Book club selection via Chris (session held June 8, 2025).
It's a really delightful read. It's also really long, so here I'm going to include various notes I jotted as I read (rather than a more traditional write-up).
Emptiness of the plains; the gap moment when the Indians had largely been removed but the settlers were not yet numerous. A good job communicating this.
Whore with a kindly heart appears - Crime and Punishment, From Here to Eternity, etc. - a classic character.
Prevalence of whoring as profession for women in this part of the world - I think it's probably correct on the leading edge. Mining camps.
Grasshoppers - a good description of the swarm - these don't seem to happen anymore?
Rough characters sloughing off from the Civil War.
Life in Lonesome Dove, Call's increasing restlessness.
The whole idea of uprooting everything, for many folks including folks not fully capable of making independent decisions, to run some cattle up to Montana - unknown territory, relying on Jake's comments in the early going.
Wilbarger is funny in his opening scenes. A favorite character. Reading John Milton.
Sean O'Brien and the snakes
Louisa's proposal to just-arrived Roscoe
Jake and Lorena
The cattle drivers (Call and co)
Roscoe pursuing July, picks up Janey
July (accompanied by Joe) pursuing Jake, switches to chasing Elmira
Elmira pursuing Dee
July, Roscoe, Joe, Janey take the two robbers to Ft Worth jail
Blue Duck takes Lorena. Gus follows.
Jake falls in with the Suggs brothers. Chapters involving them were not pleasant. They get Wilbarger. Gus and Call get them and Jake whew. Another rough passage.
As i get to the 75% area I'm feeling like I need a break. So much heavy stuff happening. Much lighter earlier in the novel.
Law and order, peace and prosperity, these are not the default condition anywhere in the world at any time. Action on the plains!
Was Clara right - her long speech about Gus and Call - just two guys who couldn't resist a ramble - leaving behind women, Newt?
All these folks relocated to Montana. For what? Their future?
Call witnesses Blue Duck's death, then he runs into settlers. Change.
Call - the world for which he was suited didn't exist anymore.
His pleasure in watching Newt. His failure to tell Newt. The author didn't give us what we wanted. Leaves more of a sting at the end.
Wrapping up the book with Wanz committing suicide over Lorena. Her power over Dish. Gus spending time with her.
The scene of Gus's death is very long but works very well.
Lots of death; Newt's reaction.
Numerous characters with "why did we leave Texas?" Pretty normal.
Deets - most gifted helper. Very sad to be drawn north.
Many highlighted passages.
Trying to understand the wistfulness, or ?, as conclude the book.
Maybe because McMurtry didn't tie up loose ends.
Gus dead, didn't end up with Clara or anyone. Killed by an arrow.
Deets dead, sad to be far away.
Call not feeling any purpose, disappointed in himself for not speaking with Newt. (Call pretty deep throughout)
Newt very disappointed with Call. But he's young. With a ton of responsibility.
Clara up in Nebraska; no Gus; seems accepting of the dud July Johnson but why; just rationalizing about why she didn't accept Gus, or did she mean it?
Lorena - felt pretty shallow to me, also stuck in Nebraska.
The whole group of hands up in Montana - are they OK? How long can they ranch up there when no surrounding towns or ranches? Loneliness plus plus. Indians probably less of a threat.
Charles Goodnight!
The old cook; Bolivar.
Pea Eye pretty simple.
Jake Spoon - also shallow.
One of the best passages in the book was Gus telling Pea Eye that he wouldn't have missed the drive for the world - a fine horse in a fresh country - and that Call was just the same.
Call and Gus like a married couple.