True Grit by Charles Portis

Click on the image to go to the Amazon book store

Title: True Grit

Author: Charles Portis Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Website: Bloomsbury Publishing ASIN: B004KPLAHI Genre: Western Print Length: 228 pages

Synopsis: On a trip to buy ponies, Frank Ross is killed by one of his own workers, Tom Chaney. Ross's single-minded fourteen-year-old daughter Mattie travels to claim his body, and finds that the authorities are doing nothing to find Chaney. So she goes looking for a man with true grit and hears of Rooster Cogburn. She convinces him to take up her quest into dangerous Indian territory to hunt Chaney down and avenge her father's murder. He soon discovers, much to his chagrin, that she plans to join him on the trail.

This is the second time I have read this book and it was as enjoyable as the first time. The story is very much character driven and the characters are wonderfully drawn, especially the three main protagonists (no doubt helped by the fact that I have seem both motion picture version of the book). The language is delightful and is key in helping develop the characters, although my one criticism of the book is that the dialogue, itself, is rather clunky. It would have benefited from a more liberal use of contractions to help the flow of the dialogue. The setting and landscapes are secondary characters in the story and are only lightly described, but sufficiently to give a good feel for the setting of the story. The plot is simple, but keeps one intrigued throughout. This is a Western classic that should be on the book shelf of every lover of the genre.

What others thought at the time of writing Amazon.co.uk; 124 reviews, of which 99% were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.7* Amazon.com; 664 reviews, of which 98% were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.7* Goodreads.com; 29,720 ratings (4,025 reviews), with 98% of 3* or more, giving an average of 4.13*

See the two films of the book (click on the image to go to Amazon for more information)

Other novels by the same author (click on the image to go to Amazon for more information)

Other novels in the same genre (click on the image to go to Amazon for more information)