| I just finished The Last Picture Show and overall I thought that it was a very good book. Despite the weird, and sometimes awkward events, this book was very interesting. I really liked the surprises, and adventures that this book brings.
This book contains a little bit of everything- there is a little something that everyone would enjoy. There is romance, a roadtrip to Mexico, a bar fight, a love affair, and the feeling of loneliness. It is full of basically anything that you can imagine.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when McMurtry was describing the young life of Sam the Lion. When Sam the Lion goes into description of that moment on the cliff, he is truly happy. The happiest he has been since he was young. "He sat by the water laughing, running his hands through his hair. Tears began to run down his face so freely that Sonny was not sure what was happening, whether Sam was laughing or crying." (152). He then goes on to describe what he did that day, the day he brought the young lady swimming, always speaking very highly of her. It seems as if he is in awe, like she is the one that got away. I feel like Sam the Lion really misses that woman, and it kills him everyday to have her living in his town. We later find out that the secret woman is Lois Farrow, and she was the one to give him his nickname.
"It's been right at fifty years since the first time I watered a horse at this tank. Reason I always drag you all out here probably- I'm just as sentimental as anybody else when it comes to old times. What you reminded me of happened twenty years ago- I brought a young lady swimming here. It was after my boys were already dead, my wife had lost her mind. Me and this young lady were pretty crazy, I guess. She had all the spirit in the world, and we had some times." (153). Sam was always finding a way to get back out on the cliffs to go back in his memories and remember the times he had with Lois Farrow.
My other favorite part of the novel is when Sonny and Duane have a bar fight. This occurs when Duane returns to town, and him and go to the bar. The boys are fighting over Jacy, and who she "rightfully belongs to."
Sonny says, "I haven't screwed here, but she ain't your girl anymore, anyway. Hell, you don't even live here anymore." Then Duane says, "She's my girl and I don't care if we did break up. I'm gonna ger her back, I'm tellin' you right now." (233-234)
So Duane believes that she is rightfully his because he had her first-like a toy. Then, the boys start to fight and Duane hits Sonny in the eye with a beer bottle. Sonny almost goes blind. I really like this scene because of the irony of the situation. What brought them apart is now bringing them together in the end. Jacy is the reason that Duane left town, leaving Sonny all by himself. But then, once Duane hits Sonny with the beer bottle, he immediately feels remorse. He forgets all about Jacy and how he had "stolen his girl." He immediately begins to apologize to Sonny for hitting him with the bottle, and he becomes really nervous about his eye.
"Duane was really worried, and it made him so nervous and stiff that Sonny was almost glad when he left." (236). This really shows the strong bond between them. Duane felt sick to his stomach that he had hurt Sonny badly and had put his vision in danger. Sonny had already forgiven Duane, and even though he had almost lost his vision, he did not really want Duane to leave his side. |
Post a Comment