True Grit

By: Charles Portis

Narrated by: Donna Tartt

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.

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)

Mattie Ross as Huck, Ahab, and Dorothy

This is a concise, suspenseful, funny, philosophical, and ultimately sad novel that gives an unvarnished look at the American West and the complicated men and women who lived in it and helped to make its myth. The relationship between fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn, the man she hires to bring the murderer of her father to justice, is enjoyable to watch develop. For Mattie, who is narrating the story as an old woman in the early 20th century, her brief time in Indian Territory hunting outlaws with Rooster Cogburn was the most memorable moment in her life.

One reviewer was bothered by the reader Donna Tartt's audible "swallowing or breathing," and some reviewers were bothered by her "unconvincing" male voices. All I can say is that Ms. Tartt is so good at reading the story, brings it so much to life, differentiates her voice for the different characters so effectively (including the men and boys), and inhabits Mattie Ross so completely, that it's easy to ignore any trivial ancillary sounds she might make as she reads. Her obvious love for and understanding of the novel shine through her savory voice.

A final bonus of this audiobook, in fact, is the closing essay by Tartt, in which she interestingly recounts her family history with True Grit and what it meant and means to her, re-reads some of its best lines and scenes, and offers a provocative analysis of the novel, comparing it to Huckleberry Finn, Moby Dick, and The Wizard of Oz.

In conclusion, this unsentimental, brutal, humorous, moving, and spicy audiobook was a great listen.

A Classic Western

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

I would recommend it to a friend who likes Westerns

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Rooster Cogburn. He is a mean yet likable character and has True Grit

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

Donna Tartt is one of my favorite authors and narrators. Her southern accent, which is exaggerated in this performance, is perfect. There are some technical issues with the recording, but they are minor. I found her performance to be the best aspect of True Grit.

If you could take any character from True Grit out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Rooster Cogburn for sure. It would be interesting to hear more of his stories that briefly surface in the novel.

Any additional comments?

Overall, True Grit was good listen. It's not my favorite, but the narration was great and the the story kept my attention. It's a good Western, and it was certainly worth my time.

The swallowing and dry mouth crackles are terrible!

The story is overshadowed by the dry mouth and saliva crackles. The production team needs to earn their keep.

A few awkward pauses but otherwise a good listen

Loved the story. I agree with other reviewers that the narrator's pauses were a few seconds too long and a bit uncomfortable in places, but the voices and intonations were on point.

Hesitate if you have seen the movie

I can't review this book objectively. I saw the Cohen Brothers movie a few years ago. That movie was so well done, it made this book excruciating to listen to. I felt its presence in every sentence. I knew what to expect, was anticipating events, and the characters could not shift from those on the screen in my minds eye.

I have to say, this is a 1st class book. Its plot, a young girl going into the wild to seek vengeance for her brutally murdered father, is unique. The writing structure is beautiful. You don't often find Westerns that skirt with such skilled prose.

So, perhaps with clouded judgment, I have given this book a 5 star review. I would love to find 100 other westerns as good as this. Well written, good characters, great plot. You can't ask for more than this.