From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

True Grit

Charles Portis

Start date: August 1, 2017

Finish date: August 31, 2017

Discussion: Lesser Know/Wilderness Classics

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What Members Thought

Feb 27, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, american, american-classics, southern-lit, borrowed-from-library

I have long meant to read this novel, and it is sad that the thing that finally got me to it was the death of the author. We lost Charles Portis on February 17, 2020. Sadder even than his death was knowing that he had suffered from Alzheimers for six years prior. Such a vicious disease that robs its victims of their very identity.

Mattie Ross from near Dardanelle in Yell County is one of the most memorable characters in Western literature. She is surrounded by other unforgettables, Rooster Cogbur I have long meant to read this novel, and it is sad that the thing that finally got me to it was the death of the author. We lost Charles Portis on February 17, 2020. Sadder even than his death was knowing that he had suffered from Alzheimers for six years prior. Such a vicious disease that robs its victims of their very identity.

Mattie Ross from near Dardanelle in Yell County is one of the most memorable characters in Western literature. She is surrounded by other unforgettables, Rooster Cogburn and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf among them, but she is the heart and soul of this novel and while she is looking for true grit in a man to chase down her father’s killer, she is the person with true grit in this novel and that is unmistakable.

It is a fast-paced novel that I swept through in one day. Of course, knowing the story beforehand is a double-edged sword, it makes the reading flow but it takes the surprise out of coming events. One of the things I dearly prized was Charles Portis’ sense of humor that is peppered throughout the book and made me chuckle aloud a time or two.

Describing the sitting judge in Fort Smith: 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 of some stronger medicine than the Methodists could make.

Or wrangling with Mr. Stonehill, who gets the worst end of Mattie’s sharpness and persistence.

”Lawyer Daggett is the man who forced them into receivership,” said I. “They tried to ‘mess’ with him. It was a feather in his cap. He is on familiar terms with important men in Little Rock. The talk is he will be governor one day.” “Then he is a man of little ambition,” said Stonehill, “incommensurate with his capacity for making mischief.”

I have seen both movie versions of True Grit and enjoyed them equally. A great movie based on a great book. Well done, Mr. Portis.
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Apr 18, 2020 Christine PNW rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was unexpected.

The essay by Donna Tartt at the end is worth a read.

I would never have picked up this book on my own, so thank you, Lillelara, for suggesting it. I love Mattie Ross, and found the ending of this book quite touching, indeed.

People love to talk. They love to slander you if you have any substance. They say I love nothing but money and the Presbyterian Church and that is why I never married. They think everybody is dying to get married. It is true that I love my church and my ba ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Just fabulous. One of the best tales I've read in recent memory. It's short, it moves, and the characters are simply terrific. Its only 200 or so pages long. I'd never considered reading it, because I don't like "westerns," and I am simply not a John Wayne fan. I don't think I've watched an entire John Wayne movie. Well, yes, this is a 'western,' but its, like all great books, a story about people. People you really want to spend time with. ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 Lynn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wish I'd discovered Mattie Ross earlier in life. Her unwavering courage, her self-assured handling of herself when the adults around her try to push her aside, her no-nonsense attitude, and her hilariously understated way of speaking would have made for a wonderful role model. Still, better late than never.

There isn't a single misstep in this narrative as it gathers speed and rushes headlong toward its conclusion. The characters are meticulously drawn and, honestly, unforgettable. The writing ...more

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