I got hooked through the film adaptation of 'The Last Picture Show'. The black-and-white cinematography, the aching loneliness of the town—it captured the book's soul. I sought out the novel immediately after. Sometimes the best starting point isn't a book at all. A great adaptation can serve as the perfect 'trailer' for an author's world. So maybe check out the movie or the 'Lonesome Dove' miniseries. If the vibe grabs you, you'll know which book to pick up.
Hmm. I see a lot of love for the frontier stuff, but what about his later novels set in contemporary D.C. or elsewhere, like 'The Colonel and the Little Bird'? Are those worth diving into early, or are they more for completists after the Texas stuff?
Honestly, just look at the covers in a used bookstore and pick the one whose title or worn-out spine speaks to you. 'All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers' is a great title, right? That's how I chose my first McMurtry. There's something to be said for a random, serendipitous entry into an author's world. It feels less like homework and more like an adventure.
Go with the flow of what's available. I stumbled into McMurtry because a beat-up copy of 'Texasville' (the sequel to 'The Last Picture Show') was on a free shelf. I loved its mid-life crisis angst and humor, then went back to read the original. There's no wrong door into his work. Libraries, used bookstores, even seeing a movie adaptation—just start wherever his work finds you. The connections and the bigger picture will sort themselves out as you go.
Let's be real: most people will tell you 'Lonesome Dove'. And they're right. But if you're the type who rebels against the obvious choice, go for 'Leaving Cheyenne'. It's a love triangle spanning decades, written with such tenderness and harsh truth. It's a masterpiece in its own right, just on a smaller canvas. Starting with the less-hyped book can make falling in love with his writing feel like a personal discovery, which is a special kind of joy.
2026-07-23 00:14:06
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Look at his portraits of marriage. In 'Duane's Depressed', a man's quiet midlife crisis is rendered with such patience and absurdity. In 'The Last Picture Show', you see young, desperate couplings. His style treats relationships as ongoing negotiations, rarely sources of pure bliss.
The essential book might be the one where you see a relationship dynamic that mirrors something you recognize. That's where his style stops being 'writing' and starts feeling like truth.
I don't think there's a wrong way, but there is a best way. Start with 'Lonesome Dove.' Just read that one book. Sit with it for a week. Let it breathe. Then decide if you want more. If you do, and you want to see how it all ends, go to 'Streets of Laredo.' If you finish 'Lonesome Dove' and you're just dying to spend more time with Gus and Call in their prime, then loop back to the prequels. Let your own reaction to the first book guide you. It's such a personal story that a rigid order feels almost disrespectful to the experience.
My granddad handed me 'Sackett's Land' when I was twelve. It's the chronological start of the Sackett saga, following Barnabas coming from England to the New World. For a pure historical adventure feel, it's still my favorite. You get the founding of the family's ethos.
Reading them in order, seeing the generations unfold across America, is a uniquely satisfying long-term project. It feels like growing a family tree made of grit and gun smoke.
If you like your Westerns with a strong sense of place, start with 'The Haunted Mesa'. It's a weird one, blending the West with speculative elements. It shows he wasn't just writing formulaic horse operas. It's polarizing, but if you enjoy it, you'll know you're a fan of his range, not just one niche.