After reading five-hundred and sixty pages about Larry McMurtry I have learned much about the man and writer I knew little about. At one point in my reading career I did read quite a few of his books alongside the fiction of Thomas McGuane and Jim Harrison. I was sort of into the West during that time in my life. Of course I was already familiar with the film The Last Picture Show. I liked McMurtry’s writing okay, and I did enjoy the Lonesome Dove series on television. But then I sort of fizzled out until a research project I was involved in a couple years ago brought me to his historical fiction titled Crazy Horse which I did like very much. I suppose I read this book to discover more about Larry McMurtry, which did not disappoint. I too have been in the rare book business since 1995, so we also had that in common. Plus for years I’ve been a huge fan of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, Neal Cassaday, and the rest of the gang so this book shed more light on those relationships as well.

I have to admit I was not too familiar with Larry McMurtry’s work. I was aware he had written “Last Picture Show” and “Lonesome Dove,” but I had never read these nor had seen the films. I have seen “Terms of Endearment” and “Brokeback Mountain,” but I did not get a sense of his style from these. His son, James McMurtry, is an awesomely talented musician whose music I have enjoyed for years, but Larry was only a vaguely famous name.

Tracy Daugherty has put together an all-encompassing biography of McMurtry; exhaustive at 560 pages. McMurtry was not a man who just sat in his house and wrote books. Book collecting and book selling were huge obsessions of his. He tried in vain to establish his tiny childhood town of Archer City as a major book center.

As I read on, I did go out of my way to stream some of the screen adaptations of his work. I watched “Hud,” “The Last Picture Show,” and the first season of “Lonesome Dove.” It was pointed out that audiences parted with a romantic view of these lives, while McMurtry’s aim was to strip away our illusions. Hollywood paid well, however, and he found it within the bounds of his conscience to compose the profitable sequels for Dove.

The book explores the many relationships he had with well-known celebrities including Cybill Shepherd and Diane Keaton. We see him hobnobbing with politicians and socialites, as well.

I suppose a comprehensive study of an author’s life should cover as much as possible, but this was much too much for my interest. I can see myself reading some of his work in the future, particularly his portrayal of Texas, but my interest peaked much too early in this book.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Larry McMurtry by Tracy Daugherty is a thought provoking look at one of our greatest authors! I first read The Last Picture Show in high school. Seeing the book brought to film gave the story a whole new life. I’ve read over a dozen of his great books. 📚 Even my creative writing teacher in college, Harry Crews, read the class excerpts of Mr. McMurtry’s writings. Daugherty’s research reminds us that his work will live on for years. Finally, it is amazing to think that he was so focused that he wrote every morning which some authors do not do. I look forward to exploring more of McMurtry’s many works.

Competent and well-researched biography of Larry McMurtry. I thoroughly enjoyed it on the whole, but did find it a tad repetitive on occasion. I kept feeling that I was reading the same information – sometimes even the same sentence! – yet again. A bit of editing wouldn’t have come amiss. I was also a bit surprised that fully a third of the book comprised notes. That’s an awful lot of notes for what turned out to be not such a long book after all. However, I learnt about McMurtry and his writing and that’s what a biography is for, so I guess the book can be considered a success.

It's complicated to read a mediocre biography of one your favorite authors. At times this book has great insight and connection to Larry, his people, his motivations and his writing. At other times, information is lost in too many parentheses and out of order. I'm thankful to have read it, but it took effort to stick with it.

I started this book but didn't finish it. The book did not make me like or care for Larry McMurtry any more than when I started reading. In fact, it made me sour toward him which I did not want. The audiobook narrator added to this distaste and I did not enjoy listening.

4.5 stars. This is a really readable biography of Larry McMurtry. He was a prolific writer of both great and not so great books. The first half of McMurtry's life makes for super interesting reading, and I could hardly put this book down. McMurtry was like a character in his books. The second half was less comepelling and seemed less insightful. Overall a good read.

Daugherty's book goes deep into the complete life of Larry McMurtry. I learned more about him that I could have ever expected. I enjoyed the in-depth explanation/examination of McMurtry's writing style and preferences. If you have ever been curious about the man behind the books, then this is the biography for you. The book flows in a few parts- Early life, success and marriage, etc.

Heads up, Daughtry uses some ableist language and outdated terminology in reference to mental illness that seems out of place in a modern work.
This book is long and slightly repetitive, but still overall interesting and worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I learned a lot about author Larry McMurty in this but considering the only thing I knew about him before this was that he was an author say that wasn't hard.

Thank you to the author Tracy Daugherty, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a digital review copy. All views are mine.

Biographies are interesting, because there are, in essence, two main character's the reader can respond to: the biographer's subject, and the biographer himself. The reader gets to know the subject most obviously through the details related on the pages. Getting to know the biographer requires the reader to weigh the significance of the details the biographer has chosen to include, and to speculate, therefore, what may have been excluded, if anything. The reader needs to measure the biographer's tone, and notice any judgments he makes, if he does. Biographers aren't objective judges, but storytellers with a tale to sell. Will the reader take up their yarn, or happily unravel it?

In my reading of Larry McMurtry: a life, I connected with neither the biographer nor the subject. I found the picture drawn in this book of McMurtry to be quite childish and prurient. That the biographer took up this thread with such gusto-- discussing little else but McMurtry's troubled marriage and want for sexual freedom for the first third of the book-- made it impossible to tell just who was so obsessed with Mr. McMurtry's bedroom.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I originally picked up this ARC because I'm so fascinated with this figure who wasn't a western man, no cowboy, but wrote some of the genre's finest pieces of work. That takes skill and research, but also a significant empathy, to achieve. In general, I don't see much empathy in McMurtry's history, but there are instances and they shine out. Such as when John Rechy published City of Night in 1963, which included queer themes, McMurtry was one of Rechy's few contemporaries to take it seriously: While other critics made poor jokes or disparaging moral judgments about Rechy, McMurtry declared the book was not about sex, but was, rather, a brilliant portrait of human loneliness. Loc. 1734

2. I enjoy the moments when Daugherty writes about McMurtry's writing life, like when his definitely excellent work gets rejected for political reasons ("too dirty"), his struggle to meet the demands while filling the role of teacher, and handling renown in its various manifestations.

3. I adore the history in the book, where it doesn't involve McMurtry's or Kesey's romantic lives. Kesey threatened to abandon literature and stage still-ill-defined "happenings," claiming that life is too absurd for the "stately grace of novels." This is elucidating, but also hilarious. Stately grace-- have a read of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Inarguably brilliant, but let me know where you find stately grace!

4. I much prefer the perils of having her here to the blankness of not, and I think with luck we will all come through finally, if only to old age. Loc. 3362 😭😭

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. This book is too long, at 550 pages. Most of the material is repetitive.

2. Biographies sometimes take a shape, whether the author is seeking to paint the subject in a certain light (generous, for example, or kind) or as a certain type of figure (a businessperson maybe, or person of faith). Daugherty opts for a fairly straightforward chronological shape, which in this case contributes to the length and pacing issues, and I also think he missed some good narrative opportunities.

3. The biographer, Tracy Daugherty, is seriously ablist against mental illness, including blaming mental instability for a bombing that affected his subjects in September of 1959, even though in contemporary times we try to eschew placing such stigmatizing weight on psychological makeup for criminal behavior. He then describes in one of his subjects, Jo, a classic trauma response to the bombing, but calls it "insecurity" and blames it on her lack of routine, comparing her to McMurtry, whose rigid routine apparently made him respond better to the bombing. Or so we are to understand. But McMurtry was not present for the bombing, and Jo was, which better explains their differences in trauma reaction. Where Daugherty interprets events like this, his personal prejudices show.

4. “I don’t know a wife I respect more.” Loc. 2297. McMurtry says this about Kesey's wife, who is permissive about her husband's carousing, cheating, and troublemaking, and who allows herself to be controlled in the marriage. I can't think of one figure in this book that I respect at all.

5. Quite often, Daugherty presents two pieces of information in close proximity that create conflicting images if who McMurtry was, especially romantically. For example, 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘒𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 loc. 3337 and in the very next paragraph, he writes, 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘺... loc. 3344, but he doesn't connect the two details logically.

6. Friends thought he was manic-depressive. Loc. 4367. This is a book written in contemporary times. Granted, it's about a writer of the modern era. However, I think the biographer has a responsibility to use language that has current meaning. Manic-depressive means practically nothing now, and Daugherty should use language that does, at least alongside the antiquated term.

7. The form of the book seems to be Acts. Act I. McMurtry sows his wild seeds. Act II. McMurtry settles into himself, having married and discovered some success, etc.

Ratings (Nonfiction):
Style                  3.8
Voice                 3.5
Themes             2.0
Narrative            3.5
Organization     3.0
Overall Rating    3.16

Star Rating: 3🌟
Recommend? No
Finished: August 1, September 17 2023

<B>The Publisher Says: A biography of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry from <I>New York Times</i> bestselling author Tracy Daugherty.</b>

In over forty books, in a career that spanned over sixty years, Larry McMurtry staked his claim as a superior chronicler of the American West, and as the Great Plains’ keenest witness since Willa Cather and Wallace Stegner. <I>Larry McMurtry: A Life</i> traces his origins as one of the last American writers who had direct contact with this country’s pioneer traditions. It follows his astonishing career as bestselling novelist, Pulitzer-Prize winner, author of the beloved <i>Lonesome Dove</I>, Academy-Award winning screenwriter, public intellectual, and passionate bookseller. A sweeping and insightful look at a versatile, one-of-a-kind American writer, this book is a must-read for every Larry McMurtry fan.

<B>I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review</b>: First, I want to salute Tracy Daugherty, fellow Texan and indefatigable researcher. This is a thoroughly sourced book withe compendious endnotes hyperlinked in the DRC I read. Some things didn't really need so much sourcing, being opinions of interviewees, but too much beats too little all hollow in non-fiction. More especially in the notes because reading them is entirely optional. I do it because I'm a fussbudget. I don't often comment about it either way, but here it's appropriate...a William Zinsser opinion from <I>The American Scholar Magazine</i> impressed me by being so niche a quote and being checkably sourced, I felt compelled to bring it up.

Then, I want to diss Larry McMurtry, petulant whiny adolescent of great age. No matter where he was, he was dissatisfied by it; no matter who he knew, he critiqued them with a flensing-knife of an eye; yet his curmudgeonliness gave the world some impressive art and a lot of filler. He had honesty enough to know it, though, that's a saving grace.

He was an inveterate lover of women. Married or not, he was always glad to meet another lady...with predictable results for the existing relationship...but he wasn't always sexually involved with them. He really just loved women as beings. His writing partner was Diana Ossana, and their closeness created a collaboration that made Annie Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain" into a delight of a screenplay (one well worth reading on its own). He was friends with Merry Prankster and fellow novelist Ken Kesey, whose widow Faye he married in 2011—a decade after Kesey's death in 2001. This was a man who, in spite of a pretty spiky personality, could sustain a friendship!

He identified as a Texan. That in spite of his flensing-knife eye seeing, and his venom-filled pen chronicling, the failings of his fellow Texans in the gloriously angry <I>The Last Picture Show</i>, and his honest appraisal of Texas's self-aggrandizing mythology in the most famous book of his career <I>Lonesome Dove</i>. I think it's weird that people misinterpret <I>Lonesome Dove</i> as a celebration of the West, but that's another project that I can't tackle here. I rated this book more highly than my enjoyment of its subject would've led me to do because I so enjoyed reading McMurtry's opinions of the fans of his books. I'm not going into details because spoilers but this was one serious curmudgeon.

That's where I ran into a problem. I ended up knowing McMurtry better but not liking him more. This wasn't promised to me, so I'm not complaining that I was led to believe something was going to be offered that was not. I wasn't his biggest fan, actively disliking <I>Texasville</i> and the sequels to <I>Lonesome Dove</i>; but I always admired his clearsightedness. Now I know what I do about him as a person, I don't see it as clearsightedness any more. He was a chronic fault-finder who made, so far as I could tell or the author reported to me, no effort to use this in any constructive way in his own life. The consequences are predictable, and largely suffered by others.

That moody snort aside, I am sure that my world is enriched by his work, and I'm glad that this fascinating, difficult man came along to tell us all about our dirty, grubby, grasping, grouchy selves. I expect my Young Gentleman Caller is on to something when he remarked, "he reminds me of you."

This was a fascinating look at this iconic writer who lived a full life.I am a fan of his books especially Lonesome Dove.Tracy Daugherty digs deep into his life both personal and professional.Enjoyed reading about his love life the stars he was involved with also his love of books the bookstore he opened.Will be recommending.#netgalley #st.martins

This just isn't for me. Kudos to the author for the extensive research he has done and done very well but the book is way too long, even the chapters are long. I find myself forcing myself to read and trying to find Larry McMurtry amidst all the minutiae of Texas history, etc. It feels like reading a term paper that definitely deserves an A but I don't feel like I know Larry McMurtry at all.

I know I am in the minority but perhaps I am not as big a fan as I thought. I really loved Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture Show but I guess the man behind the books doesn't interest me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

Lonesome Dove is a classic that I have loved for years but I knew nothing about it's author! This book changed that!

What I loved:
1. It was so interesting to read about the Old West which inspired McMurtry so much - experiences that shaped his life and writing.
2. The description of the world events that happened during each period of his life - helped bring the book to life and gave context to his writing and behaviors.
3. I loved learning that he was at heart a book collector and seller!!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book!

The man behind the epic book and one of the absolute best western epics, Lonesome Dove, was Larry McMurtry.
Born in Texas, McMurtry’s heart lie within the west and the stories he penned that made the western life of old come alive for millions of readers.
I knew nothing about the man until reading this biography. It’s a weighty tome and it’s full of Larry.
The thing that stuck with me was how he turned his old hometown into a library in the 1980s. That is so cool!

I received an advanced copy of the biography of Larry McMurtry from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. The research by Tracy Daugherty is impressive. I was not a huge fan of Larry McMurtry when I began reading this biography, but quickly decided I need to read more of his books. The author shows us, the reader, the complexity of human nature. Larry was loveable, then he wasn't. He was humble, then he wasn't. What a brilliant, complex writer!
Thank you #netgalley, #stmartinspress, #tracydaugherty, #larrymcmurtry

When I turned 18, one of my cousins took me to see The Last Picture Show. I loved it and had to read the book. That Is what turned me into a fan of Larry McMurty. His books bring to life a part of Texas that is the true life of my home state. The book tells of our past and the people who worked on this land and built our cities. and our culture. It spans over 60+ years of our history. I really appreciate author Tracy Daugherty capturing that aspect of this amazing author's life and work
This biography is not simply a story of a famous writer. It is a history of Texas and our literary world. I learned a lot from this book. He was born and bred in West Texas but I was surprised he lived in Houston and went to college there Houston has always had a history of being a bad town and it was interesting to learn some if it's early history. He also taught at University of North Texas. and his wife attended Texas Woman's University both in Denton. I attended both schools but way after he left. And he lived in Fort Worth too and taught at TCU. He didn't like it How. did I not know that???? My dad went there and he didn't like it either. 🙂
In addition to McMurtry's personal history within the vast history of Texas, the author talked about McMurtry 'passion for books. He lived in a time where the book industry was really taking off and he was friend to many authors at that time. He wanted to read everything and spent a lot of time tracking down rare books especially from Texas authors. His venture into book stores is a natural move and a successful one. I also enjoyed reading his opinions on books like Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. (he wasn't a fan)
There is so much to this biography I have only touched the surface of this incredible book. If you are a fan like me,or a Texan who likes reading about famous Texans and/ are lover of books and author biographies, you should read this book. It is packed full of history and is never dull.
Thank you Net Galley, St Martin's Press and author Tracy Dougherty for giving me the chance to read this terrific biography of such a great author and a fascinating literary person. As a fan and a native Texan, it was an honor to have the opportunity to read and I give my opinion freely and with great enthusiasm.

I received a complimentary copy of this excellent biography from Netgalley, author Tracy Daugherty, and Sara Eslami at St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Larry McMurtry of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend it to friends and family - This is an exceptional look into the life that made McMurtry the writer we all adore, as well as a good, deep look into Texas and the lifestyle that is still available there. I would give it ten stars if I could.

Larry McMurtry A Life is a comprehensive biography written by Tracy Daugherty. Larry McMurtry was both a prolific novelist and talented screenwriter, His Pulitzer Prize for Lonesome Dove guarantees his place in literary history. Larry McMurtry’s love of wide open spaces came from growing up on a ranch in Texas and that influenced both his writing and personality. Even though his career brought him into close contact with famous people on both the east and west coasts, he always maintained a soft spot for Texas. This biography is entertaining at times as the author writes about Larry McMurtry’s experiences and his many friendships with both men and women. At times this biography almost contains too many details. But at just the right moment, Tracy Daugherty includes some humorous glimpses into Larry McMurtry’s full life. If you enjoy biographies, this is a book for you. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book.

I've read every Larry McMurtry book. Superfan? Perhaps.

That said, I maybe shouldn't have read this. McMurtry seemed to be a restless soul. Never quite happy where he was, always wanted to be somewhere else. While I can recognize that wanderer spirit, it still made me sad that he wasn't really able to enjoy the little things, or really even the success of all of his work.

This is well written but maybe for just a casual fan.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.