True Grit

By Blue S.

 One of America's foremost comic writers, Charles Portis published an outstanding novel in 1968 titled True Grit. The story is told from fourteen year-old Mattie Ross's point of view, in past tense. The setting begins on a train headed to Fort Smith, Arkansas. Mattie recalls a time in her life when she avenged the death of her father, who was killed by a bandit named Tom Chaney. She follows danger into the Indian territory after convincing the meanest U.S marshall - one-eye Rooster Cogburn - to tag along, with persuasion skills far beyond her years. The outlaws and other unfortunate events do not tire Mattie out, they only act as the fire to her flame as she threatens one of the toughest gangs in the south. She is cunning and intelligent, and she does not return home the same.

The character development throughout this novel is immaculate. The dialog and descriptions build up each characters personality to the point where I felt like I knew them. I enjoy the vocabulary and southern aspects. The various encounters Mattie has with others throughout the book are what make it worth the read.   From pages 41-54 Portis writes in script form during a court case. This particular part of the story was one of my favorites because the dialog really gives you an idea what type of person Mr. Cogburn is, and what type of community the setting takes place in. The amount of action described during the court case prepares you for the interesting plot twists later on. There was never a time this story felt boring. You really connect with Mattie and you feel like you're right beside her throughout her struggles and success.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories involving western culture. It is an easy and entertaining read. True Grit is one of my all time favorite books, and also an incredible film. Reading this adventure packed book with it's well rounded characters and detailed dialog would not be a waste of your time.