Texas Rangers， north of the Mexican border before retiring to run the Hat Creek Cattle Company。 When former Ranger， Jake Spoon， returns after ten years away， he floats an idea: move the crew to Montana as the first cattlemen in the region。 The idea takes hold with Captain Call， and soon the adventure begins。 The story that unfolds is page-turning from start to finish with characters like Josh Deets， Pea Eye Parker， Newt Dobbs， Lorena Wood， and others。A literature class could easily review this book for an extended time， and here are some of the observations I would welcome the chance to discuss:When Call and Gus considered heading north to Montana， Gus comments that civilization will be right behind them if they help settle the land。 Gus thought that Call was more like the Native Americans than he cared to admit， while Call thought Gus was more sympathetic to the tribes than he expected given their history of battles。 Both men seemed stuck in the wrong era with time passing them by and civilization changing in ways that left them uncomfortable。 * Gus transcribed a Latin motto at the bottom of the Hat Creek Cattle Company’s sign， which was amusing since he didn’t know the meaning。 Despite Gus’s ignorance of the translation of “Uva uvam vivendo varia fit，” it loosely means “a grape changes color （ripens） when it sees another grape。” A quick search of the phrase yields plenty of results relating to Lonesome Dove。 Whether McMurtry meant anything of depth by the phrase is uncertain， but I think it carries weight。 We see throughout the book how Call affects Gus and Gus affects Call; the whole Hat Creek crew affected each other in who they became。 Clara Allen， an important figure later in the book makes this declaration: “I’m sorry you [Captain Call] and Gus McCrae ever met。 All you two done was ruin one another， not to mention those close to you。 Another reason I didn’t marry him was because I didn’t want to fight you for him every day of my life。” Each grape in the bunch affected the others。* After Pedro Flores—a Mexican bandit—died， Call seemed lost。 Gus observed， “you’ve run out of Indians and now you’ve run out of bandits。 That’s the point。 You need somebody to outwit。” I suspect this sensation is one that is typical for many at the end of one’s life: I did what I set out to do。 Now what？ The theme of death and responding to it flowed seamlessly throughout Lonesome Dove with this being an early example。 * McMurtry’s description of the first storm on the ride north was almost tactile。 It’s a great example of pulling the reader deeply into the story。* Newt was one of the youngest men on the cattle drive， and he was part of the crew that waited with Wilbarger as he died。 Despite scarcely knowing Wilbarger， Newt was quite overcome by his death。 I similarly found myself touched by Wilbarger’s death， despite his minor role in the story。* The fury with which Call destroyed Dixon， a frontier scout for the Army， had me physically clenching as McMurtry described the violence。 The contrast of Call’s coolness for the entire book—even with Gus’s repeated warnings about Call’s capacity for rage—made the scene all the more powerful。 That it came in defense of Newt， Call’s son， further enhanced the sequence。 Call’s fighting brought a crowd of townspeople， and Call simply told them， “I hate a man that talks rude。 I won’t tolerate it。” Call never could bring himself to acknowledge Newt as his son， but in everything outside of his words， Call’s care for the boy was clear。 Unfortunately， Newt made it clear at the end that the words matter， too。 That scene captures another reoccurring theme in the book: regret。 Regret and death weave into the entire book in ways that naturally fit into the story。 In the preface of a later edition of Lonesome Dove， McMurtry labeled Call as a stoic and Gus as an epicurean。 The labels fit and help explore the different ways that people respond to the inevitabilities of life。 As suggested above， Lonesome Dove was impressive from start to finish。 McMurtry developed a remarkable number of characters， and the many perspectives on the same story gave the entire book a richness that is noteworthy。 I’m not one to re-read books， but it is clear that Lonesome Dove would have plenty to offer with additional readings。 It can easily be taken as a great story to simply be enjoyed or it can be analyzed and discussed with plenty of content to analyze。 Either way， the stellar reputation of Lonesome Dove is well deserved。 。。。more
gallizio
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Fuori i secondi
MADAFAKA
，
Tak to właśnie wygląda na tym łez padole。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lonesome Dove
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lonesome Dove&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lonesome Dove&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0