The Last Picture Show, By Larry McMurtry
Lights, camera - and gentle, comic action
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Larry McMurtry's 1966 novel The Last Picture Show has long been overshadowed by Peter Bogdanovich's much lauded film adaptation.
But, as this new Penguin edition allows the reader to discover, the movie is successful only to the extent that it captures the gentle comedy and elegiac tone of its source material. Set in 1951, the novel is a satire, of sorts – a sharply observed portrayal of the monotony and insularity of life in Thalia, the small Texan town in which the author grew up. But it is, too, a deeply affectionate book, and its likeable protagonists, from the pool-hall king Sam the Lion to the teenage temptress Jacy, are deftly drawn.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments