The Journal

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

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Decades after it blazed new territory in Western fiction, a beloved American classic rides again.

Written by Jenn Thornton

You can judge a book by its cover, but it might not be the original. Marking its 35th anniversary this year, Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lonesome Dove” features a new cover that lends the timeless classic a contemporary vibe. But the story of retired Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call is the same, only richer when revisited. Interestingly, the epic Western began as a screenplay where John Wayne was intended for the role of Call (later played by Tommy Lee Jones in the TV miniseries) but the movie never materialized—the truth is stranger than fiction, after all.

Buy now on Amazon. Proceeds benefit the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.


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