Lonesome Dove

Rating:
Summary: I thought the book was outstanding!
Review: I abosolutely loved Lonesome Dove. I had to chose between that and Gone With the Wind to read this past summer. I definately made the right choice. I could hardly put the book down. There was so much going on and so many great characters. I hated to see Gus die, but I think having Call return to Lonesome Dove to fulfill Gus' wishes made a great ending. I know it's the best book I've ever read.

Rating:
Summary: my all-time favorite
Review: I started this book on a Monday and by Sunday morning, I had 600 pages left, I finished it Sunday afternoon, and I hadn't gotten out of bed yet. One of the most enjoyable days I have ever spent. I will always think of Gus and Call as historical figures, not fictional ones. I feel like I have known them all my life. Whether you like westerns or not, this is one of the greatest stories in print, well deserving of the Pullitzer Prize. Don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading Lonesome Dove.

Rating:
Summary: This really is a five-star book!
Review: I started the novel apprehensively, never having been a fan of westerns. I read the almost 1,000 pages in six days, finishing at 3:30 AM on a Saturday morning. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start all over again, with a vague sense that perhaps their lives might turn out differently if given the luxury of a second chance.

This is one of the very, very few books that will change the way you read everything else. The characters are absolutely real. Each is heroic in his or her own way, and, ultimately, all too human.

Tragic, comic and utterly engrossing. Each character stands in stark, haunting humanity on the landscape Mr. McMurtry has etched on my mind.

A review simply cannot do it justice. An epic of sweeping and intimate proportions, it must simply be experienced to be appreciated.

Rating:
Summary: Clear 2-3 days on your calendar, then open this book....
Review: How I envy those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of reading this incredible story. I wish I could read it again for the first time, and experience again the absolute privilege of meeting two extraordinary characters. Reduced to its simplest plot, Lonesome Dove is about a cattle drive from southern Texas to Montana. But what it's really about is the adventure of a lifetime and an unconditional friendship, which at times is the same thing when it comes to Augustus MacRae and Woodrow F. Call. Gus' love for life is infectious, and it truly touched me from across the invisible boundaries of time and fiction. And I can only aspire to be as true as Capt. Woodrow F. Call. He and Gus will always be my heroes, and I am a better person for having met them. This masterpiece by Larry McMurtry stands alone, the prequels and sequel are unnecessary and pale dramatically in comparison. Read this book, read this book, read this book!

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful epic of a novel
Review: I began this book because someone recommended it. I finished this book, because it drew me in and wouldn't let go. Though tedious at a few (very few) points, this book is a definate read. I have not met one person who didn't like it.I won't ruin the ending, but when something happens to Gus, the reader is forced to be sad. Over 1000+ pages, you begin to become attached to them. I honestly believed that they existed and I could feel their friendship. The characters become so real that they become real. Everyone should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: A great book! Totally absorbing!!!
Review: I think this is one of the best books ever written. I've read the book over and over again, at least ten times and I NEVER get tired of it. Its got everything. Characters you care about, ones you hate and adventures you get swept along with. Every time I read this book, I get lost in the adventure. The book makes me laugh, and cry and see a part of the American west I will never get to experience.

Rating:
Summary: tremendous characters, writiong at its best
Review: This is a wonderful read. The author has a wonderful way with his characters. I love every quirky one. The mini-series is also excellent. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are superb in their portrayal of Gus and Woodrow. The music also fitting

Rating:
Summary: The Last True American Epic
Review: There has not been, nor does there appear to be, a better character author than Larry McMurtry. His two main characters and their interactions with their supporting cast are lifelike and real, down to the dialogue. Not only is there a feeling of closure in the novel, both for the work itself and for the end of an American era, but a work that weaves back-story and history into the plot. Arguably, the best novel of the past twenty years, and certainly at the top of my list. It was translated well into a television movie that captures the raw emotional energy and underlying sadness from the novel.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome! Start reading it today!
Review: I hesitated to pick this book up for a long time because I am not a fan of westerns. Once I did pick it up I could not put it down. McMurtry's writing is so cinematic that you will SEE these scenes; his characters so sympathetic that you will carry them with you the rest of your life. I'm in love with Augustus McCrae!

Rating:
Summary: Ah, now here's a storyteller!
Review: There's enough said in other reviews about the contents of this book. This is just about as good as they come - great characters and action and LM paints a great picture of the west we sometimes wish we still had. Arguably the best historical novel in the past 15 years (Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth is close) - one of those that's almost disappointing to finish because you know you'll want more story when it ends!