True Grit

I saw the Cohen Brothers' version of this book, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld when it was in theaters and was very curious about how closely it may or may not have followed the book. I have to say they followed Portis's book very closely. Now onto my review of the book.

Mattie Ross is a 14 year old girl from Arkansas who seeks the assistance of Rueben “Rooster” Cogburn, a federal marshall with true grit, to help her find the coward Tom Chaney, who shot and killed her unarmed father. Mattie is the eldest child, and upon retrieving her father's body to send home for burial, she decides that the man who killed her father must stand trial for his actions in Arkansas, which leads to her seeking out a man with true grit, who can find Tom Chaney. When she hires Rooster Cogburn, her adventure begins.

I found Mattie to be a very honest narrator. I don't think it ever occurs to her that she should lie to anyone she meets. She always has an honest, straight forward answer, which at times come across as a bit self-righteous or snotty. I don't think Mattie is “snotty” per se, but she truly believes in right and wrong and that there is no “gray area”. Things are either right or they are wrong, and that's how she lives her own life, which is what leads her to hiring Rooster to help her find Tom Chaney.

Rooster is a hard, rough man. He has seen war, having fought for the Conferederates in the Civil War, and he has killed men (both in war and as a marshall). He is also a drunk. I can't say that his drinking necessarily made him a worse lawman in my opinion. I think Rooster uses alcohol to ease the pain of his past, it soothes his anger. As hard as he is, I also think he did develop a kind of respect and fatherly protection towards Mattie. She is, afterall, a child riding through Choctaw Nation to bring the coward Tom Chaney to justice for what he did.

Then, there's the Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef), who meets Mattie while she is staying in a boarding house, waiting for Rooster Cogburn to determine if he will let her hire him. His efforts to keep her from riding along in the hunt for Tom Chaney are squandered. I am sure LaBoeuf is not used to girls who are so strong-willed, sharp-tongued and stubborn as Mattie Ross.

Again, I loved this book. It's a fast read and Mattie's narration is strong. I liked Mattie. For all the preaching she did and the right v. wrong speeches she gave, she was a very strong girl focused on getting what she wanted – justice. I wish I had read this book before I saw True Grit though, but I have to say I'm not disappointed in the film version now that I have read the book. I am curious about how closely the original starring John Wayne follows the book but I don't think I'll be disappointed either. Very rarely have I come across a movie adapted from a book that I enjoyed, True Grit is one of these rare book to films categories. I think this is a book that I will read more than once during my life, and I'm looking forward to reliving Mattie's chase through Choctaw Nation with Rooster Cogburn and LaBoeuf.