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)

A 14-Year-Old Girl Hell-Bent on Revenge

"She has got you buffaloed with her saucy ways!" First, imagine the dandyish Texas Ranger LaBoeuf saying this to former bushwhacker Rooster Cogburn to scold him for taking up with a 14 year old girl hell-bent on avenging her father’s death. Got it? Now, imagine it being read aloud over your car speakers by Donna Tartt during your morning commute. AWESOME. I heart the book and film versions of Charles Portis' classic western tale of revenge and justice, but the audio version read in Donna Tartt's tough-girl Mississippi accent trumps them all. Put this one in your earbuds right now.

Good read for a lot of reasons...

I live in eastern Oklahoma, just 25 minutes from Ft. Smith, AR so I may be partial to the plot, but this is a great story. The author doesn't try to overkill the suspense with unrealistic scenarios. The narrator does a good job with the mens roles even though I would've preferred a male narrator. Easy listen. Worth a credit.

Great Listening Experience!

You know what the book is about. You know how it ends. You know Charles Portis is a rustic, comic genius. Donna Tartt brings this book to life. The Coen brothers' movie is great, however, I'd listen to Donna Tartt read this book as soon as see the movie again. She is that good!

It isn't the journey, but who you take with you

This book didn't change the way I see the world. It won't be in my all-time top ten. The story itself is unremarkable. But as I listened, I found myself smiling, taken in by Mattie, Rooster, and...well, everyone else, too.

As in life, there any number of places and experiences one can find; but often it isn't the where or what that matters, so much as who you take with you. And I'd be hard pressed to find better folks to accompany me on this journey. Simply delightful.

Great book.... But...

A wonderful classis story I truly enjoyed. I hate to fault anyone but perhaps the narrator should have stepped back from the mic a bit. The mouth noises were disturbing.

Great book about the old West!

Loved the story, and the vocabulary is so impeccable and appropriate . The narrator is the author of Goldfinch, and her prologue is worth listening to, as well. She does a good job, but you can hear her swallowing a lot during her narration.... otherwise it was perfect!

True Grit--superb book with superb narration

I absolutely loved this book and the narrator made the story all the more intriguing for me. I listened to this after the absolute best western ever written, Lonesome Dove, so this book had one tough act to follow! I was delighted and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narration couldn't have been better or more appropriate. I highly recommend it!

Great book, a classic!

Loved it. I listened while I diamond painted. Very enjoyable. Nothing of questionable language. A good read.

True Classic

Certainly not politically correct, but a truly rich and real story. Mattie is the best character to teach children about truth and growing up. A fabulous fable.

Fantastic and wonderful story and characters.

But the audiobook narrator’s breaths and swallowing were a problem.

I loved Mattie, the 14-year-old-girl who had the brains, attitude, and actions of an adult. I laughed several times. I loved the dialogue. It was special and different from what I’m used to. I think it was accurate for how folks talked back then and there. One thing odd was that the author used “said I” or “said he” after quotes. I’ve never read books done that way. It was uncomfortable, but I went with it. For those who want happy endings, this works.

Amazon reviewer arunan said it well. Mattie's just a really strong character and in the end, the title "True Grit" is as much about her as it is about her tough guy guardian, Rooster Cogburn.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Donna Tartt did a fabulous job. I can’t imagine any actress doing it better. But SHE HAD A BIG PROBLEM. I kept hearing her breathing, swallowing, and mouth noises. She needed to use a better microphone or have those noises removed during the editing process. Such a shame because she did a great job otherwise.

Narrative mode: 1st person Mattie.
Genre: western historical fiction.