True Grit

By: Charles Portis

Narrated by: Donna Tartt

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl from Dardanelle, Arkansas, sets out to avenge her Daddy who was shot to death by a no-good outlaw. Mattie convinces one-eyed "Rooster" Cogburn, the meanest U.S. marshal in the land, to ride along with her. In True Grit, we have a true American classic, as young Mattie, as vital as she is innocent, outdickers and outmaneuvers the hard-bitten men of the trail in a legend that will last through the ages.

©1968 Charles Portis (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Charles Portis is perhaps the most original, indescribable sui generis talent overlooked by literary culture in America." ( Esquire)

“Tom Wolfe, who worked with Portis as a reporter at the New York Herald-Tribune in the early 1960s called him – the original laconic cutup. A generation of novelists since then have simply regarded him as a writers-writer and have made his name a sort of secret password. Soon, they’ll no longer have him to themselves.” ( Rolling Stone Magazine)

“Like Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Thomas Berger’s Little Big Man, Charles Portis’s True Grit captures the nanve elegance of the American voice.” (Jonathan Lethem)

Perfect Audiobook

A perfect pairing of story and reader. This is one that belongs in every collection.

Well written western.

What made the experience of listening to True Grit the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a great job with the various voices. I felt like I was there, present, watching the story unfold.

What was one of the most memorable moments of True Grit?

I don't want to give away anything. It had to do with the way Rooster Cogburn rode a horse in a fight.

What does Donna Tartt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mattie Ross, the heroine of the story, narrates True Grit as an adult, remembering the time she and Rooster Cogburn went to Indian Territory to hunt down the man who killed her father. Donna Tartt WAS Mattie Ross. She was so convincing that sometimes I forgot she was there. If you liked Sissy Spacek in To Kill a Mockingbird, you will like to listen to Donna Tartt narrate True Grit. Plus, as an added bonus, at the end of the book Ms. Tartt narrates her own well-written essay about True Grit. I found the essay on you tube as well. If you're wondering if this book is for you, listen to the essay. It's great and allows you to listen to Ms. Tartt's great voice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I listen to many books that I enjoy. Sometimes, one stands out above the rest. I liked this book in the same way I liked Lonesome Dove and Gone with the Wind. It was an experience. I both laughed and cried.

Any additional comments?

Worth the credit. Worth two credits. If you like westerns at all, get this book. I loved Mattie's character. She was a pious Presbyterian with strong morals and she left home as a young girl to bring justice to her father's killer. She's tough and strong willed and demands respect, yet she also has a kind heart.

No Question, This is a Classic

What a wonderful book! The story: a 14-year old girl going off by herself to avenge her father's murder, is simple in its plot, and stirs the imagination in its execution. Wouldn't expect to identify with it, but I did. It brought back memories of my first job working in a drugstore when I was 13, the old expressions heard from my father who grew up in Oklahoma territory (I'll box your cheeks 'til your ears ring; who'd think you could be nostalgic about that, but I hadn't heard it in 60 years), and the emptiness of the countryside once you were away from a city. The narrator's got me speaking like Mattie Ross. Used to happen sometimes when I visited the country people. Just so enjoyable. I'll listen again, and that's saying something; I'm too old to waste time.

Greatest Audiobook of All Time?

Spectacular from beginning to end.

The perfect story with perfect dialogue and a perfect reader.

Simply superb

This audiobook delivers on every level. Modern American fiction at its finest, coupled with narration that transports the listener to a rug in front of a fire next to an old, one-armed, Presbyterian spinster. This is one I’ll come back to again and again.

Possibly the Best Audiobook Ever

I'm only about 1/4 through this book and I am confidently giving it full stars. Donna Tart's narration is so spot-on that an already compelling story is elevated to something all consuming. I've listened to good audiobooks, even very skillful ones, but this one is a work of art in itself. Perfection!

Enjoyable

My first audio book and it was excellent. I recommend it to anyone looking for a story from the old west filled with suspense and wonderful characters.

Fantasic Story

Its hard to write a review on a classic like this. The story is first rate, its written in a very straight forward fashion and usually that's part of its charm. It does get a little bogged down in places when there is a lot of back and forth, resulting in "I said" "Rooster said""I said""Rooster said" at every sentence. Overall though, that's easily overlooked for how entertaining it is as a whole.

The Performance is a little rough around the edges. The reader draws in heavy breaths quite a lot and it got a little distracting. There are several editing patches that can be "felt" through out the performance as well. Ms. Tartt's voice is great for Mattie Ross and was a good fit. As with many performances, the challenge of doing another gender is difficult. Rooster's voice came across sounding more like a young boy's and it was pretty incongruous for the character.

Maybe as good as Lonesome Dove

What other book might you compare True Grit to and why?

Lonesome Dove is the obvious choice because they are both at the top of the western genre but they are very different. While both are excellent, True Grit seems more self contained like an allegory while Lonesome Dove is more like an epic adventure. What makes them both great is the complex and interesting characters.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to anyone even if they are not interested in westerns. The story is told in a direct and easy to follow manner that holds your attention with the details and interesting characters.

Classic story

exceptional story and the narration was spot on. enjoyed reading it again after several years.