True Grit by Charles Portis is one of my very favourite books in the entire world.
Here’s a quick review/synopsis I wrote back in 2007 on my LibraryThing Review Page:
Recently reissued by Bloomsbury in the UK, this Western was turned into one of John Wayne’s best-loved films. The book’s even better! When her father is brutally murdered, Mattie Ross sets out to bring the killer to justice. Mattie is a wonderful character, spiky and brave and incredibly strong-willed - but she’s only fourteen. She can’t do this on her own. She’s going to have to convince the irascible Rooster Cogburn to help her! Thrilling, funny and heartfelt by turns, this is a delightful book.
…So, you might understand why I’m a little bit very, very, very excited to see what the new film version is like, particularly as it was made by the partnership behind some of my favourite films (including The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski and Fargo), namely Joel and Ethan Coen.
An excellent comics version of a scene from the book (as adapted by TBM acquaintance Benjamin Read) is now available to read online, for free, here.
If this is your first encounter with True Grit, I can think of no better way to whet your whistle: Fill your brain, you (CENSORED)!
07/02/2011 at 9:32 pm Permalink
YES! Isn’t it brilliant? I only read it recently when they released the film tie-in, but wow! I can definitely see myself reading this over and over again in years to come. I’m off to see the film today, and I’ve heard that they included one of my favourite scenes in this film that they didn’t in the John Wayne version (where Rooster kicks those kids off the balcony). Can’t wait!