Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry

[diamondlil]

The Wild West comes to life!

I remember first reading Lonesome Dove years ago when the mini-series first came out.

What I didn't realise at the time was that there were other books in the series (basically it was published out of chronological order). The chronological order is:

Dead Mans Walk
Comanche Moon
Lonesome Dove
Streets of Laredo

[EC2]

All those titles sound so familiar Diamondlil. Has Comanche Moon been a film?
I've read Dead Man's Walk and Lonesome Dove. I kind of new they were linked but I didn't take much notice at the time. I enjoy McMurtry at library read level. In fact now you've mentioned these books, you've given me a lightbulb moment for books that my dh might enjoy. He is soooo difficult to choose books for (he's seldom able to get to the library and he is very picky). McMurtry though is worth a shot. (Westerny type pun intended! :) )

[diamondlil]

I think that all of the books have been made into mini-series so that might be why they are familiar

Perhaps you should visit the library to see if you can round-up ;) these books for the hubby!

[EC2]

Hitches gun belt and spits. Reckon I'll just mosey along and do that!:D:D

[diamondlil]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/ozdiamondlil/cowboy_animated.gif

[Alex Worthy]

If I hadn't read Lonesome Dove and my wife brought it home for me, I'd love her even more. There have been mini-series of all the books but after Lonesome Dove, any one other than Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones pales in comparison. I thought LD was that rare perfect adaptation of a book. Every character seemed like I imagined them.

[JaneConsumer]

I couldn't get into Lonesome Dove and gave up after about 200 pages. Too slow.

[JMJacobsen]

Lonesome Dove is probably my favorite book of all time. I laughed out loud, I cried, and every emotion in between. And it's probably the only western I've ever read.

I agree about the movie...for me it ranked right up there with one of the best adaptations ever accomplished.

I never read the other McMurtry novels, though. I was afraid they wouldn't stack up to Lonesome Dove and I didn't think I could handle the disappointment. :o

[Divia]

I have never read these. I'm not a big westward ho! type of chick.

[diamondlil]

Lonesome Dove is probably my favorite book of all time. I laughed out loud, I cried, and every emotion in between. And it's probably the only western I've ever read.

I agree about the movie...for me it ranked right up there with one of the best adaptations ever accomplished.

I never read the other McMurtry novels, though. I was afraid they wouldn't stack up to Lonesome Dove and I didn't think I could handle the disappointment. :o

I read the first one in the series not too long ago. I will try to add the review over the weekend.

[AuntiePam]

I like pretty much everything McMurtry writes. Anything for Billy is my favorite, after Lonesome Dove. I was disappointed in his Berrybender books though -- a bit too much humor amidst the carnage.

[Hunter]

I loved Lonesome Dove, both the book and the mini-series (I read the book first). However, I also haven't (yet) read anything else by McMurtry. I've heard the the prequels and sequels to LD aren't as good, so I haven't gotten around to reading them yet.

I did see the recent Comanche Moon mini-series, and while I enjoyed it, large parts of seemed pretty pointless by the end.

Hunter

[Margaret]

I loved Lonesome Dove and have reread it once or twice. I don't think the other books in the series are quite as good, but then few writers ever write anything as good as Lonesome Dove in the first place. It was made into a TV mini-series (as were some of the others), which my husband and I both enjoyed. But when my husband tried the book, he couldn't get into it - I think he had the same reaction as JaneConsumer. I loved the opening with the pigs fighting over a rattlesnake - but I guess one person's local color details to relish are another person's "just get on with the story, please."

[diamondlil]

I sometimes do not know what my library is thinking when it comes to some of the choices they make.

Today I finished reading Comanche Moon, the second book in this series, so went onto the library catalogue to request Lonesome Dove. It was on the catalogue a year ago, but now it has been removed. I don't get why you would keep the first two books in the series, but not keep the most famous book in the series, the one that won the Pulitzer Prize!

Turns out that it is available from my other library but grrrr!

[EC2]

That's mad diamondlil and so frustrating as you say.
I really enjoyed Lonesome Dove.

[Ellie]

My dad likes westerns I think I may have to get him Lonesome Dove for his birthday then.

[Alex Worthy]

My dad likes westerns I think I may have to get him Lonesome Dove for his birthday then.

I thonk he will like it. A long book, but one of the best.

[Gaslight]

I've read all of them except Streets of Laredo. Started that one, but the dismissive way McMurtry killed off July Johnson in the first few pages frankly PO'd me to the point where I refused to read further and I've never picked it up again. He was my favorite character in both the book and the mini series, and so I naturally didn't take it well. :p

However, I did read Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon. Liked the latter better than the former. The whole opera singer climax bit in DMW was a bit absurd, but CM sucked me right in. Probably the only book where I've gotten nauseous reading a scene - it was a pretty graphic description of skinning someone alive. Just FYI if you have a squick button.

[Loveday]

I read Lonesome Dove years ago, and then saw the miniseries. One of the rare times that a book translated to film so perfectly.

I've read all of them except Streets of Laredo. Started that one, but the dismissive way McMurtry killed off July Johnson in the first few pages frankly PO'd me to the point where I refused to read further and I've never picked it up again. He was my favorite character in both the book and the mini series, and so I naturally didn't take it well. :p


I loved July Johnson! :eek: Now I'm almost glad I haven't read any of the other books in the series. :(

[diamondlil]

I've read all of them except Streets of Laredo. Started that one, but the dismissive way McMurtry killed off July Johnson in the first few pages frankly PO'd me to the point where I refused to read further and I've never picked it up again. He was my favorite character in both the book and the mini series, and so I naturally didn't take it well. :p

However, I did read Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon. Liked the latter better than the former. The whole opera singer climax bit in DMW was a bit absurd, but CM sucked me right in. Probably the only book where I've gotten nauseous reading a scene - it was a pretty graphic description of skinning someone alive. Just FYI if you have a squick button.

I liked Comanche Moon better than Dead Man's Walk too and I am currently watching the Comanche Moon mini series. Neither of them stack up to my memories of reading Lonesome Dove, but I am hoping to reread Lonesome Dove and see if that is still the case.

[EC2]

I've yet to read Lonesome Dove. I've only read Dead Man's Walk of the titles mentioned but I did really enjoy it and I intend picking up the others as time and reading whim permit. If the others are better than DMW which I gave 5 stars, then I'm in for a treat!

[nona]

you'll enjoy it, I read them in high school and loved them and the movies are good also.

[Celia Hayes]

I dunno - I specialize in HF about the Texas frontier, and I made a heroic effort to read them all ... in spite of Lonesome Dove having the very best opening sentence evah! I was left pretty baffled. Wrote about it, here (http://open.salon.com/blog/sgt_mom/2009/10/18/contemplating_throwing_in_the_towel_on_larry_mcmur try).
Your mileage may vary, though.

[JMJacobsen]

I've read all of them except Streets of Laredo. Started that one, but the dismissive way McMurtry killed off July Johnson in the first few pages frankly PO'd me to the point where I refused to read further and I've never picked it up again.

Crikey, he killed off July?!? :eek: That settles it...I won't read the rest of them.

[Margaret]

Lonesome Dove was such an outstanding novel, it would be hard to top, and the others in the series really don't measure up. If I hadn't read any of them and I were determined to read the whole series, I think I would save Lonesome Dove for last, in order to be able to judge the others fairly. But for anyone who's not sure whether they'll get around to the whole series, I'd say read Lonesome Dove if you read any of them. Of course, my husband couldn't get into it, although he loved the TV series.

[Gaslight]

Crikey, he killed off July?!? :eek: That settles it...I won't read the rest of them.

Tell me about it. It's so tossed off, too! I think it's from Clara's POV that last year July broke his neck and died while working with a horse and she thinks, "July never was good with horses."

Clara was never my favorite character anyway, but it just seemed incredibly callous, even for her.

[Celia Hayes]

To me, McMurtry just seemed pretty callous anyway - July wasn't the first semi-major character so casually tossed off, sometimes they are disposed of between books!:eek: I tried my very best, but I couldn't warm to the Lonesome Dove series ...
and I speak as one who killed off a major heroic character midway through the second book about him and his family! (But I had planned it that way from the beginning, and the whole rest of the story arc depended upon his death! I still get heartbroken notes from first-time readers though -describing their quiet weep.)

[burlgirl]

I have very vivid memories of Lonesome Dove.

The book was given to me by a boss that I had a hard time liking, so it set in my TBR pile for about 3-4 years. When I finally got around to reading it I fell hard for the book. Just loved it. I admit that it was the first time I got really got angry with an author and threw a book, though. Without giving away a spoiler, it was when my favorite character died. I ranted and raved for days about it to everyone who would listen. I eventually picked the book up and finished it, but I admit that I've never quite forgiven Larry M for doing that.

As for the movie, I thought it was a terrific adaption, even though I've never really cared for the actor (I'm blanking on his name) who played Gus. I do admit that the part bought him a lot of credit with me, even when I saw him in other things, I'd keep telling myself, "Remember, he played Gus". It was also the first thing I had noticed Tommy Lee Jones in (his movies weren't really my type), and was pretty impressed with him.