Larry McMurtry Summary

Biography EssayAlthough Larry McMurtry has moved beyond the status of a minor regional writer, he is still closely identified with Texas. His first six novels and a collection of essays (In a Narrow G... Read more

LARRY McMURTRY is closely identified with Texas. All six of his novels and a collection of essays (In a Narrow Grave) reflect life in his native state. Born 3 June 1936 in Wichita Falls, he was educat... Read more

Larry McMurtry's work is marked by his imaginative connections with the American West. Drawn to place, McMurtry demonstrates in his work the mythic pattern of escape and return to his "blood's country... Read more

Critical Essay by David Bartholomew McMurtry's point of view [in Somebody's Darling], in detailing dozens of brightly drawn, often scary characters, ranges from acerbic satire to bitter ... Read more

In the following review, Clemons praises Leaving Cheyenne as McMurtry's best work, lamenting its lack of popularity. Edmund Wilson on one of life's pleasures: "There are few thing... Read more

In the following review of Zeke and Ned, Maynard, a novelist, states that McMurtry and coauthor Diana Ossana have a created a rich, entertaining, embellished myth. In his 20th novel [Zeke and Ned]... Read more

In the following essay, Giles, a professor of American Literature at Northern Illinois University, considers the transformation of Texas literature and compares the work of McMurtry and John Rechy. In... Read more

In the review below, Champlin praises McMurtry for his analysis of the emerging problems with the American film industry. Larry McMurtry, whose novels-into-films include Hud, The Last Picture Show, Le... Read more

In the following review, Kingsolver, a novelist and author of The Bean Trees, states that despite a weak ending, Some Can Whistle is engaging and entertaining. A novel about a novelist is a narcissist... Read more

In the following review of Buffalo Girls, Schaeffer—also an author—praises McMurtry's work, saying the appeal of the novel stems from McMurtry's portrayal of an era at the ... Read more

Critical Essay by John Brosnahan [Cadillac Jack, a] rambling drifter of a man—an antiques spotter who travels the country searching for collectible treasures and who acts as a middleman between... Read more

Critical Essay by Eden Ross Lipson By his own account, Cadillac Jack McGriff, 6 feet 5 inches of Texas manhood without his boots or Stetson, 35 years old and twice divorced, is a natural scout and a n... Read more

Critical Essay by L. J. Davis The principal trouble with Larry McMurtry's [Moving On] … is that it is about 500 pages too long. His characters are too amiable and ordinary, his action is... Read more

Critical Essay by Reed Whittemore [All My Friends] focuses almost exclusively on sex for the first few chapters, then dwindles for a long stretch into life and literature, as if even McMurtry had grow... Read more

Critical Essay by Brina Caplan Somebody's Darling has an interesting story to tell: Hollywood has chosen Jill Peel, a shy, witty, work-obsessed animator and cinematic technician, to be America&... Read more

Critical Essay by Kirkus Reviews McMurtry's down-home fictions have always been juiced up with side-orders of raunchy charm and beer-barrel comedy—but this time [in Cadillac Jack] he tri... Read more