Welcome to Litsy!

Since I have the whole week off from work, I'll have plenty of time to read! So why not sign up for a holiday readathon?! #CozyChristmas

I see this only received a 33% rating on Litsy. I completely understand that people may not like it but upon finishing this book I immediately fell into a deep dive into all it had/still has raised within me. A love story, an escape into the deep woods of Montana, the writing, I was hearing the cadence of long lost relatives, the story-quick & to the point-has all the makings of a Western but it's completely Irish. Tom and Polly. The 10,000 (cont)

This is my second attempt with Barry and I have to conclude that he‘s not for me. I read 30 pages and it‘s choppy and nonsensical and I have no desire to continue.

#TOBlonglist

This is an exceptional novel that explores themes of friendship and loss. McMurtry masterfully portrays the Old West and the challenges faced by its inhabitants. It is a beautifully character-driven story.

Mixed feelings on this one. I continue to enjoy Patrick Dewitt's writing talent; this book has a particular style, different from The Librarianist, but seamless in matching the tone of the book: at once snappy and brutal, occasionally meandering and contemplative. It feels like DeWitt set out to write something that echoes the first generation of westerns/adventure books, 1/?

“Her laughter and this cold, fresh air...“
A good combination.

“We take turns.“ 😬🤦🏼‍♂️

I‘ve loved this book when I was a kid. And bought it in English a while ago, but reread it for the first time only now. And it was amazing. Very vivid depiction of the Canadian wilderness (I even looked up the places), gripping adventure, gorgeous romance. The dog‘s POV was masterfully woven into the narrative. I am immensely thankful for that ray of literary light in a truly horrible week that just passed.

None of McMurtry‘s characters feel typical or cliche. They‘re too real, glinting faulted. Call is a leader, rugged and resolute. To others, he is a coward. Gus with all his charm and bravery fills the role of a gentleman, yet forever remains a rambler without much direction.

I started to say that McMurtry writes women well but really, he writes people well. He treats the women characters the same as the men, full and human.

Like others here, I wanted to read more from Davies after Clear. I liked this one, a novel of obsession, the expansiveness of men‘s lives and the rapid narrowing of girls‘s as they become women. The ending is a tad preposterous but I liked it.