True Grit

By:

Synopsis
Charles Portis has long been acclaimed as one of America's foremost comic writers. True Grit is his most famous novel-- first published in 1968, and the basis for the movie of the same name starring John Wayne and now the film by the Coen brothers starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. It 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 him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash money. Mattie leaves home to avenge her father's blood. With the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available U. S. Marshal, by her side, Mattie pursues the homicide into Indian Territory. True Grit is eccentric, cool, straight, and unflinching, like Mattie herself. From a writer of true cult status, this is an American classic through and through. This new edition, with a smart new package and an afterword by acclaimed author Donna Tartt, will bring this masterpiece to an even broader audience.
Copyright:
2004

Book Details

Book Quality:
Excellent
Book Size:
237 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781590204597
Publisher:
Overlook Press, The
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Donna Tartt
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Westerns, Literature and Fiction, Humor
Submitted By:
Liz Halperin
Proofread By:
Liz Halperin
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

4 out of 5

By on

I would not put this book on par with Twain's work, as the afterward pompously claims, but it is a very well-written, easy to read Western with characters that have some actual depth and, yes, some true grit. Mattie Ross combines, in jarring fashion, the attitudes of a prim, highly religious lady with more toughness than all but the most hardened cowboys, and Portis does a beautiful job of narrating the events of the story in her voice without being held captive to her at times narrow perspective. I have not yet watched the movie, so I cannot say how the book compares to it. I can, however, say that this is a truly enjoyable read and accessible, albeit on different levels, to readers of all ages.