Review: Dead Man's Walk

I have read some of the Lonesome Dove books by Larry McMurtry, although my memory is a tad fuzzy on which ones, and I've seen the Lonesome Dove mini-series several times (and highly recommend!). I decided to embark on a re-read/read for the first time of the series, and this time I decided to go in chronological order rather than publication order.

If you are not familiar with the series, traditional/publication order is:

• Lonesome Dove
• Streets of Laredo
• Dead Man's Walk
• Comanche Moon

Chronological order is:

• Dead Man's Walk
• Comanche Moon
• Lonesome Dove
• Streets of Laredo

If you're only going to read one, Lonesome Dove is THE read. Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon tell you the back story of the main characters of Lonesome Dove, Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae. Streets of Laredo is (roughly) a sequel to Lonesome Dove. 

This was my first read of Dead Man's Walk, and I will say that for me it does not live up to Lonesome Dove. (Which, I suppose, argues for reading it in publication order if you're not sure where to start). The principle charm of the book, for me, required already knowing Gus and Call - recognizing their personalities in a younger version of them was fun, and seeing the set up for some their later adventures was also fun. Call, I think, got the best character development as you can see the seeds of him growing to the boss he later will be. I do not think they are nearly as memorable if you do not already know them. This is perhaps not surprising, as those two characters in Lonesome Dove are hard to live up to. 

McMurtry has a reputation as being one of THE readers to read if you enjoy westerns, and he certainly brings out that rough and tumble Western style that most readers are looking for. You can tell it is a bit older; the portrayal of the Native Americans (called Indians by the soldiers, of course), is not as nuanced as one might wish today. 

Overall, it's not as good as Lonesome Dove, but it is a good set up to the later story. And, if you've already read Lonesome Dove, it's a fun look at some of their earlier adventures. It's also a quick read, so if it doesn't live up to expectations it isn't a huge time sink. Overall, for McMurtry fans or Lonesome Dove fans, I think it's worth the read.