True Grit
1968 • 224 pages
Ratings48
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings48
Average rating4.1
True Grit is Charles Portis' most famous novel--first published in 1968. 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.
Reviews with the most likes.
I read rave reviews about the book after watching the John Wayne movie (I've not seen the more recent remake), and I expected it to be fabulous. However, although the narration by Mattie does add something to the reading experience, aside from the ending that was softened for the movie the plot is exactly the same and so held little in the way of suspense or surprise for me. Barring that element, there was not much else to it, so I'm a little baffled by all the praise.
One of my favorite movies. I'd never read the book, I couldn't believe how faithful an adaptation it was. Mattie Ross is a legend. Also, the dialogue in this book is just incredible.
Just an amazing book. I was a little disappointed that my favorite scene from the movie wasn't in the book, but was a Coen Brothers invention. At the same time, I was impressed by how faithful an adaptation the movie is – the added scene(s) fit perfectly, and the small bits and characters that were removed aren't missed.
One of the best aspects of the movie was the dialogue, the clever back-and-forth with occasional lapses into the surreal. Not only are all the major exchanges lifted directly from the book, but as it's a first-person narration, the book has that same quality of voice on every page.
