14 year-old Mattie Ross has just got herself a place on my short list of favorite fictional heroines, alongside Elizabeth Bennet. Come to think of it, if Jane Austen were to write a Western novel, I’m sure she’d have created a character like Mattie Ross, determined, principled, fearlessly independent, her heart sincere, and her morals strong. Kudos must go to writer Charles Portis, who has described with succinct and flowing prose, the captivating adventure of Mattie Ross. It’s a hero’s journey, but Mattie is no reluctant heroine. No more than a child, she hires the meanest of them all, Marshal Rooster Cogburn, and goes with him, against his strong objection, to hunt down Tom Chaney, the killer of her father.

Portis’ storytelling is alluring. I admit, this is my first Western novel if my memory serves me correctly. Portis has captured my attention from the first lines, as the vision of 14 year-old Mattie is clear and crisp. Reminiscing as an adult now, the voice of Mattie is vivid and affective. I’m won over soon by her articulate dealing in the adult world, protecting her own interest and yet still pouring out the heart of a child. Portis’ description is lucid, at times eloquent, and at times, deadpan humorous. His characters come alive with their vernacular dialogues of the time and place, script-ready to convey visually the cinematic effects.

Yes the reason why I waited in a long line of holds from the public library for this book is solely because of the fine movie adaptation I’d seen. The Coen brothers' soulful rendition of True Grit (2010) got me curious… I just wonder how much of the movie is their creation, and how much it is the author’s own. I’m totally surprised to learn from reading the novel that the remake of True Grit is mostly a faithful adaptation of Portis’ novel. Not that I care it needs be accurately transposed, for I don’t expect movies to go the fidelity route anymore. But that’s exactly my surprise, that the Coen brothers have stayed with the plot and characters and derived their scenes almost to the dot, unlike the 1969 John Wayne flick, which has changed the ending totally. Not only that, the Coen Brothers have breathed soul and heart into the movie. The Biblical allusions are eloquently woven into the narration and music, and the dynamics of the trio, Mattie, Rooster, and LaBoeuf are sensitively portrayed. The film is a joy to watch and the book makes a most satisfying summer read.