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)

now i know why it's a classic

not always a big fan of the classics, but based on a recommendation specifically for the audio book, I gave this a whirl.....and was not disappointed!

Read More Portis

This is the Charles Portis book with the most broad appeal. But if you enjoy the quirkier aspects of the book, the humor, his catalogue gets way weirder. I love this book, but I very much enjoy the author in general. Please read, please enjoy, please come back for more.

good story but it seem to be too short

I enjoyed the story; it just seem to be too short. I feel it ended abruptly jump to the Future to wrap up seem like there might have been able to be a little more to it. Looking forward to seeing the movie now and comparing.

A classic

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. A great story that is well narrated.

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

The description of Rooster Cogburn.

Which character – as performed by Donna Tartt – was your favorite?

Mattie Ross, of course!

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

No laughing or crying, but really enjoyed hearing this classic tale of the

Gritty prose; excellent performance!

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

Simple, gritty prose recounted from authentic Southern perspective and dialect.

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

Rooster with the reins in his teeth racing towards lucky Ned and the gang.

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

Southern twang!

Any additional comments?

I laughed out loud more than once.

Way Better Than The Movie

Good story, excellent writing, outstanding delivery. The only flaw is the constant extraneous noise. Otherwise, perfect. Well worth it.

Must listen

One to listen to more than once it is such a good story and I thought the voice fit very well.

Good story

I enjoyed the plot and the action, but for some reason the presentation bothered me. I am not sure if it was the way the book was written or the way it was read, but it came across to me like my mom reading a bedtime story. I was just not able to get immersed in it like I have with my 5 star books.

Great reader, great book.

Have you listened to any of Donna Tartt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Donna Tartt is not only an incredible writer, but also a great narrator. More Donna Tartt!!

Loved it!

This is the first western I have ever read/listened to and I absolutely loved it! Great narration, wonderful story.