True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross, who is just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash. Mattie leaves home to avenge her father's blood. With the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshal, by her side, Mattie pursues the homicide into Indian Territory. True Grit is eccentric, cool, straight, and unflinching, like Mattie herself. From a writer of true status, this is an American classic through and through. This mass-market edition includes an afterword by award-winning Donna Tartt, author of The Little Friend and The Secret History.

Item Information Item Information

Format: TradePaperback
Author: Portis, Charles
ISBN: 9781468306293
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 7.42 x 0.69
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Year: 2012

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A classic Western revenge story.

Tanner A. - 7 years 10 months ago

This book, which has been adapted into film twice, is narrated by the main character, Mattie Ross, an unusually single-minded fourteen-year-old girl whose motivation is clear within the first page. She wants revenge for the murder of her father and is determined to get justice one way or another. In doing so, she recruits Rooster (John Wayne's character in the movie) and Labeouf, a Texas Ranger. The characters were surprisingly well-rounded, and it is full of action and suspense. This classic story is just that for a reason - and definitely worth a read.
HPB Staff Review
High praise for a classic novel.

Jacob V. - 8 years 2 months ago

A western set in the post-civil war Indian Territories of Oklahoma, True Grit is- on its surface- a revenge tale. It is the first-hand account of one youth's quest to find her father's killer, and it is flawless in its execution. Through the plucky, nave eyes of a childhood memory, the story examines hard reality in the hard setting of the old west, juxtaposing it with enough humor to highlight the absurdity of the era. The story is written entirely in the voice of the protagonist, a "gimmick" that never turns on the reader. The prose is fresh and delicious, and shaped in such a way to remove any doubt in the narrator's reliability. Even in the youth's naivet and admiration, there is a character driven objectivity that grants veracity to the bold events of the plot and character of the players. The characters are possibly the greatest features of this already great novel. The key persons are cruel, villainous, bold, humorous, and determined in the face of loss, injustice, and societies' censure. And often in the same character. True Grit is a classic western novel, and with good reason: it is an amazing piece of literature. Charles Portis's work stands tall in the genre, and is a must read for anyone who loves adventure.
HPB Staff Review

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A classic Western revenge story.

High praise for a classic novel.