Weston Park, Shropshire, UK International Three Day Event 3rd -7th Oct 2007 View On Black (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I’ve just finished reading True Grit, the 1968 novel by Charles Portis. Last year I read for the first time two of Portis’ books, Norwood and Dog of the South. I was really caught up in his writing during that time, but I avoided reading True Grit which by virtue of two movies made based on it, is his most well-known book. I like both the films. In their own ways both are excellent. The book is simply a treasure.
True Grit is a story recounted by a woman named Mattie Ross about a series of events that took place when she was 14 years old. Her father was murdered and Mattie set about hiring a US Marshal named Rooster Cogburn to track down and capture the murderer, with her in tow. Mattie chooses Marshall Cogburn because she has been told he is a man with true grit. The story is coloured by Mattie Ross’ opinions about the characters and the adventure as it unfolds.
It is little wonder two attempts have been made at capturing this novel in film versions. The novel is one of those books that is “just right” or “just so”. It was originally published in serial format in The Saturday Evening Post. It is presented as an adventure story, but I think it is about Mattie Ross the person – a character with a precocious and matter-of-fact ability to manage things thrown into a chaotic and unmanageable world.
If you haven’t read this book or if you think seeing one or both of the films will suffice, go find a copy of the book right now and read it.
So…what are you reading?
Related articles
- True Grit (2010) (mrmovietimes.com)
- Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers (fatbooks.org)
- Kick-Ass Women In Book Adaptations (huffingtonpost.com)
27th Street 
Not only have I not read True Grit, I didn’t even realize it was a novel. Must remedy that.
I am reading Runaway, a collection of short stories by the world’s great short story writer, Alice Munro. I love that she features recurring characters and a continuing story line in several of the stories.
It’s interesting reading books that were originally written in serial format, isn’t it? I recently read Little Dorrit which Dickens wrote in episodes for a magazine, too.
I think Portis made some changes to the text for the novel format. I would be interested in reading the actual serials and seeing what he changed.
I haven’t read Little Dorrit. I’ll put it on my list.