Written in 1985, this book became an American classic—deservedly so.  The narrative follows two retired Texas Rangers who decide to leave Lonesome Dove and venture to Montana for a new chapter of their lives.  They are accompanied on this journey by a cast of misfit characters. The characters in the novel are richly portrayed and the fact that nearly all of them are ill-suited for the stories life gives them is one of the brilliant themes of the book.

Set in the post-Civil War lawless west, the author’s descriptions of the land and weather are graphic and sensuous, leaving the reader feeling both the discomforts and grandeur of it all. 

The use of different points of view in the novel give us deep psychological insight into many of the characters.  We are privy to their feelings, logic, defense mechanisms, and thought processes. Each character is incredibly complex, and the reader comes to care about them, even when frustrated by their choices.

Because we care about the characters, the novel is full of suspense—one chapter after another once it gets rolling.  Death is all over the place in the novel—and how people face it and how they adjust to it is a major theme in the book.

The dialogue is outstanding.  Humor runs throughout the book, one of the healthy ways the characters cope with their challenges.  

The most entertaining character in the book is Gus, one of the retired rangers.  The man can’t shut up.  But his Tennessee/Texas/rural idioms and twang and humor and philosophy are mesmerizing.

I listened to the book on Audible and look forward to getting a copy and reading it again.  Something I rarely do.