Bookman

For his theme project in his sophomore English class at school this year, JP had to choose an author to write about after reading three of his or her novels.  This interested me, of course, because I love reading.  While Ernest Hemingway was an obvious possibility, JP's teacher steered the boys away from him for just that reason.  Too obvious of a choice.  

After considering several authors and narrowing it down to a few, JP was on the verge of choosing Larry McMurtry.  I was ecstatic because McMurtry is one of my favorite writers.  Although I cautioned JP not to choose McMurtry solely because of my affinity for him, he chose him nonetheless.  

I've read many of McMurtry's books, novels and memoirs, and enjoyed every one of them.  His writing seems to speak to me in a way that others' doesn't.  I am not sure why but I always have felt that way.  After his death in March 2021, I read a fantastic biography about him by Tracy Daugherty, Larry McMurtry: A Life (2023).  

My thought was for JP to read some of McMurtry's earlier and less famous novels, like Horsemen, Pass By or Leaving Cheyenne, then to follow that up with The Last Picture Show.  Or, perhaps, to read one of my favorites, All My Friends are Going to Be Strangers.  Or Texasville.  Or even Terms of Endearment.  An added benefit is that those books all are of manageable length, which I thought would be important given JP's class load this year.  

Alas, his teacher wanted him to read Lonesome Dove (1985), McMurtry's sprawling, Pulitzer Prize winning western that is my second favorite novel of all-time.  It's also 850 + pages long, so JP's teacher agreed to count it as two books if JP read it.  My hope had been for JP to steer clear, for now, of Lonesome Dove, and to focus on three of McMurtry's lesser known, earlier novels.  Also, I wanted him have the opportunity to reach three of McMurtry's novels, as opposed to two.  Not my call, though.

When it became clear that JP was going to read Lonesome Dove, I decided to read it with him.  Doing so would make it the first time I have read a book three times.  In truth, one of the only other books I have read twice is my all-time favorite novel, Stephen King's The Stand (1978).  Come to think of it, I also read Richard Ford's The Sportswriter (1986) twice, as well.

So, for the past few weeks, I have been reading Lonesome Dove again, keeping pace with JP.  Actually, I've been enjoying the novel so much that it's been all I can do not to stray too far ahead.  One thing I think I have learned is that JP and I have different reading habits.  I tend to hunker down with a book that grabs me and read it to the exclusion of everything else.  No television, no distractions, for solid blocks of time.  Joe is like that, too.  On the other hand, JP seems to prefer to read in shorter blocks of time, much like Jude.  

What's really been fantastic, though, is the discussions JP and I have had about Lonesome Dove every couple of days.  Gus McRae, Woodrow Call, Josh Deets, Pea Eye, Newt, Po Campo, and all of the rest of the Hat Creek outfit.  We spend time talking about Blue Duck, of course, one of the most fearsome and evil villains in American literature, in my view.  

We also have talked about the larger themes of the novel, like the epic cattle drive being the end of something.  A way of life.  A period of time in American history.  Several of the character's lives.  I love those kinds of discussions.  It's fascinating to me to talk with JP and to learn how he sees the larger themes of the novel.  In some ways, it's a glimpse into how his mind works, his values, and how he sees life.  At least, that's the way it seems to me.  

It's one thing to talk with my boys about a Dodgers' game or season, or to have a spirited discussion about which quarterback they would select if they were starting an expansion franchise.  It's entirely different - and more important, to me - to discuss a novel, particularly a Great American Novel, like Lonesome Dove.  Truth be told, although Jude and I have worked diligent to imbue our boys with a love of reading, I never realized how satisfying it would be for them to read books that meant a great deal to me and have discussions about what the same books mean to them.

I always knew how much I would love throwing the baseball with my boys.  I don't think I realized how much I would love sharing a book with them and, better yet, reading a book with one of them at the same time.

Being a parent is pretty amazing.