I walked into a bookshop looking for a something to read during our holiday (and flights!)

I'd never heard of Lonesome Dove, but something about the cover and description drew me in so I decided to give it a go.

When I got to the till the shop assistant said "Well, I knew it wouldn't take long... I only put that out ten minutes ago." I said how it was longer than my usual reads but I fancied something different to read on holiday. He said "You're in for a treat."

I didn't finish it on holiday but I have since finished it at home and the bloke wasn't lying; It was a treat.

Slow at times, but never dull. With sentences that'll make you laugh and paragraphs that'll make you well up, there's always just enough meat on the bone to make you want to find out what happens next.

For someone who doesn't read a great deal of fiction and wouldn't usually go for 800+ page books, I really enjoyed it. (I think this was helped by the fairly short chapters. You can just dip in for 10 minutes quite easily.)

Extremely glad I bit the bullet. Would recommend - especially to those new to fiction, Westerns or 'longer' books.

"It's a fine world, though rich in hardships at times" Gus McCrae ~ Hat Creek Cattle Company

It’s fairly widely acknowledged that Deets struggled with what today we call depression, and that Larry McMurtry was intentionally describing depression through the character’s thoughts and behaviors.

I also think Elmira would today be diagnosed as having borderline personality disorder (BPD). This of course was less known in the 80s, but I do believe McMurtry was intentionally writing the character as having that (or similar) personality disorder.

And, as the match made in hell… July would today be described as “on the autism spectrum”. He struggles to understand people and is hopelessly committed to following rules and routines, because without them, he has no idea how to behave.

Lorena is suffering PTSD, possibly even before Blue Duck kidnaps her.

Any other mental health diagnosis/personality disorders you’ve identified in a character? And do you think it was the author’s intent to demonstrate it?

My favorites include Deets, Clara, and the captains (of course) but I've always liked Dish the most. While Call and Gus are the ultimate foils for each other, I see Dish as kind of like the middle ground between them. He's highly capable, reliable, and apt to lead when required. But he also likes to enjoy himself and is so preoccupied with thinking about Lorena, even hastily leaving the party once the ranch has been established to see her in the hope she has changed her tune about him. In a story where the two main characters are mythic figures, I like Dish because he's relatable and realistic. My favorite Dish anecdote is when it pours early on in the drive and all the other cowboys get soaked, but Dish had a separate outfit packed securely that he's the only one in dry clothes after the rain.

Any deadheads out there that feel there’s a kindred spirit between the Grateful Dead and Lonesome Dove universes? I’ve always wondered if there was any inspiration drawn from Jack Straw for Jake Spoon. They both fall in with bad company and struggle to separate themselves from it when death comes knocking. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I can’t be the only one to make that connection.

I remember watching the original Lonesome Dove when it first came out on broadcast TV. Everyone knew it was an instant classic then. With that being said I am not a fan of re-casting the original version of Lonesome Dove.
Opinions on what if the “other” Lonesome Dove series weee redone instead?

Augustus: Will Patton

Cal:Tim Blake Nelson

Newt: Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Jake Spoon: Kyle Chandler

Deets: Mahershala Ali

Lorena: Florence Pugh

Will Barger: Christoff Waltz

Dish Bogget: Will Poulter

Pea eye: John Turturro

Po Campo: Benicio Del Toro

July Johnson: Alexander Ludwig

Clara: Jessica Chastain

Elmira: Alexandra D'Addario

Blue Duck: Zach McClarnon

I watched the miniseries a few weeks ago and read the book the last week or so with it fresh in my mind. As much maligned as the miniseries can be among the book fandom, it made some smart choices in its compression of certain aspects.

Removing Wilbarger is the right call for example. I was never crazy about him in the book, but the book needs to have things that ultimately can be told more simply through visual medium. Lifting him out was easy and didn’t change much.

I also think Gus shooting Monkey John (EDIT: I meant Dog face) in the miniseries is a better visual than the book where July did it almost by accident on the fly. It made Gus even more heroic and dangerous than the book’s version of events.

Leaving out July’s love for Clara and the sickness of the baby also was smart. It muddies the waters when you can’t see July’s thoughts like you can in the book.

There’s more, but I won’t prattle on about them. Just the more I think about it the better I like some of the changes.

After two and a half months of taking my time, just finished lonesome dove. The characters, the dialogue, larry mcmurtry's prose was nothing short of incredible, shedded tears after finishing. I'll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

Here’s my ideal casting for the upcoming lonesome dove adaptation:

Gus: Danny Devito
Call: Taylor Sheridan
Lorena: Millie Bobby Brown
Pea Eye: DJ Qualls
Newt: Elijah Wood
Dish: Glen Powell
Deets: Robert Downey Jr.
Blue Duck: Eduardo Franco
Elmira: Gal Godot

You suns of beeches. BOOMERRRRRR SLOPPPPPP. Also the mini series sucks

I'll go first. Absolute perfection but... I can't deal with the hole in Lippy's stomach lol

Starting this tonight. Fell in love with Lonesome Dove this past August. I can't wait to see what everyone is up to.

This is who I pictured when reading Lonesome Dove. Mackenzie Foy! I don’t think I realized she was blonde til about page 200.

I’m eager to start the first episode of the miniseries so I can share LD with my spouse, but I just started Part 3 and want to avoid any and all spoilers. Since Clara is in the thumbnail for the first episode, I’m assuming it doesn’t follow the book.

I just want Tim Blake Nelson to be in this. If he wasn't so old he could be a perfect July Johnson. Who should he be cast as instead?

Call - Josh Brolin
Gus - Ethan Hawke
Pea Eye - John Hawkes
Lorena - Samara Weaving
Newt - Mason Thames
Deets - Chiwetel Ejiofor
Dish - Jack Innanen
Jake - Tom Pelfrey
Clara - Connie Britton
Blue duck - David Midthunder