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True Grit

by Charles Portis, Donna Tartt (Afterword)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 12,234 ratings · 2,184 reviews

Charles Portis has long been acclaimed as one of America's foremost writers. True Grit, his most famous novel, was first published in 1968, and became the basis for the movie starring John Wayne. True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross, who is just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs...more

Paperback, 235 pages

Published November 5th 2010 by The Overlook Press (first published 1968)

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Apr 21, 2013 Steve aka Sckenda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: seekers of courage or a quick fun read

Recommended to Steve aka Sckenda by: Coen Brothers

Shelves: western, 20th-century, courage, oklahoma, crime, adventure, movie, southern, first-person, comedy

Fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross hires a grizzled lawman to avenge her father’s blood and then narrates her adventure, fifty-years later, in a deadpan tone. Charles Portis spins his entertaining yarn with freshness and economy (only 224 pages). Most potential readers will have already seen at least one of the two famous movie adaptations; therefore, I will limit my review to quick, bullet-style observations.

Great Title: “True Grit”– a concrete phrase in simplified English that captures ideas—courag...more

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Jan 26, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: portishead

On the whole, the western genre doesn't inherently appeal to me. I'm not a modern emasculated male yearning wistfully for a time 'when men were men, and dames were etc.' I am relatively content being a gangly Gentile nebbish afraid of his own shadow and estranged from his natural heritage of hunting, foraging, and defecating unashamedly in a shallow hole behind a cactus. Nothing at the heart of my being cries out for a pistol, a lariat, or a fitful night on the prairie punctuated by the wails of...more On the whole, the western genre doesn't inherently appeal to me. I'm not a modern emasculated male yearning wistfully for a time 'when men were men, and dames were etc.' I am relatively content being a gangly Gentile nebbish afraid of his own shadow and estranged from his natural heritage of hunting, foraging, and defecating unashamedly in a shallow hole behind a cactus. Nothing at the heart of my being cries out for a pistol, a lariat, or a fitful night on the prairie punctuated by the wails of a coyote or the whooping of a marauding Indian band. I am neither a hero nor a survivor by nature. I am an endurer, an eker—an avowed anti-Rousseauist who cringes at dirt, bugs, heat, and peril. Especially peril. As a consequence, I don't find many vicarious pleasures in the western genre, per se. The strong, silent gunslinger isn't an ideal of mine, even in the wildest, farthest-flung reaches of my imagination where I let the 'what-if' impulse have free reign. Although I try to keep an open mind (but often fail), I can't help but find the idealization of these steely male archetypes childish and self-negating. Not childish in the sense of enjoying the healthy play of imagination, but childish in the pejorative sense of stunted and entirely reactionary. But I'm being priggish again.

Meanwhile, True Grit is in fact a western, and I enjoyed it very much. I toyed with the idea of giving it five stars, but I feel as though I've become slutty in my star disbursals lately and—truth be told—the climax is a bit much, with misfortunes seeming to compound in a extravagant way.

In order for genre fiction—and in this case the western particularly—to work for me, it must transcend its status as genre fiction. It can't only be, say, a simple, classic western narrative with the usual livery trappings, populated by braggadocio and swagger and a mouthful of chaw because I don't fetishize these things. These aren't enough for it to be enjoyable. True Grit more than satisfies this requirement for me. As you probably already know, either from the book itself or its two film adaptations, it's a story told by a teenage girl, which already tweaks the genre out of its usual torpor. She—the heroine, Mattie Ross—is an old-fashioned eccentric: precocious, indomitable, moralistic but practical, pedantic, stubborn, loquacious, and—because of all these traits—contrary to the western archetype of the teenage girl. Of course, I say the 'western archetype' very loosely because is there really an archetype for girls? If there is one, it probably doesn't extend much further than the idea of a pigtailed girl fetching water from a well or praying in school in her ankle boots and gingham. Or maybe I swiped that from Little House on the Prairie.

I won't dwell too much on the book itself because its story is fairly well-known. Mattie employs a drunken, one-eyed Federal marshal of dubious lawfulness to avenge her father's death. Along the way, they join forces with a puffed-up Texas Ranger who's chasing the same man for a reward in Texas. But this is neither here nor there for me because the success of True Grit depends on its generous characterizations and its wonderful ear for language. In these ways, it certainly transcends caricatured rote that hobbles so much genre fiction.(less)

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May 11, 2011 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Nancy by: Evan

Shelves: western, library-books, favorites, i-saw-the-film

Wow, what a great story! Mattie Ross is just 14 years old when she hooks up with Rooster Cogburn, the “meanest” U.S. Marshal, to avenge her father, killed by an outlaw who took advantage of his good nature.

Mattie endures bad weather, illness, grueling hours on horseback, runs into outlaws, and fights off rattlesnakes. She’s tough-talking, honest, loyal, fearless, and I enjoyed every moment with her. I also loved the realistic historical details and well-drawn secondary characters. The gruff and...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Kemper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: western, favorites, rubbermaid-treasure

Treasure of the Rubbermaids: The Dude Vs. The Duke

Sometimes you get very clear signs that you should read or re-read a specific book. Earlier this year, my friend Nancy had read True Grit and recommended it to me. I’d seen the John Wayne movie version a couple of times, and I had a hazy memory that I’d read it at some point. The more I thought about it, I was pretty sure that I’d even owned a very old copy of the book once upon a time.

Months later, I heard that the Coen brothers were doing a new...more Treasure of the Rubbermaids: The Dude Vs. The Duke

Sometimes you get very clear signs that you should read or re-read a specific book. Earlier this year, my friend Nancy had read True Grit and recommended it to me. I’d seen the John Wayne movie version a couple of times, and I had a hazy memory that I’d read it at some point. The more I thought about it, I was pretty sure that I’d even owned a very old copy of the book once upon a time.

Months later, I heard that the Coen brothers were doing a new movie version with Jeff Bridges taking John Wayne’s place as Rooster. I’m not a fan of the recent wave of remakes Hollywood has produced since the movie studios are too gutless to risk money on new concepts anymore, but with the Coen brothers saying that they were doing another adaptation of the book, not a remake of the original film, I thought it had potential. Hell, you’ve got The Dude replacing The Duke. I thought it’d be worth seeing just for that alone.

Meanwhile, my father made good on a threat he’d been making since the wife and I bought our first house last year and brought down 14 large plastic containers filled with books and comics that I’d kept at my parents due to lack of storage during my apartment dwelling years.

So the new movie version of True Grit came out and was getting rave reviews, and I wanted to see it. I also wanted to re-read the book at some point. The other day, I started going through the boxes and in the first one I popped open, there sat a battered old hardback of True Grit.

Verily, the Reading Gods had delivered unto me a sign.

After going and seeing the movie yesterday and enjoying it immensely, I cracked open the book last night and rediscovered a story written in what certainly feels like authentic Old West speech. The tale of young Maddie Ross hiring a drunken, one-eyed U.S. Marshal to track and arrest her father’s killer is one of those books told in a such a simple style that it can trick you into missing how much there is between the lines.

Told in first person from the whip-smart but extremely headstrong, stubborn and uptight Maddie, the portrait of the time and people like Rooster and the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf and Lucky Ned Pepper feel like you’re reading a story written back then and not in 1969. It’s funny, bittersweet and loaded with all the action on horseback that any western fan could ask for.

If all you know of this story is the cheesy memories of the old John Wayne version, then check this book out and go see the new version. You won’t be disappointed.
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Dec 06, 2012 Tfitoby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lit, favourites, western

True Grit by Charles Portis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ranked #3 on my Top 10 Reads in 2012

"True Grit is the best novel to come my way in a very long time...One of those rare sweet delights...one can recommend it to inveterate fiction readers and to those who read only one or two novels a year." - taken from the back of the book.

Blurb: True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old girl from Dardanelle, Arkansas, who sets out in the winter of eighteen seventy-something to avenge the...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adapted-to-screen, heroines, best-reads, classics, thriller

The story opens with a grand paragraph of affairs..

"PEOPLE DO not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off into the wintertime to avenge her father's blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day. I was just fourteen years of age when a coward going by name of Tom Chaney shot my father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robbed him of his life and his horse and $150 in cash money plus two California good pieces that he

...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, fiction, four-star-plus-reads

I've read only one other Charles Portis novel, Norwood, which I loved. Now that I've also read True Grit, I'll start grabbing everything by Portis that's still in print. The man is a genius at creating eccentric characters who tell their stories in unselfconscious, straightforward ways. And what interesting stories. I never would have guessed what Charles Portis' novel was like from watching the 1969 John Wayne movie adaptation. I hear the Coen brothers' 2010 adaptation is closer in spirit to th...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Henry Avila rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of Mattie Ross,a spunky 14 year old girl, from Yell County Arkansas.Who seeks justice ,when her father is murdered, by the outlaw Tom Chaney in Fort Smith.Set in the late 1870's ,the kid soon understands ,that nobody wants to risk their life for free,to capture the fugitive .Informed that Rooster Cogburn, is the toughest marshall ,working for the famous hanging Judge Isaac Parker.He shoots first and asks questions later!Cogburn will track down the criminal for a generous fee.Mattie sel...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Matt Evans rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

February 2012 re-listen: Mattie Ross’s dad is shot by Tom Cheney. Mattie hires Rooster Cogburn to track Tom Cheney. Plot and action and humor ensue. Hang on for the ride. The Epilogue is worth the price of admission: Mattie as a middle-aged woman visits a carnival sideshow in order to catch up w/ Rooster. Of the two men Mattie initially encounters, one doesn't stand to greet her, as befits a gentleman. To him, Mattie offers one of novel's best lines: “Keep your seat, trash.”

July 2011: Loved this...more

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Dec 20, 2010 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, westerns, eye-for-an-eye

Simply put, this is one of the most enjoyable novels that I've ever read. It really should be a part of any American Lit. survey, because as a piece of Americana, it easily holds it's own against novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Red Badge of Courage, and The Scarlet Letter. This novel contains some of the best dialogue that I have ever read, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the original True Grit movie lifted, verbatim, large chunks of passages from the book. Portis' ear for dia...more Simply put, this is one of the most enjoyable novels that I've ever read. It really should be a part of any American Lit. survey, because as a piece of Americana, it easily holds it's own against novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Red Badge of Courage, and The Scarlet Letter. This novel contains some of the best dialogue that I have ever read, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the original True Grit movie lifted, verbatim, large chunks of passages from the book. Portis' ear for dialogue is every bit as good as Elmore Leonard, but with a sense of regionalism (historic and geographic) that matches Faulkner's. But now that I've mentioned the original movie (with the Coen brothers effort soon to be released), I really have to insist that you read the book -- hopefully first. There are some differences, especially at the conclusion of the novel. There is also some layering that gets lost (at least with the original movie). The lingering effects of the Reconstruction (the story takes place mostly in Arkansas), color much of what goes on. For example, Mattie's dealings with the horse trader, Stonehill (who I believe is a carpet bagger), seem to have an underling measure of contempt -- from both sides, though Stonehill seems to appreciate the fact that he's met his match in the determined fourteen year old. (These comic exchanges are, to my mind, a rival to Faulkner's "Spotted Horses.")

The Civil War, as a still unfolding event, is also always present, as the past histories of both the Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf, and Rooster Cogburn, play out during the course of the novel. Cogburn, who rode with Quantrill, seems, to some extent, to be haunted and embarrassed by that association. In an argument with LaBoeuf, he's reluctant to admit the unit he fought with, and this argument later leads to Cogburn getting falling down drunk, as he mumbles rationalizations and regrets to himself. Clearly, though it's left unsaid, he did, or the very least saw things that cut against his hard notions of right and wrong. You have to wonder if this past led him, at least in part, to being a U.S. Marshall. Another aspect that gets lost with the transition from book to movie, is that the book is an account by Mattie, as an older woman, looking back on her great adventure, one that would define her for the rest of her life. And for her, that's a good thing, since she would avenge the murder of her father. For at heart Mattie is an accountant, and the tragic loss of her father upset the moral balance sheet in her mind. She corrects that, and the cost she pays is small in comparison to the righting of that wrong. Her instrument of vengeance, Rooster Cogburn, is in many ways a like minded character. Rooster is not the only character in the book with "true grit." (less)

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Jan 25, 2011 Evan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-fiction, __in-my-collection, 2010-reads, my-faves, wild-west-yee-haw

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
Wonderful, just wonderful. So, maybe this short western novel is not one of the high achievements of the literary canon. On the other hand it does what a good book should do: tells a great story in fully realized settings with authentic physical and historical detail, vivid and flavorful characters along with the bonus of very smart wit. And does so in clear, perfectly penned prose. The chemistry between little Mattie Ross and gruff Marshal Rooster Cogburn is palpable and...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Adriana Jacobs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read

My copy of True Grit (Kindle version) includes Donna Tartt's afterword, where she unpacks the possible meanings and intentions that underly the statement "I love this book." Some books we love because they enamored us as children but don't hold up to later rereadings. Or, to quote True Grit's protagonist Matti Ross, "I expect some of the starch has gone out of that 'cowlick.'" Some books are beloved life-long companions regardless of their wrinkles. I feel this way about Clarice Lispector's Hour...more My copy of True Grit (Kindle version) includes Donna Tartt's afterword, where she unpacks the possible meanings and intentions that underly the statement "I love this book." Some books we love because they enamored us as children but don't hold up to later rereadings. Or, to quote True Grit's protagonist Matti Ross, "I expect some of the starch has gone out of that 'cowlick.'" Some books are beloved life-long companions regardless of their wrinkles. I feel this way about Clarice Lispector's Hour of the Star. It'll never change, but its wisdom continues to suit me as I grow older. Hearing about other people's favorite book--the one they truly love, as Tartt does True Grit--is something I treasure. And there is nothing like being able to share in their excitement. I really loved True Grit.

I agree with Tartt: it's Mattie who pulls you in. Her voice is direct, unsentimental, unflappable, and focused to a fault. She's writing as an older woman, so there is wisdom in there as well ("...Gentlemen are only human and their memories can sometimes fail them. Business is business."); she's also intent on remaining truthful, so there are few embellishments. In her estimation, good writing boils down to the following: "Nothing is too long or too short either if you have a true and interesting tale and what I call a 'graphic' writing style combined with educational aims." To that end, True Grit does not indulge in detailed landscape descriptions or psychological profiles; it relates what happened and how it happened, without dwelling too long on why. And yet, parts of it read like an elegy, though it keeps its mourning very quiet and private. It is clear to the reader, without being told, that Mattie is a young girl who shoulders tremendous responsibilities. Like Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, it falls on her to take care of her family after her father's death. We know this from one laconic sentence that appears early in the book: "[Mother] was in bed."

Mattie has grown up on the frontier, where loyalties shift as easily as identities. And though her personal sense of right and wrong is not immune to compromise, there is a line that she won't cross. Her father was a good man she repeatedly tells strangers. His killer must die. It's a task that Mattie herself admits its uncommon for her age but to evade it would be reprehensible. So she descends on Fort Smith like an avenging angel, clad in an oversized coat and wielding a Colt Dragoon, to make sure one man pays the price for taking a good man out of the world.(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Suzanne by: Jeff, Laura

I loved Portis' portrait of young proto-feminist Mattie Ross, the narrator of this tale set in Arkansas and the Indian Territory circa the 1870s. No delicate little prairie flower, this girl. Determined and focused, she sets out to avenge the murder of her father by hiring one-eyed deputy marshall Rooster Cogburn, whom she has been told has “grit.” Together, accompanied by a Texas ranger named LaBoef, they chase the father’s killer. Early in the adventure, the two men, seeking rewards of their o...more I loved Portis' portrait of young proto-feminist Mattie Ross, the narrator of this tale set in Arkansas and the Indian Territory circa the 1870s. No delicate little prairie flower, this girl. Determined and focused, she sets out to avenge the murder of her father by hiring one-eyed deputy marshall Rooster Cogburn, whom she has been told has “grit.” Together, accompanied by a Texas ranger named LaBoef, they chase the father’s killer. Early in the adventure, the two men, seeking rewards of their own, try to lose Mattie, but she is unshakeable. Their attempts to ditch her or scare her away have no affect on her resolve. She’s sunk her teeth into the ankle of this mission, and she’s not letting go.

Sometimes she gets what she wants, only to find herself in a bit over her head. But she never flinches, whines or complains, just takes responsibility and keeps moving toward her goals. Some critics fault her lack of emotion. After all, she is a girl who has just lost her father. But the harshness of the environment and her complete dedication to the notion that justice must be served did not leave a lot of room for getting all teary-eyed. She has stuff to do, and none of it’s easy. I do wish she seemed even capable of having a little more fun, but then again, in the context – her father’s just been murdered – it’s really not the time to show that.

One of my favorite scenes shows a shrewd 14-year-old Mattie negotiating with a seasoned horse trader, trying to get him to buy back a string of ponies her father had bought before his demise. The guy doesn’t stand a chance. Another great scene has her trying to wrest the shirt off a skeleton which, even if the corpse had rotted away a long time ago, had to be nasty, but she needed the shirt as a tool to save her own life. Then she pulls off some smaller bones, for the same purpose. She doesn’t even barf.

The book is told as a remembrance by Mattie as an old woman, who has continued in character and become a successful businesswoman as an adult. She also took on the burden of caring for her elderly invalid mother. True to form, it’s all about duty and responsibility, but it’s hard to dislike her for that, even if she could stand to lighten up a little. She is a bit opinionated, but hey, so am I, so I don’t count it as a big fault (maybe a little one). And I wished for a little more happiness for her. But she always did what had to be done and I admired her grit, which exceeded that of anyone else in the book.

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Feb 25, 2012 Marla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2012, adult, young-adult, with-reservations, classics, challenged

3.5 stars. There are some great lines in this book. Whenever I read Rooster's words, I could see and hear John Wayne in my mind. I'm just not into Westerns and only read this for my library's Cabin Fever Reading Challenge.

Likes:
* Mattie Ross is a spunky, sassy 14 year old who is clever enough to negotiate with the horse trader, have her own lawyer to draw up legal documents and convince two lawmen to allow her to tag along on their manhunt
* Rooster Cogburn, meanest U.S. Marshal to head into Indi...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Portia Renee Robillard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

True Grit is a compelling story with a strong, willful female character in the form of fourteen year old Mattie Ross, who is out to avenge the death of her father. The colorful and subtly comic characters of Rooster Cogburn,Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, and the rest of the ragamuffin cast create a vivid, swiftly moving, and engaging western well worth the afternoon it takes to read this slim novel.

My only complaint is the over-use of "quotations" used to emphasize slang terms, it becomes distracting and...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tara by: Nancy

Shelves: historical-fiction, western, library

There are over a hundred reviews for this already so I will just keep it short and simple. This was a fun read, a western with a lady in the lead. Mattie Ross is saucy and funny and she hooks up with two lawmen in order to track down and take revenger on her dad's killer. There's pony riding, gun shooting, and even flying fingers! But will she get her man?

Favorite laugh out loud moment: When a ferry operator forces Mattie and her pony off the boat against her will and is leading her up a hill, i...more

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May 07, 2013 David Ellis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Old or young, male or female, have seen the movies or not, fan of westerns or not-really, you will probably love this story and how it is told in the book. (I am a retired, male, non-western fan who never saw the movies.)

***Update***
Thanks Nancy for reminding me there were two movies made based on this book.

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Mar 16, 2011 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

One thing that I have to say was this book had some great laugh aloud moments. That is what kept this book moving, oh besides the great story, and hold your breath ending. Sure, it’s a western, but its much more… great wit abounds in this.

"A Methodist and a Son of a Bitch"

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Jun 25, 2012 John Wood rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

what a great story. it held me like a whip from start to finish, and i wished it wouldn't. the voice alone was worth the ride. the story never let up. the two together were magic. how did he do that?

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Mar 30, 2011 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-reading

First off, ignore the fact that this was made into a crappy John Wayne movie.
This book is about a pissed off little girl who tracks down her father's killer so she can confront and murder him... I swear, I'm not making this up. She's truly scary... and empowering. It's not the fastest paced story, but c'mon folks this IS a Western.
I highly recommend this book after a particularly angry break-up or loss of a job. You'll get all tingly inside when you read about the stubborn, murderous, anger th...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a slightly weird reading, given how recently I feel like I saw True Grit (in the theater, over a year ago now, but still vivid in my memory) and just how generally odd this book is....

It's kind of a testament to how you can't go wrong when you've got a couple really vital, lively characters like Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn, and Matt Damon's character aint half bad, either. It's a lot of fun seeing them interact, because real sparks are thrown.

Which makes it weird that the climax of...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Jennie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: western, became-a-movie-or-tv-show, set-in-the-19th-century-fiction

I liked this. I am also completely unspoiled by the movie (though I admit that in spite of my never having seen it, I couldn't get John Wayne's image out of my mind).

Charles Portis' tale of a 14-year-old girl out to avenge her father's death at the hands of an employee is hard, brutal, and completely unromantic. No sunlight shining on flowing manes, no majestic soundtracks, no white and black hats to tell us who the truly good and bad guys are. Everyone is pretty much coated in dust, and their m...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites

I read True Grit maybe two years ago, and just loved it. It's one of my favorite Westerns, with a great plot, and a great writing style. " It tells the story of Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old girl from Dardanelle, Arkansas, who sets out in the winter of eighteen seventy-something to avenge the murder of her father. Since not even Mattie (who is no self-doubter) would ride into Indian Territory alone, she "convinces" one-eyed "Rooster" Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshall, to tag along...more I read True Grit maybe two years ago, and just loved it. It's one of my favorite Westerns, with a great plot, and a great writing style. " It tells the story of Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old girl from Dardanelle, Arkansas, who sets out in the winter of eighteen seventy-something to avenge the murder of her father. Since not even Mattie (who is no self-doubter) would ride into Indian Territory alone, she "convinces" one-eyed "Rooster" Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshall, to tag along with her. As Mattie outdickers and outmaneuvers the hard-bitten types in her path, as her performance under fire makes them eat their words, her indestructible vitality and harsh innocence by turns amuse, horrify, and touch the reader. What happens-to Mattie, to the gang of outlaws unfortunate enough to tangle with her-rings with the dramatic rightness of legend and the marvelous overtones, the continual surprises, of personality. "True Grit" is eccentric, cool, straight, and unflinching, like Mattie herself, who tells the story a half-century later in a voice that sounds strong and sure enough to outlast us all."

I love all of the characters in this great and funny novel. Mattie narrates in an amazingly honest voice, and I have a feeling we'd get along well. She's got spunk, and she's determined to avenge her father's death, no matter which deputy says she can't come along. She makes a lot of funny and remarkably wise comments that ring completely true.

Besides Mattie, the other characters are all really well drawn too. There's Rooster Cogburn, the marshal who grudgingly begins to respect Mattie. Then there's LaBoeuf (or something like that), a mean Texan who comes along for the ride. I'd forgotten about him, though of course I remembered Cogburn. He doesn't turn out to be that bad in the end though.

The description in this book is also amazing. It's sparse, but you can still picture the landscape in the book. And not just the landscape; it's the whole atmosphere that's created so well. The dialogue, the events, and basically everything about this book is compelling. I loved True Grit, and would highly, highly recommend it. I may watch the 1969 movie, which looks pretty good from a few clips I've seen

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Mar 18, 2013 David Patneaude rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some of us remember the original movie (you know--John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn), and more of us are probably familiar with the Coen Brothers'2010 remake with Jeff Bridges in the starring role and Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, a girl of singular convictions and courage. But if you haven't read the book, do it. When Charles Portis's most famous novel was published, the Boston Globe called it "An American Masterpiece." I can't argue with that. It truly is. If you like stories with complex chara...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorites, classics

There are few books that really capture the harshness of revenge and vengeance. But as the name suggests, this book really gets what it is to have true grit (forgive my lameness). It revolves around a young girl named Mattie Ross, whose father is murdered by a man called Tom Chaney. Realizing that no one will pursue him and bring him to justice, she employes a Marshal called Rooster Cogburn. It isn’t long before a cheeky Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf, joins their traveling party and helps them bring the...more There are few books that really capture the harshness of revenge and vengeance. But as the name suggests, this book really gets what it is to have true grit (forgive my lameness). It revolves around a young girl named Mattie Ross, whose father is murdered by a man called Tom Chaney. Realizing that no one will pursue him and bring him to justice, she employes a Marshal called Rooster Cogburn. It isn’t long before a cheeky Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf, joins their traveling party and helps them bring the criminal to justice. Although a strong team, there is no lack of fighting, shooting and danger as they enter Indian Territory.

If anyone has seen the John Wayne version, pretty much everyone concedes that while it is a great film, it is also pretty lame. A great story with great actors, however for a film based on grit, it’s pretty strange to have clean shirts, shaved faces and perfect makeup. The second film, which was released in 2010, seemed to focus on this image of dirt, blood and pain which really made me interested in what the book could be like.

So I quested towards this book, which was really hard to find and had to eventually order online, put it on my bedside table and didn’t look at it for another month or two. When I finally picked it up, I raised an eyebrow at how thin it was and then flicked it open. And wow, what a book it was! I finished it in only a day because I just couldn’t put it down.

Charles Portis has an amazing way of describing a scene without actually going into depth about scenery or imagery. Mattie Ross is an interesting character who narrates every event with both a mature and naive sense of moral righteousness. By the frankness of her thoughts and words, it’s quite easy to see her and her companions and the life that she leads. In a strange way, too much depth would almost take away from her practical and sensible way of getting a situation across in just a few words.

It’s quite rare to find a book which has absolutely no interest in romance and to be honest, it is incredibly refreshing. Of course, there are creepy inserts by Laboeuf in the direction of Mattie but they are nothing more then far flung insults. There is the suggesting (SPOILER) that Mattie as an adult has never quite forgotten Rooster but as far as her youthful experiences go, she’s incredibly independent. Mattie herself is a great female character and a great insight into how clever and resourceful kids can be when they are on a mission. She is constantly underestimated and always rises to the challenge to prove her critics wrong. Both the movie and the book have reaffirmed my love of this character. Below is just a quote from the book which I think shows her blunt way of thought and her strange sense of humor:

>i>“On his deathbed he asked for a priest and became a Catholic. That was his wife’s religion. It was his own business and none of mine. If you had sentenced one hundred and sixty men to death and seen around eighty of them swing, then maybe at the last minute you would feel the need for some stronger medicine than the Methodists could make.” - Mattie Ross

Rooster Cogburn is also an interesting masculine character. He’s a great representation of both an ignorant fatherly figure and a supporting friend. Being such a complicated character, he does grow within the reader’s opinion throughout the book. In the end, it’s really Mattie’s character which improves his, as evident by his drunken ramblings. Laboeuf is also a great character who begins as quite a negative figure and then slowly improves in his character. He is in no way a villain, as Tom Chaney is (who really isn’t explored much) but he does trick and scheme his way into the traveling group for the reward money. The relationship between Rooster and Laboeuf is one of the highlights of the book and I believe that this small quote seems to represent that strange tryst quite well:

“You do not think much of me, do you, Cogburn?” [Laboeuf]

“I don’t think about you at all when your mouth is closed.” [Rooster]

For the short length of the novel, Charles Portis really does explore Mattie and Cogburn exceptionally well. For that reason, I feel that my 5 out of 5 is well earned by Charles who, for his time, has created a novel that is rich and emotionally complex.
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Mar 10, 2013 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: western

I really enjoyed True Grit by Charles Portis. I was a little worried because I have really enjoyed both movies but this is a book that Hollywood actually didn't screw up. The newer version is a lot closer to the book. The language is wonderful with Mattie Ross on one hand with her educated and religious matter of fact voice as the narrator also telling about the salty language and manners of Rooster Cogburn. They are joined by a third character named LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef) who is vain and c...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I came to this book through the movie. Not the John Wayne version. I saw that when I was in HS and it didn't do much for me. I might have been too young, now I'm probably too old. John Wayne has never done much for me when you get right down to it - stiff as a board. But, the Coen brothers/Jeff Bridges version - wow! And what got to me as much as the acting and all around great film making was the language. And, what got me to the book was hearing that the language was taken sometimes in toto, b...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Elliot Ratzman rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Men will live like billygoats if they are let alone,” thinks young Mattie Ross after watching Rooster Cogburn eat his breakfast. A Western for folks who don’t like Westerns, this is a very satisfying read, especially after first watching the Coen Brother’s version (I suggest putting on the subtitles), then the goofy John Wayne movie from 1969. As Donna Tart says in the afterward, narrator Mattie is less Huck Finn’s little sister than Captain Ahab’s! A commanding presence, she orders around the...more

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Aug 11, 2012 HelloKittyJedi (imagineb4logic) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favs, action-adventure

Since Mattie, the main character, had started out as "People did not give crednece that a fourteen year old girl would leave home and go off...to avenge her father's blood, but...it did not happen everyday." I will start out like that too.
Although people and especially my elders, did not accept that a mere 13-14 year old girl (they never could remember my age well :/) would read and admire the book True Grit, I will say that it wasn't very popular with this generation.
...
Not a bad try? Well, it...more Since Mattie, the main character, had started out as "People did not give crednece that a fourteen year old girl would leave home and go off...to avenge her father's blood, but...it did not happen everyday." I will start out like that too.
Although people and especially my elders, did not accept that a mere 13-14 year old girl (they never could remember my age well :/) would read and admire the book True Grit, I will say that it wasn't very popular with this generation.
...
Not a bad try? Well, it was worth the shot.
Anyways, it is true that not a lot of 13-14 year olds would know of True Grit. Maybe they may have heard of the 2010 flim, but the book...well, maybe not. But I would admit, that I read the book because it was in my Summer Reading.
I know, that wasn't very fair.
But still, I mostly enjoyed my Summer Reading books, such as Murder at Midnight, or Number the Stars. But True Grit is a bit more...complex than these. For starters, they say some bad words. Now, I'm actually used to words like those, but I'm just saying I'm not used to seeing them in RECOMENDED SCHOOL BOOKS, if you know what I mean. Plus, it was sort of confusing with the many details of the characters, and even the minor characters.
Although, I would admit, I can't stop thinking that True Grit seemed like a true account.
It has so many details it seemed so very real. If you are a cowboy fan, just like myself, you would want to read this. It's like a historical text book on the Wild West, but with more humor and action!
Mattie is one stubborn, bank-loving, Arkansas girl. Although she is stubborn at most of the time, she is very funny.
Throughout the book, she kept mentioning her lawyer, Lawyer Daggett, even when she was held hostage by Lucky Ned Pepper's gang.
Like seriously. She mentioned her lawyer, while being held hostage by a gang of bandits!
Of course, what I admire the most were that Mr. Portis, made the bandits like they were real people. They showed us that not all bandits were cruel and evil and just wanted money and don't care about anybody else. He gave each bandit a sense of reality. The bandits are just like us, but were misunderstood. Now, I'm not saying to trust a bank robber the next time you see one, but to not look at the mean and "bad" guys and say, "Oh, look. He's evil. I don't like him. He's weird. Get away." No. Maybe try and UNDERSTAND them. Don't fully judge someone, until you you gone and lived his/her life.
Now, don't try and become a bandit, okay? That's not what I'm saying.
There's always a reason behind everything. So there must be a reason why this guy became a bandit. Maybe he was poor and his parents are sick and they needed a doctor? I don't know, maybe it was like that. But of course not all bandits are like that. SOME maybe just bad and wanted money. Who knows?
Anyways, another thing that I admire were the three: Marshal Rooster Cogburn, Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, and Mattie Ross the book keeper.
The way I describe them were that they were three bickering siblings in the middle of the Indian Territory and in on a manhunt.
Hey, sounds interesting? Well, go check it out for yourself.
To conlcude this, I didn't like it. But I did admire it.(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Ryan Boomershine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vacaread

Few movies live up to the book. This one does. There are differences, but they are slight. The 1969 (John Wayne) version adds a few extra true-to-book scenes that the 2011 does not have (but also adds at least one farcical). The 2011 version is stunning, beautiful, powerful. The 1969 is ugly and poorly-acted and I don't want to watch it again. All the best lines of the book are in the movie.

Powerful story, well-written monologue, well-set, uncomplicated, well-appointed. Great afterwords.

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About Charles Portis

Charles McColl Portis was born in 1933, in El Dorado Arkansas and was raised in various towns in southern Arkansas. He served in the Marine Corps during the Korean war and after his discharge in 1955 attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He graduated with a degree in journalism in 1958.

His journalistic career included work at the Arkansas Gazette before he moved to New York to work...more

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