Book Review: Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove Book #1 of 4)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Western
Pages: 946 pages (Ebook Edition)
Word Count: 379,000 Words
Published: 1985 by Simon & Schuster
I thought I was done with reading a Western-setting novel. Lonesome Dove proved me wrong by becoming the best Western story I’ve ever read.
“I’m glad I’ve been wrong enough to keep in practice. . . You can’t avoid it, you’ve got to learn to handle it. If you only come face to face with your own mistakes once or twice in your life it’s bound to be extra painful. I face mine every day–that way they ain’t usually much worse than a dry shave.”
There are no praises or analyses I can put in this review of this critically acclaimed American classic by Larry McMurtry that haven’t been stated before. If that’s what you’re here for, look elsewhere. Like most of my reviews, I will simply convey my thoughts on this book. Why it worked for me when it shouldn’t have. And to do that, I need to preface this review by saying I am—generally—not a fan of Western stories and head-hopping narration. My misfortune with Western stories is not exclusive to books. Honestly, I can count on my fingers the number of Western settings stories I have thoroughly enjoyed consuming in my lifetime. The best ones, in my experience, have been the Wild ARMs video game franchise and Red Country by Joe Abercrombie. I gave Red Country a 4-star rating. And guess what? Abercrombie has mentioned the Western setting in Red Country is written because of his admiration for Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. Abercrombie is one of my favorite authors of all time, and now, I am not surprised why Lonesome Dove became one of his inspirations.
“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.”
Prior to reading Lonesome Dove, all I knew about it was the key driving plotline I had learned from watching the miniseries a long time ago. I didn’t even remember a single detail of it, to be honest. All I remember is that the Cattle Drive from Texas to Montana is the main adventure of the storyline. And yes, this is true in the book. In fact, from what I’ve heard, the miniseries actually did justice to the spirit and accuracy of the book. But there’s so much more to Lonesome Dove beyond the Cattle Drive. Before we get to that, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any single criticisms towards this great classic. Personally, I found Part 1 of the book spent way too much time on the characters fighting for Lorena’s attention and deciding who gets to have a poke at her. This, however, is the only criticism I have about the book. Once the Cattle Drive starts in Part 2, every single page is magically captivating.
“Yesterday’s gone on down the river and you can’t get it back.”
I always say this. When I read an awesome or special historical fiction novel/series, I would—more often than not—go through a rabbit hole of researching the origin of the tale told in the novel. Especially after I am done reading the book. In this case, the unbelievable and brutal Cattle Drive from Texas to Montana. This is something truly insane, in my mind. The driving distance between Texas and Montana is about 1,570 miles (2,526 kilometers). A road trip of this distance, even using a car, would be tiring for me. Look, I am pampered by modern civilizations, okay? The relatively few individuals of the Hat Creek Cattle Company, led by Augustus McRae and Woodrow Call, however, did this incredible feat riding their horses. While herding thousands of cattle. To make things even more extraordinary, the Cattle Drive told in Lonesome Dove is based on a true history. This is another testament to the power and determination of humanity when united to a purpose. These characters… They live in such turbulent and harsh times. And they’re doing the best they can to the utmost of their ability to survive, have a better life, and live a life of no regret.
“It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living. I doubt it matters where you die, but it matters where you live.”
Picture: Lonesome Dove by Shannon Stirnweis
When readers talk about Lonesome Dove, I think the easiest and default answer would be to talk about the Cattle Drive. Understandably. This mission is packed with trials and tribulations. Not everyone will survive the journey. I will even say that the book does get grim and bleak at times. However, do not misunderstand. A warning for first-time readers. If you approach Lonesome Dove thinking it would be an action-packed novel, you will most likely find yourself disappointed. This is a big book. It’s about 900 pages long. And at its core, the majority of Lonesome Dove is a terrific slice-of-life exploration of the characters. It doesn’t matter the genre. The importance of writing and developing your characters properly cannot be overestimated. When you successfully enrich them with believable personalities, dialogues, and decisions, you can tell any kind of story, and it would still be an engaging reading experience. This is what McMurtry achieved spectacularly well in Lonesome Dove. Augustus (Gus) McRae, Woodrow Call, Lorena, Newt, Deets, Jake Spoon, July, Roscoe, Elmira, Clara, Deets, Pea Eye, Dish, Blue Duck. Every single POV character in this book. The depth of the main characters makes it possible to write an essay evaluation about each of them. I was so emotionally attached that even when the story is told from a character I disliked, I still can’t help but find myself glued to the page.
“It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.”
I risk sounding like a broken record, but what McMurtry has done with Lonesome Dove is special. From my personal experience as a reader who generally dislikes Western-setting stories and head-hopping narration (character perspectives shift from paragraph to paragraph without warning) in the books I read, it is shocking how much I ended up getting attached to the character journeys and their respective voices. Even with my criticism about Part 1 of the book attached to the equation, it would still be an injustice to give Lonesome Dove anything below a 5-star rating. It took me about two weeks to read this behemoth. Rest assured, this slower reading is not out of boredom. The novel functioned as a companion I picked up amidst my insanely busy life. I highly enjoyed and savored McMurtry’s slower-paced narrative. Lonesome Dove has stood the test of time for four decades now, and I have no doubt it will continue to do so. To repeat what many people have said. If you are faced with a decision to read only one Western story in your lifetime, choose Lonesome Dove. This is, hands down, one of the true great American classics. As Augustus McRae said:
“The older the violin, the sweeter the music.”
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Cade, Chris, Crystal, Cullen, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Sally, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.