A group of ex-Texas Rangers living purposeless lives in the small town of Lonesome Dove near the Mexican border decide, almost on a whim, to drive a cattle herd north to Montana to establish a ranch there. Along the way they encounter Native Americans, outlaws, decent settlers and misfits (for good and ill) in the vast emptiness of the late 19th century Great Plains.

I think this book sets out to do two things.

Firstly, it is an elegy for a world about to undergo enormous change, both technological (trains, planes and automobiles) and social (the immigrant influx bringing huge numbers of people and new cultures). All the characters are exposed to change in some sense or other and all recognise that something is slipping away to be replaced by something they know not what. The characters that embrace that change may be seen to prosper, but the ones that do not often become lost in a world that does not want them and punishes them for clinging to something from before.

Secondly, this is an honest look at the world of the American West. It is, I suppose, an attempt to counterbalance the commonplace view of a more gentrified, anodyne, black hat/white hat America - think the films of Randolph Scott, Bonanza and The Little House on the Prairie. Women are generally treated as objects with an uncertain value - rape seems never to her very far from the minds of the women we meet here. Even apparently respectful men who really see women as people regard sex on demand as a given. Of course, love and fidelity are present and are properly praised, but almost always on the man's terms. It is also clear that many men in the West hardly ever came in to contact with a woman, let alone developed a relationship with one, so had a poor understanding of how to act.

Interestingly, racism is less of an issue in this book. True, Mexicans and Native Americans are generally portrayed as 'bad', but even then are acknowledged to have some agency and position in the world. The only significant and overtly black character in the book is treated with respect by his colleagues and mourned when he passes.

This is a long and not always easy read. Many incidents will make the reader recoil in horror or disgust. The overall feeling is downbeat. Having said that, this is a magnificent and majestic story of a way of life in decline. ( )

An instant favourite and deserved classic. Can't believe I waited so long to act on this recommendation. ( )

Better than 5 ⭐️
My friend sent me this book for my 60th birthday citing it as one of her two favourite books (the other was To Kill A Mockingbird which she was sure I’d read. Correct!) My friend said she hoped I’d give it a go despite being a 950 page western.
People, this book was EPIC! I absolutely loved it. The characters were so vivid and the writing was beautiful. While I was reading I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and the fate of the central characters.
The book won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and really is a masterpiece. I can definitely see myself reading this again, in fact the minute I finished it I wanted to go back to the start because I was so invested in the story and characters.
I have to know what happened to these characters before and after this book although my friend warned me the other novels in the tetralogy pale in comparison. I’ve also lined up the mini series starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones to watch. My friend says it’s very faithful to the book.
It took me awhile to get through this but I absolutely LOVED it.
My one regret is that I’m not able to share this with my late father and his brother, my late uncle. They were western fans and I’m sure they would have loved it as much as me.
Without doubt one of the best books I have ever read.
Thank you Bonnie for sending me this book. ( )

Where has this book been all my life? Oh, it's been sitting on my shelf for about 20 years. Why the long wait? 964 pages! This is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. One is able to find everybody in this story you would expect from a 19th century western: Texas rangers, cowboys, Native Americans, crooks, whores (author's word--not mine!;), and bandits. This is also a great love story. A love of friends and a love of a lifetime demonstrated in a selfless manner. It is worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. This is book 1/4 in this tetralogy; although not the first chronologically. ( )

One big, fat book but a good and easy read. I read this book years ago, sometime after the movie came out. I really enjoyed it, but I enjoyed the movie better...the reason for the 4 star instead of 5. And yes, I was in love with Robert Duvall AND Tommy Lee Jones... ( )