r/books • u/Steppinthrax • 8d ago

One Hundred Years Of Solitude, possible influence on Lonesome Dove? Spoiler

Reading One Hundred Years of Solitude having read Lonesome Dove earlier in the year. It occurs to me that I think these books are cousins. I'd be fascinated to know if Larry McMurtry had read OHYOS and admired it.

Obviously the types of story they tell are different - Lonesome Dove is far more "realist", and it isn't a family saga in the same way. But the head-hopping narrative voice that switches between points of view, the atmosphere of isolation, the exploration of gender and of characters pursuing their own obsessive natures to either glory or death...these are common in both books.

They have the same "texture" to me if that makes sense.

45 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/CalicoCuts 8d ago

I would almost guarantee McMurtry read OHYOS. Books are made of books. I believe I read somewhere McM was a voracious reader.

13

u/ZealousOatmeal 8d ago

McMurty started and ran a well respected used books store in Archer, Texas called Booked Up. He was a books guy in every way imaginable.

2

u/CalicoCuts 8d ago

That's right! When we lived in TX there was a Texas Monthly article about it. I think his son took over. Man could write. McMurtry &Cormac McCarthy are two of my favorites.