Rating: 
Summary: You won't find a better story than this.
Review: You won't find a better story than this. Beautiful in it's simplicity. Rich in it's sparcity. Such a solid bunch of characters and impeccable dialog is rare. I've taken to scoring the way a story like this handles death and this book deals with it many times and the same sparce beauty comes through in a completely new and unique way each time. We get to see brief, but perfectly timed moments of introspection, usually courtesy of Gus, of the journey through life, the joys and regrets, and the pride/shame associated with 'taming' the land. The reader is a part of the journey, part of the changing landscape and part of the joy and the regrets. At the end of the drive, I wanted to return with Captain Call to correct some of life's mishaps, but had to resign myself to the fact that what's done is done and there ain't no changin' it. Each character has their own personality and uniqueness that is a pleasure to meet and get acquainted with. McMurtry never wasted time building suspense into a situation or event. The event simply occurs and you smile as you ride on down the road. If at all possible, the last 50 pages should be read in one sitting. At the end you will want to be alone for several hours where nobody will disturb the end of your journey.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Easily the Best Western ever Written
Review: For one that hates westerns, adding this to my hall of fame seemed odd, however I was captivated by the drama and wonder Mr. McMurty commands. A fabulous book which demands to be read.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece Unparalleled
Review: OK, I admit it: whenever there's nothing on TV I find myself firing up the VCR to watch the film version of LONESOME DOVE. Or better yet, late of an evening I love pulling my worn copy of this book off my shelf, opening it at random, and begin reading. In seconds, I am once again immersed in McMurtry's epic, timeless story.Yes, the Old West is vividly recreated in this book. You can almost feel the pain of a horse bite, smell biscuits cooked over hot coals, see Gus throw a dead rattlesnake off the front porch to two hungry pigs. These images are ingrained through writing and storytelling from an author at the pinnacle of his craft. But McMurtry does more--so much more--than give his readers a boot-stompin' Western: he tells a story about human relationships that transcends time and culture. Gus and Call, so different, so indispensable to one another, forge a lifelong partnership and friendship that most marriages fail to duplicate. The two ex-Rangers' undying loyalty and devotion to the other is the driving force behind the novel. (How many of us would follow through with our best friend's request to be hauled 3,000 miles for burial?) Read this book. Again and again. In the words of August McCrae, lying on his deathbed: " 'I God, Woodrow, it's been quite a party!"
Rating:
Summary: Name Worthy
Review: I first read Lonesome Dove when I was in tenth grade. That was seven years ago. I have read it twice a year every year since. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. The people in the book worked their way into my heart and I feel as though they are part of my life. I would recommend this book to any and everyone no matter what type of books that you are into. I had a son in December and his name is Augustus. (After one of the main characters.)
Rating:
Summary: The best Western...and adventure novel...period.
Review: Simply put, the best adventure novel i have ever read. I could not believe that i had read 800+ pages...and was so disappointed to see it end. Just fantastic horseplay and violence. Lessons are salient, though simply written.
Rating:
Summary: Gus & Woodrow
Review: Lonesome Dove is one of the best books and greatest movies I have ever seen or read. I was able to put myself there and experience everything they all went through. I have read the book numerous times, however I am ordering another just to have two copies. I own the movie and watch it quite often. Wow! what an experience it would have been to live then, and go through what they did. I loved Gus the best, he was so cool...Pea Eye, I cried for and felt sorry for him. He was so dedicated to the guys.Woodrow was great..Quiet but a great leader. I just think it is wonderful and will always hold it dear to my heart.
Rating:
Summary: If you only read one Western novel in your life...
Review: ...then you should be branching out a little more. No, seriously, I agree with one of the blurbs on the cover: "If you only read one Western in your life, read Lonesome Dove". I picked up this book on recommendations from a couple of my favorite horror authors; it sat in my 'to read' stack for 6 months because I was intimidated by the length. Little did I know that by the time I got to the last 50 pages, I would start to get really depressed, knowing that this book would end soon and I wouldn't be able to sit there, turning pages in a trance, laughing at something, shaking my head in amazement, or getting choked up. I was actually in tears when the book ended-and not as much from the several heart-breakingly sad events in the book, but from the fact that there was no more left to read. Yeah, that sounds really pathetic of me, but wait till you read the last paragraph. You'll see. The plot is fairly simple, and a less talented author would have caused me to toss the book in boredom several chapters in. It is an adventure novel, though the plot basically consists of a group of ex-Texas Rangers, an ex-whore, and various cowhands of all ages driving a herd across the country into Montana. It does start out slow, but the prose was so incredible, and the characters so interesting and likeable (or unlikable) that I didn't really mind the slow-ish pacing. Halfway through, I actually began to appreciate the pacing, because I didn't want the novel to end. There's a *huge* list of characters, and many sub-plots. None of them bored me. I was warned that some really hideous stuff happens to various characters, and you learn early on not to get too attached to any of them, but at least one death left me shocked and actually thinking I'd misunderstood, or that the character was not really dead. Nope. Life is cheap in this novel, and death can come easily; remember, medicine wasn't exactly cutting edge back then, so if you got sick or injured, you didn't go to a hospital, you just died. Some characters, however, got lucky and lived when I was positive that was it for them, so I was kept in suspense. The matter-of-fact way the characters treat illness and death is both believable and very chilling. Absolutely nothing is glamourized; I found myself very frequently thanking God I didn't live in the old West. The genius of McMurty's writing, however, had me simaltaneously feeling sort of wistful about how simple life must have been back then. I can't really do justice to this book, so I just recommend that you read it yourself. Before the text begins , a quote is given: "What they dreamed, we live, and what we dream, they lived." (or something close to that). That sums up the book better than any review I could write.
Rating:
Summary: Six out of Five Stars!!
Review: I originally picked up this book when I was in my "Pulitzer" Phase. I was actually surprised that it had won such a high honor, for I knew it only as the inspiration for a TV miniseries, of which I knew little and expected less. So it was with trepidation that I began to read this western (a genre I don't frequently read), and I immediately was enthralled. It is a huge book both literally and figuratively. Rarely have I felt more affection for a cast of characters as I have for the ones in this series of books. Isn't it characters we all read for anyway?? If that is what makes a book memorable for you, read Lonesome Dove today!! You will never, EVER forget it.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall, a pretty darn good book
Review: I normally am not a fan of the genre, but McMurty's "Lonesome Dove" is an excellent period piece and a grand western novel. While it takes quite a while to get going (a couple hundred pages at least), McMurty does a solid job of making his characters seem real and lovable. Outside of the slow start, my other main gripe is that McMurty plays the same cards a few too many times. By the end of the book, you begin to EXPECT characters to die ironic, pointless deaths. But please don't let these minor complaints stop you from reading this fun and memorable epic.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: Im in middle school! And just finished this book! It was made keep reading all through the school day. It made you laugh, cry, and get angry for the characters stupidity. I would totally recommend this book for 7th grade-up. You want to go on and on, it get made when you finish! :)
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