Lonesome Dove

[Zeno]

Sometime back someone asked about what everyone was reading and I mentioned Lonesome Dove. I finished the novel about one week ago (I never saw the mini-series). It is one of the best modern fiction novels I have ever read (But then, I do not read that much modern fiction so my judgment may be off). The backdrop is the American West of course, but the story is about people, their strengths and weaknesses, interactions, loves and hates, and follies etc. and the author does an excellent job of character development throughout.

I found the book very engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable. I rank the book up with Ken Kesey's 'Sometimes a Great Notion' though I think Kesey's novel is a bit better.

-Zeno

[Ed I]

I enjoyed both Kesey's major works. Hard to picture him as the leader of the Merry Pranksters. Tom Wolfe's book "The ELectric Kool Aid Acid Test" chronicles that crazy time and is a good read.

[Boris]

Kesey and Larry McMurtry were buddies. I've read lots of McMrutry's books but cant seem to remember any of them. IMO, Kesey is a better writer but McMurtry is certainly more prolific. Larry's son, James, is an outstanding country singer. I just got turned on to him recently but his band has been around for awhile. The artistic ability definitely is strong in those genes.

[TJSWAN]

( I never saw the mini-series )

Zeno,

It's been some time since I've seen it. ( I DID read the book 1st /images/graemlins/wink.gif ) I will say it is definately worth a viewing, especially if you are a Robert Duvall fan. Tommy Lee Jones was in it also with quite a supporting cast.

Great book in itself for sure.

Tim

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometime back someone asked about what everyone was reading and I mentioned Lonesome Dove. I finished the novel about one week ago (I never saw the mini-series). It is one of the best modern fiction novels I have ever read -Zeno


[/ QUOTE ]

Some other folks agree with you. It won the Pulizter Prize for Fiction in 1986. McMurtry has several other novels with those characters, including Dead Man's Walk, which is the prequel to Dove, and Streets of Laredo, the sequel. Both are very good.

The mini-series is a classic, one of the best Westerns I've ever seen. It won 7 Emmys. It is out on DVD, and well worth buying.