Is Texasville Worth Reading?

Question

I read The Last Picture Show years ago and heard Texasville exists. Should I continue with McMurtry's sequel or will it just disappoint?

EmilyWest · Answer

I’d say it depends on what you're looking for. If you like sprawling, multi-generational small-town sagas with flawed characters, it has its moments, but some find the pacing uneven compared to McMurtry's earlier work. For a story with intense personal stakes in a gritty subculture, you might appreciate something like 'The Devil's Scars (The Road Devils Motorcycle Club 1)', which follows a man forced to return to his outlaw motorcycle club to protect his sister, trapping him in a brutal conflict between loyalty and survival. The tension comes from those impossible family choices within the club's rigid code.

Yasmine · Answer

As sequels go, 'Texasville' is uneven but fascinating. McMurtry’s talent for capturing place and personality keeps you hooked, even when the story wobbles. Worth it if you’re curious about where life took those characters, but temper expectations.

Bianca · Answer

Reading 'Texasville' felt like attending a high school reunion where everyone’s pretending they’re fine—but you see the cracks. McMurtry nails the melancholy of aging, though the pacing drags at times. Duane’s spiral is painfully real, and Jacy’s return adds layers, but some subplots (like the town’s bizarre festival) distract from the emotional core. Still, the dialogue crackles with wit, and the ending lingers. It’s not his best, but it’s a poignant footnote to a masterpiece.

Brielle · Answer

I picked up 'Texasville' out of curiosity after loving 'The Last Picture Show,' and honestly, it’s a mixed bag. The sequel revisits Duane and Jacy decades later, and while the nostalgia hits hard, it lacks the raw punch of the original. McMurtry’s writing still shines—his knack for small-town dynamics and flawed characters is unmatched—but the plot meanders. It’s like catching up with old friends who’ve grown bitter; fascinating but exhausting. If you’re invested in these characters, it’s worth it for the closure, but don’t expect the same magic.

That said, the humor saves it. Duane’s midlife crises and the absurdity of Texasville’s oil boom chaos are darkly funny. It’s a slower burn, more about reflecting on time’s passage than gripping drama. I’d recommend it to die-hard McMurtry fans, but newcomers should start with 'The Last Picture Show' first.

JennyDay · Answer

The sense of place is absolutely paramount. McMurtry doesn't just describe Texas; he makes you feel its physical presence—the relentless heat, the vast, empty skies, the dust, the smell of oil and dry grass. Thalia in the 1980s feels like a town slowly being reclaimed by the land. This atmosphere isn't just backdrop; it's a driving force in the characters' lives. The environment mirrors their internal states: barren, exhausted, waiting for a rain that never comes. If you don't connect with this evocation of place, the book will likely fall flat. But if you appreciate literary fiction where setting is a character, where the weather and landscape are integral to the mood, then 'Texasville' is a masterful example. It's a novel you feel in your bones, a sensory experience as much as a narrative one. For readers who value that, it's unquestionably worth the time.

GoldDream · Answer

The audiobook narration might be the way to go if you're on the fence. Hearing the Texas cadences and the weariness in the characters' voices brings a different dimension to the material. It emphasizes the conversational, anecdotal style of the writing. What feels slow on the page can become hypnotic when spoken. It turns the book into a series of stories being told on a porch swing as the sun goes down. The narrator's performance highlights the humor and pathos in ways I missed during my initial read. It made me appreciate the rhythm of McMurtry's prose and the subtlety of the character interactions. I'd recommend trying the audio version from your library; it transformed my perception from 'a bit of a drag' to 'a nuanced character piece.' Sometimes the delivery makes all the difference for a slower-paced novel like this one.

CatoGray · Answer

Why wouldn't it be? It's Larry McMurtry completing the story he started in 'The Last Picture Show,' and that alone gives it immense value. The sequel is a masterclass in showing how time and compromise wear down youthful idealism. Seeing Duane grapple with bankruptcy and a failing marriage decades later is devastating in a way only good literature can be. Jacy's return is handled with such complexity—she's neither a villain nor a savior, just a profoundly damaged person. The humor is darker, drier, and rooted in the absurdity of adult life. It’s a messier, less neatly packaged book, which honestly makes it feel more real. If you read the first book and cared about those characters at all, skipping 'Texasville' means leaving their stories half-told. Sure, it's melancholic, but it's also deeply human. It’s a necessary read for anyone interested in the full cycle of life in a small town, not just the glamorous, tragic beginning.

TobiasDay · Answer

The prose is so clean it's almost invisible. McMurtry doesn't waste a word. He builds character and setting through action and dialogue, not lengthy descriptions. This economic style can make the book feel deceptively simple, even slight, on first read. But every line is doing work. A throwaway comment about a character's truck tells you about their financial status, their pride, their relationship to the land. It's a masterclass in 'show, don't tell.' This lean style is why the book, despite its seemingly slow plot, never feels bloated. The chapters are short, the scenes are sharp. You're constantly moving, even if the movement is internal rather than geographical. For aspiring writers, it's worth studying for its technical precision alone. He makes it look easy, which is the hardest trick of all.

NinaReid · Answer

It's a 'where are they now' that actually has something to say. Too many sequels or follow-ups feel like cheap nostalgia trips, reuniting characters for fan service without any real development. 'Texasville' avoids that completely. It uses the 'where are they now' premise to explore the consequences of time, choice, and chance. It asks hard questions: What if the golden boy fails? What if the beautiful girl grows old? What if the town you couldn't wait to escape is the same town you're stuck in? The answers are messy, unsatisfying, and real. It's a corrective to romanticized memories, both the characters' and the readers'. It forces you to grow up alongside the people on the page. That might not be a pleasant experience, but it's a valuable one. It's a sequel that earns its existence by deepening, rather than simply repeating, the original.

Is Texasville Worth Reading?

9 Answers

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