Author: Charles Portis
Genre: Western
Publisher: Overlook Press, 2002
Source: So I bought it for my dad for his birthday. Then he read it, loved it, and returned it to me so I could read it. I swear that was not my motive
Read for: Fun
So, once there was this spunky girl named Mattie Ross whose father was killed by a man that he had helped quite a bit (which, by the way, would land him in the very deepest circle of hell, according to Dante). Determined to see justice delivered, Mattie heads to the scene of the crime, takes care of her father's business, and hires Marshall Rooster Cogburn to take her father's killer down (choosing Cogburn because he had "true grit" and was the meanest marshall of them all). Determined to see that the job is done correctly, Mattie joins the somewhat unwilling Marshall and a Lone Ranger also determined to bring Tom Chaney to justice.
Even if this book had no other merits, Mattie Ross would carry it. She is the real character with "true grit;" she will never relent until her father's death is avenged. Brutally honest, indomitably determined, and yet completely practical, her insistence on finding Tom Chaney and having him imprisoned and killed on her terms is heartbreaking, but becomes impressive as she begins to put her plans into action and have success. The novel was told in her voice, and I loved being inside her Bible-quoting, inflexible, tough head. I am amazed at Portis' ability to write a compelling female character so very believably.
The story itself is also quite exciting. If you have seen the movie, it is one of the closest plot followings I have ever seen -- hardly anything was left out. And it is action packed. We are talking severed appendages, burning buildings, raided trains, and rattlesnake pits. The book is short and it makes every page count.
Honestly, while I enjoyed this book, I don't have much to say for it -- it is so succinct and well done that attempting to reconstruct it in words feels like a useless exercise. If you enjoy westerns and literary writing, you've probably already read it. If you don't enjoy westerns but do enjoy a great story, give this one a chance. It'll be even better than playing cowboy games was when you were a kid.
4 stars
Warnings: Violence. You know, severed appendages, burning buildings, rattlesnake pits, the works.
