Lonesome DoveLonesome Dove
Score Classic
What it's about
In the dusty Texas border town of Lonesome Dove, two retired Texas Rangers, the talkative, easygoing Gus McCrae and the hard, silent Woodrow Call, run a small cattle business and have settled into old age. Then an old friend rides in with stories of unclaimed land in Montana, and they set out to drive a herd of cattle thousands of miles north, gathering cowboys, a former prostitute, outlaws and old debts along the way.
Why it's worth reading
It's the great American Western, and much more: a sweeping, funny, heartbreaking novel about friendship, love and the end of the frontier. Readers who think they don't like Westerns often call it one of the best books they've ever read.
You'll love it if you liked
East of Eden
Gone with the Wind
The Lord of the RingsGood to know
It's nearly 1,000 pages, and the first hundred are slow as the drive gets organized. The violence of the frontier is unflinching, and some deaths hit very hard.
By the numbers
- Readers100 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller50 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #3 of the 233 romances we rank
- #6 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #12 of the 762 classics we rank
- #41 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving, Epic
If you like this, read next
Pride and Prejudice
The Age of Innocence
Anna Karenina
Emma
David Copperfield
Their Eyes Were Watching GodExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Lonesome Dove worth reading?
Yes. It's the great American Western, and much more: a sweeping, funny, heartbreaking novel about friendship, love and the end of the frontier. It ranks #41 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 89.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Lonesome Dove about?
In the dusty Texas border town of Lonesome Dove, two retired Texas Rangers, the talkative, easygoing Gus McCrae and the hard, silent Woodrow Call, run a small cattle business and have settled into old age. Then an old friend rides in with stories of unclaimed land in Montana, and they set out to drive a herd of cattle thousands of miles north, gathering cowboys, a former prostitute, outlaws and old debts along the way.
How long does it take to read Lonesome Dove?
About 22 hours (866 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Lonesome Dove won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1986).
What should I read after Lonesome Dove?
If you liked it, try East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell or The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.