One thousand percent agree. I can't even bring myself to finish Streets of Laredo because I cannot say goodbye to the world McMurtry created. I haven't teared up at a book since I was a kid, but Lonesome Dove made it happen. I feel like all I've wanted to do since finishing Lonesome Dove in July... is talk about Lonesome Dove. It catapulted itself into my top 3 books list. I have to re-read Anna Karenina to decide which is better at this point. I wish Lonesome Dove was 1500+ pages.
Re:Good Riddance to Long Books
by karaterobot on Friday October 07, 2022 @05:05PM
(#33126844)
Yeah, I think his dismissal of the book in the article is pretty typical of people's approach before they read it:
> I’m simply not sure I have the will to face 839 pages of cowboys by an author I don’t know.
I don't blame him, I was the same way, but that book subverts expectations in the best possible way. The reason it won a Pulitzer despite having the baggage of being a "cowboy book" in the world of literary novels was because it's an undeniable artistic achievement, full stop. Part of that achievement is sustaining its effect throughout an epic length. In other words, the page count is a feature rather than a bug.
But yeah, in general, I think most books could be shorter and still be as effective, often moreso.