Leaving Cheyenne
by Larry McMurtry
Although Larry McMurtry is an extremely famous author, thirty years of my life had passed before I ever read one of his works. I chose Leaving Cheyenne because I’d watched the film adaptation Lovin’ Molly and felt very moved. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but his style was direct, descriptive, realistic, simple, intelligent, and yes, moving. As in the film, I felt tears prick my eyes during the last line.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Leaving Cheyenne is set in a small Texas town. Two young men, a rancher who works his father’s land and a cowboy who doesn’t want to be tied down with property of his own, are the best of friends even when a girl comes between them. It’s a beautiful story, how they respect and have such affection for each other, they don’t even mind that Molly can’t choose between them. The book is split into three sections, and we first learn Gid’s perspective and character. He’s a good man with responsibility, discipline, and all the stubbornness that comes with those two qualities. He loves Molly and wants to marry her, but she refuses and doesn’t give a satisfactory reason. In the film, we never learn Molly’s reason, but in the book, she explains her thought process in the second section. It might seem like small-town, ignorant thinking, but I was able to understand her limitations and find her decision admirable. The final portion of the book is told by Johnny, the happy-go-lucky cowboy who knows how to enjoy life in the present moment.
I loved this book and have already purchased another McMurtry novel. For me, this is not one of those books to read once and then collect dust on the shelf. I know I’m going to read Leaving Cheyenne (and watch Lovin’ Molly) many more times.
Also, it is a very little thing (but in actuality, publishers put a great deal of thought into book covers to attract the right audience), but I loved the cover. It instantly immersed me in the setting but kept some anonymity of the cowboy. What was he like, what were his dreams, what was he doing right at that moment? – all those questions popped in my head and made me want to crack open the spine as quickly as possible to find the answers.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Leaving Cheyenne is set in a small Texas town. Two young men, a rancher who works his father’s land and a cowboy who doesn’t want to be tied down with property of his own, are the best of friends even when a girl comes between them. It’s a beautiful story, how they respect and have such affection for each other, they don’t even mind that Molly can’t choose between them. The book is split into three sections, and we first learn Gid’s perspective and character. He’s a good man with responsibility, discipline, and all the stubbornness that comes with those two qualities. He loves Molly and wants to marry her, but she refuses and doesn’t give a satisfactory reason. In the film, we never learn Molly’s reason, but in the book, she explains her thought process in the second section. It might seem like small-town, ignorant thinking, but I was able to understand her limitations and find her decision admirable. The final portion of the book is told by Johnny, the happy-go-lucky cowboy who knows how to enjoy life in the present moment.
I loved this book and have already purchased another McMurtry novel. For me, this is not one of those books to read once and then collect dust on the shelf. I know I’m going to read Leaving Cheyenne (and watch Lovin’ Molly) many more times.
Also, it is a very little thing (but in actuality, publishers put a great deal of thought into book covers to attract the right audience), but I loved the cover. It instantly immersed me in the setting but kept some anonymity of the cowboy. What was he like, what were his dreams, what was he doing right at that moment? – all those questions popped in my head and made me want to crack open the spine as quickly as possible to find the answers.