True Grit in DC Public Library

Dec 03, 2021 Jamie Jones Hullinger rated it really liked it

Rounding up from a 3.5. I am glad I got to know Mattie Ross.

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Nov 01, 2010 Tony rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adapted-for-film, teen, novels, old-west

I'm not sure what more I can say than, "Wow!" I don't know if I've ever been more surprised by a book. I run across it a few times in the library and thought about checking it out, but then I kept remembering that John Wayne won his only Oscar in the movie version (which I haven't seen), and I don't really care for John Wayne, so that must have subconsciously led me to keep leaving it on the shelf. But, I finally picked it up, took it home, dipped into it -- and was instantly hooked. This is a g ...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I think that I would probably have given this book 5 stars, if I hadn't already seen the movie and known what happened. The version I read had a postscript by Donna Tartt, and she mentioned how we talk about books we love and one of the measures of that is if we reread the book. I could definitely see rereading this book. It was good and fast and I love Mattie's voice. ...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Jaq rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I loved this book, it was a page turner, and I loved it from the very first page, to the last. Thank you for writing this tale!

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Mar 06, 2013 Megan Reichelt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, historical, adult

14-year-old Mattie Ross has come to avenge her father's death. She is looking for a man of "true grit" to accompany her into Indian Territory to find Tom Chaney, the man who shot him, and she lights on the trigger-happy Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Together, stubborn, fierce and intelligent little Mattie and the dissolute, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants Rooster (and a fancy Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf) face gunmen, snakes, and dangerous conditions to bring Frank Ross' killer to justice.

This might be o 14-year-old Mattie Ross has come to avenge her father's death. She is looking for a man of "true grit" to accompany her into Indian Territory to find Tom Chaney, the man who shot him, and she lights on the trigger-happy Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Together, stubborn, fierce and intelligent little Mattie and the dissolute, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants Rooster (and a fancy Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf) face gunmen, snakes, and dangerous conditions to bring Frank Ross' killer to justice.

This might be one of my favorite books this year. Mattie is the definition of a bad-ass heroine. She is focused and does what needs to be done. She does not hem and haw. She will ask you for what she needs, and she will lean on you and negotiate with you until she gets it. She is unflinching, smart as a whip, straight-shooting and no nonsense. She has an incredibly refreshing voice, and there should be more characters like her.

I think the best part about her, though is that she has an incredibly open world view. She knows that her way of life is not the only way of life, and her talents and skills are not the ones to be valued. She has her opinions, but she lets other people have their own, and that is their own business. There is an incredibly touching paragraph early on when Mattie describes her mother: "Mama was never any good at sums and she could hardly spell cat. I do not boast of my own gifts in that direction. Figures and letters are not everything. Like Martha I have always been agitated and troubled by the cares of the day but my mother had a serene and loving heart. She was like Mary and had chosen 'that good part.'"

The meat of the story, however, lies in her relationship to Rooster. While he is highly reluctant to take her to the Indian Territory, even so far as ditching her at the ferry (she fords the river and chases him), his affection for her grows as she takes him to task for his flexible morals and lax discipline. Her esteem for him grows as he tells her the story of his life, protects her, and is there for her when it matters most.

Portis writes with deliciously dry wit. He creates highly-complex characters, and then just lets them at each other. Each argument ping-pongs back and forth, and you often end up agreeing with whoever spoke last. His wild west world and the language of the time is straight-forward and yet often times Shakespearean (I found the phrase "something touching her father's death" and conversations about Ophelia that subtly hearkened back to Hamlet and his search for revenge. )

I may go out and buy this book and read more of Portis' work. Though technically an adult book, I think its great for YA folks too! ...more

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Jan 28, 2018 Monica St. Dennis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, read-harder-challenge-2018

read harder challenge 2018: read a western

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Jun 12, 2012 Ruth rated it liked it

High 3. I wish I had read the book *before* watching the movie.

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Jun 25, 2021 Bill Rand rated it it was amazing

Absolute classic!

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Jul 15, 2014 Tom rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed reading this as much as McCarthy's the Crossing. It is a great story with just enough twists and turns to keep you from putting it down. I never thought stories of the Old West would be so compelling! Read it! You will quickly see how engrossing it is. ...more

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