Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)

Questions About Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)

by Larry McMurtry

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Answered Questions (41)

Is there any Western better than this one? I think it may have ruined the genre for me.
Jason No. There isn't.

Blood Meridian is the typical answer to this question and while Blood Meridian is an exceptional novel, it isn't as personal or as gr…moreNo. There isn't.

Blood Meridian is the typical answer to this question and while Blood Meridian is an exceptional novel, it isn't as personal or as grand as Lonesome Dove. Lonesome Dove is simply the best.

On a personal note, I do not believe Blood Meridian is Cormac McCarthy's best western. I would recommend All the Pretty Horses over Blood Meridian. It isn't a popular answer, but I thought I would share. (less)
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Should I read this series in order they were published or chronologically? Does it really matter which way? Thank you!
Salender I totally disagree! For those who haven't read it yet, I wouldn't read Lonesome Dove first because there is not another book that compares! I read it …moreI totally disagree! For those who haven't read it yet, I wouldn't read Lonesome Dove first because there is not another book that compares! I read it and was blown away. So i read every Larry McMurtry book published at that time (about 14!) trying to recapture the experience of LD. Impossible. But if I had read some of the others first, I would have enjoyed them. At least read them in order. After almost 30 years, LD is still my favorite book of ALL.(less)
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What order should I read the Lonesome Dove series? I did not know there were more than the one "Lonesome Dove" and read it, now I want to know which would I read next knowing there's more?
Garrett Nicolai There are typically two answers to questions like this: publication order and chronological order. The first follows the order that the books were pub…moreThere are typically two answers to questions like this: publication order and chronological order. The first follows the order that the books were published:

Lonesome Dove (1985)
Streets of Laredo (1993)
Dead Man's Walk (1995)
Comanche Moon (1997)

This will maybe have events occur out of order, but was how the series was envisioned by the author, and how original readers would have experienced it.

The second is chronological order (ie, the order the events take place:

Dead Man's Walk – set in the early 1840s
Comanche Moon – set in the 1850–60s
Lonesome Dove – set in mid-to-late 1870s
Streets of Laredo – set in the early 1890s

This order will have all the events occur in order, but you might miss some things that the author put in for fans who had read the previously published books.

Personally, I prefer publication order, but it depends on how you like your story to unfold.(less)
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Why did the author have major spoilers in the preface and did this help or hurt your reading experience? I've just started the book and would recommend that a reader should skip the preface.
Max I agree 100%. There are major spoilers in the preface.
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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)
BananaMilkBun Just to clarify, I believe the law (as framed in the book anyway) was that horse stealing within the US was a serious crime, but stealing from Mexico …moreJust to clarify, I believe the law (as framed in the book anyway) was that horse stealing within the US was a serious crime, but stealing from Mexico (as Call and Gus did) was unregulated.(less)
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Unanswered Questions (2)

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