If you've been listening to this show or reading the AoM website for awhile, then you likely know what my favorite book of all time is: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
It's therefore my real pleasure to be able to talk all about that novel today with Steven Frye, professor of American literature and author of Understanding Larry McMurtry. We last had Steve on the show to talk about The Road by Cormac McCarthy. In this episode, we unpack Lonesome Dove, beginning with some background on McMurtry, and the style and themes he explores in his work. From there we turn to Lonesome Dove, and its surprising influences, from Jane Austen to Cervantes. Steve and I explore the characters of Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call, how they can represent the archetypes of the Epicurean and the Stoic, and what we can learn from their friendship. We also talk about the complexities of other characters in the novel, and end our conversation with why Lonesome Dove, despite not having a stereotypically happy ending, is such a life-affirming book.
A spoiler alert here: We are going to reveal plenty of plot points in this discussion, so be aware of that if you haven't yet read Lonesome Dove.
After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/lonesomedove
Resources Related to the Podcast
Connect With Steven Frye
The Tiny Habits That Change Everything
Begin the New Year by Reflecting on These 3 Life-Changing Questions [Rebroadcast]
The Real (Decidedly-Less-Sentimental-Yet-Still-Wonderful) Story of WWI's Christmas Truce
C.S. Lewis on Building Men With Chests
Prototype Your Way to a Better Life
The Perils and Powers of Cowardice
Prepare Now to Have Your Best Year Ever
How Testosterone Makes Men, Men
Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire
To Drink or Not to Drink
The Quest for a Moral Life
The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather
How to Achieve Cognitive Dominance
How the Desire for Status Explains (Pretty Much) Everything
Why Do the Navy’s Frogmen Fight on Land?
A Surprising Theory on Why We Get Fat
Take Back the Weekend
The Metaphysical Club
The Rise of the Religious "Nones" (And What It Means for Society)
The Surprising Benefits of Forgetting
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free