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__ (Powell's Books, 1994) __ __True Grit__ by Charles Portis Review by Kevin McGrath Submitted March 23, 2011

__True Grit,__ by Charles Portis, is a rollicking adventure that takes place in the late 19th century. The protagonist, Mattie Ross, is one of the most memorable characters you’ll ever read about. Although she’s only a 14 years old girl (and basically acting as an orphan), she probably has more confidence than most grown men you’ll ever meet. She comes to Little Rock, Arkansas because a man who worked for his father ended up killing her father in cold blood. Mattie decides it is up to her to avenge her father’s death, but she is wise enough to understand that she needs help. She asks around to find the meanest lawman she can—she wants the killer to suffer, and she finds a man named “Rooster” Cogburn (Portis, 1968). Rooster is about as refined as his name, and it is a joy to see confident, mature Maggie deal with him and others as she embarks on her quest for justice. Portis wrote this well. It was hard to believe that this book was written about 100 years after the setting. Portis’ writing rings true. I had no trouble believing the characters existed. One of my favorite characters was the man who had sold Mattie’s father some ponies. He is an Easterner who is clearly uncomfortable with the rugged frontier lifestyle. The interactions between him and Maggie were some of the highlights for me; watching a “sophisticated” urbanite letting a 14 year old white trash kid get the best of him made for fine reading. The adventure itself was well-paced, and made for a fine page-turner. I chose to read __True Grit__ because it was highly recommended by a good old friend of mine. If I remember correctly, he told me it was his favorite book, and I valued his opinion. I was a bit disappointed in it though; perhaps my expectations were too high, but I’ll play this forward and give it 8 out of 10 stars. = =

= Works Cited  = Portis, C. (1968). //True Grit.// Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press. Powell's Books. (1994). //True Grit (Large Print) (CenterPoint Premeire Western) by Charles Portis - Powell's Books//. Retrieved 03 23, 2011, from Powell's Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781602859371-1

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