What do you think?
Rate this book
Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry
By his longtime friend and a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, the definitive biography of Larry McMurtry, the legendary author and screenwriter of Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, and Brokeback Mountain, who transformed our vision of the West.
Before Larry McMurtry became one of the most celebrated writers of the twentieth century, he worked on his family’s ranch in rural Texas. At night he heard vivid stories of his cowboy uncles driving herds of cattle across the plains where there once were bison and Native Americans. “McMurtry Means Beef,” as one ranching magazine put it. By the time he died in 2021, McMurtry had published forty books, won a Pulitzer for Lonesome Dove and an Oscar for his cowritten adaptation of Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, and seen his work made into such classic films as Hud and Terms of Endearment. Now, McMurtry means great stories.
For all his fame, McMurtry was an elusive figure. He loved women but was married to his typewriter; he was wary of critics and distrustful of other men—except David Streitfeld. When McMurtry gave the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist the keys to his past, Streitfeld dug into every archive and interviewed everyone who would talk. He found that, even as McMurtry’s work criticized the old cowboy myths, he loved making up stories about himself.
Western Star reveals the real and complicated life of a storyteller who was both an icon and critic of Texas, the favorite of presidents, confidant to movie stars like Diane Keaton and Cybill Shepherd, friend to Ken Kesey and husband to his widow Faye, an obsessive bookseller, and the most enduring voice of the American West.
Before Larry McMurtry became one of the most celebrated writers of the twentieth century, he worked on his family’s ranch in rural Texas. At night he heard vivid stories of his cowboy uncles driving herds of cattle across the plains where there once were bison and Native Americans. “McMurtry Means Beef,” as one ranching magazine put it. By the time he died in 2021, McMurtry had published forty books, won a Pulitzer for Lonesome Dove and an Oscar for his cowritten adaptation of Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, and seen his work made into such classic films as Hud and Terms of Endearment. Now, McMurtry means great stories.
For all his fame, McMurtry was an elusive figure. He loved women but was married to his typewriter; he was wary of critics and distrustful of other men—except David Streitfeld. When McMurtry gave the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist the keys to his past, Streitfeld dug into every archive and interviewed everyone who would talk. He found that, even as McMurtry’s work criticized the old cowboy myths, he loved making up stories about himself.
Western Star reveals the real and complicated life of a storyteller who was both an icon and critic of Texas, the favorite of presidents, confidant to movie stars like Diane Keaton and Cybill Shepherd, friend to Ken Kesey and husband to his widow Faye, an obsessive bookseller, and the most enduring voice of the American West.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 9, 2026
Larry McMurtry was in my life as a non-fiction writer well before I finally tackled his fiction, with his short, laconic books about whatever subject caught his fancy resonating with me for God knows what reason. Then I took the plunge into his fiction, with his best-known and most celebrated novel, "Lonesome Dove," in 2023. Two years later, I finally started reading his other novels, and I would consider myself a huge fan. So when I saw this book at the library early last month, I knew I had to have it, and I also knew that I had to put it off until I could devote some time to it, as I had papers to grade from students at the time as well as final papers to prepare for. So now, at long last, I find a literary biography with a lot to love.
"Western Star" is David Streitfeld's attempt to be Boswell to McMurtry's Samuel Johnson, in some ways; the two, biographer and subject, were friends, with Streitfeld being a fan first before becoming acquainted with the crusty old soul. But Streitfeld doesn't raise McMurtry up to be a saint; this work is pretty grounded and willing to puncture some myths around Larry, some perpetrated by the man himself either through willful lying or benign neglect of the truth. Through it all, Streitfeld shoes why McMurtry matters.
A son of Texas who stood out like a sore thumb because he didn't fit in, Larry McMurtry was destined to be the writer who defined Texas. From his earliest books demystifying the West to his landmark Western saga of Gus and Call on the cattle trail, Larry never really strayed from his central thesis that Texas was both more than its myths and anything but easy to pin down. Larry certainly pulled no punches with "The Last Picture Show," which put him on the map after the film version came out in the early Seventies, and Streitfeld shows how McMurtry struggled to reconcile his vision of Texas with those of his neighbors (many of whom were *pissed* at Larry's portrait of them).
At his best, McMurtry could be a prose master, capturing the nuance and depth behind the most standard myth of a man high in the saddle; indeed, as a reader I prefer his more contemporary-set novels, like "Terms of Endearment" or "Leaving Cheyenne." But the Westerns made McMurtry a star, especially "Lonesome Dove." The miniseries of that was a television event in 1989, and in many ways Larry's windfall through "Dove" both helped and hindered his work in the subsequent years; people expected another "Lonesome Dove" but never got it. Streitfeld is adept at showing us how much Larry's success weighed on him when he failed to capture as much of the public imagination as he did with that novel.
But aside from the literary life, Streitfeld shows how complicated Larry McMurtry was as a human being. His relationships with family and friends, his book-collecting and book shops, his fears and his emotional highs are all documented here, and they help to provide a well-rounded portrait of a man who was unique. Larry McMurtry was more than just his many words printed on paper, though those will outlast any of the other things that defined him, and "Western Star" makes it abundantly clear why his name is so magical when considering authors of the past sixty or so years in American literature. The subject is matched by the writer in terms of literary skill, and Larry McMurtry has a fine biographer in David Streitfeld.
"Western Star" is David Streitfeld's attempt to be Boswell to McMurtry's Samuel Johnson, in some ways; the two, biographer and subject, were friends, with Streitfeld being a fan first before becoming acquainted with the crusty old soul. But Streitfeld doesn't raise McMurtry up to be a saint; this work is pretty grounded and willing to puncture some myths around Larry, some perpetrated by the man himself either through willful lying or benign neglect of the truth. Through it all, Streitfeld shoes why McMurtry matters.
A son of Texas who stood out like a sore thumb because he didn't fit in, Larry McMurtry was destined to be the writer who defined Texas. From his earliest books demystifying the West to his landmark Western saga of Gus and Call on the cattle trail, Larry never really strayed from his central thesis that Texas was both more than its myths and anything but easy to pin down. Larry certainly pulled no punches with "The Last Picture Show," which put him on the map after the film version came out in the early Seventies, and Streitfeld shows how McMurtry struggled to reconcile his vision of Texas with those of his neighbors (many of whom were *pissed* at Larry's portrait of them).
At his best, McMurtry could be a prose master, capturing the nuance and depth behind the most standard myth of a man high in the saddle; indeed, as a reader I prefer his more contemporary-set novels, like "Terms of Endearment" or "Leaving Cheyenne." But the Westerns made McMurtry a star, especially "Lonesome Dove." The miniseries of that was a television event in 1989, and in many ways Larry's windfall through "Dove" both helped and hindered his work in the subsequent years; people expected another "Lonesome Dove" but never got it. Streitfeld is adept at showing us how much Larry's success weighed on him when he failed to capture as much of the public imagination as he did with that novel.
But aside from the literary life, Streitfeld shows how complicated Larry McMurtry was as a human being. His relationships with family and friends, his book-collecting and book shops, his fears and his emotional highs are all documented here, and they help to provide a well-rounded portrait of a man who was unique. Larry McMurtry was more than just his many words printed on paper, though those will outlast any of the other things that defined him, and "Western Star" makes it abundantly clear why his name is so magical when considering authors of the past sixty or so years in American literature. The subject is matched by the writer in terms of literary skill, and Larry McMurtry has a fine biographer in David Streitfeld.
June 8, 2026
This one was definitely a let down, not because it was particularly bad, but because I had high expectations going into it. It provides some nice insight into Larry McMurtry’s life and how he navigated it, but I feel it fell short in the aspect I really cared most about, his writing process. There were many portions of this biography that would dive into Larry’s projects, along with many projects that ended up being start and stops. This made the novel feel choppy and a bit incoherent at times. On the bright side, the author did a wonderful job of digging through history to present the reader with an abundance of information on each of the major projects Larry worked on over the years, which was nice to read about. Overall, it was a good stab at a biography on someone who didn’t seem to want one written on him, but it was missing the peaks and was at times a bit dragged out for me.
April 24, 2026
Let's call this 4.5 stars marked up to five by Goodreads. Very well-written, a joy to read, and I learned a lot about Larry McMurtry (as you would expect) but not so much that it ever seemed overly detailed (as in NO minutiae for minutiae's sake).
The author, who is an experienced and celebrated journalist and definitely NOT a Texan, shared McMurtry's interest/obsession with book-collecting and apparently gained McMurtry's confidence over the years at least partly because of that. Streitfeld's approach to this biography is "new-journalistic" rather than "old-school journalism objective observer" or strictly scholarly, meaning that the author is one of the characters in the story, not an observer from outside. This makes the book a bit informal but certainly not sloppy or casual with the facts. And the author is not shy about telling the reader when the "facts" may not really be facts -- because there often is no contemporary documentation.
One theme throughout is McMurtry's love-hate relationship with his home town, with Texas in general, with contemporary Texans, and with the history of Texas and Texans. Much of the USA and many Americans are absolutely THRILLED to hate Texas and Texans, so they may not understand and appreciate McMurtry's feelings as much as I do. Having lived in West Texas for five college years, knowing lots of West Texans, and having been a frequent visitor and summer resident in Dallas, I really appreciate the experience but wouldn't want to live there -- especially not in West Texas. So McMurtry's love-hate makes sense.
Another theme is McMurtry's respect for women, despite having a horrible mother. His female characters may be among his best, so we're told.
I was the first in my town to snag this from the library and couldn't renew it, so I'm wrting this without the book present, but I think it did NOT include a bibliography -- the lack of which always is a flaw in a serious history or biography. It had notes at the end, but as so often occurs these days the reader is given no clue to look for a note. I often keep a bookmark in a book's notes and look at them frequently, but in this case the notes generally didn't contain much information other than the citation, so one wasn't missing much (or anything) by not looking at the notes.
And perhaps my biggest gripe is that Streitfeld did not include a list of McMurtry's works -- or at least the published books and the screen plays that were produced. One would have expected that list, as this is a biography that is as much about McMurtry’s works as it is about his life.
Recommended by review in WSJ and timely because book club will be reading Lonesome Dove next month.
June 10, 2026
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
The line comes from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Ford’s adaptation of Dorothy M. Johnson’s 1953 short story. Larry McMurtry loved the quote and later used it in the preface to one of his own books.
The quote explains much of McMurtry's life and work. He was never one to let a few facts get in the way of a good story. The legends of the West, and of McMurtry himself, were built on stories that eclipsed inconvenient truths.
In Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry, David Streitfeld puts in the work trying to separate the facts from the legends but even he admits early on in the biography that McMurtry the man and McMurtry the myth were often inseparable. Even McMurtry himself seemed to confuse the two.
Streitfeld was a friend of McMurtry’s, insofar as McMurtry had friends at all. One of the more revealing patterns in the biography is McMurtry’s apparent distance from close male friendship and his repeated preference for intimate but often platonic relationships with women. It seemed central to the man: emotionally guarded, dependent on companionship, but wary of ordinary intimacy. Streitfeld notices this without turning the biography into psychoanalysis, and his book is stronger for it.
I read Western Star at the same time I was re-reading Lonesome Dove. I had previously read the Lonesome Dove series but was not familiar with any of McMurtry’s other works. I had always considered McMurtry to be an author of Westerns. Reading Western Star in tandem helped me to understand Lonesome Dove but also helped me realize that McMurtry had a far larger and more varied oeuvre. While he might be best known and celebrated for Lonesome Dove, the majority of his work was not Western. In fact, most of McMurtry’s successes came from working with Hollywood by writing screenplays and adapting novels to movies.
Like the legends he wrote, McMurtry was adept at inventing himself. He presented himself as a Texas Cowboy yet mingled with the LSD-loving Merry Pranksters. He was a book nerd who befriended and romanced Hollywood stars. He hated North Texas and the vulgarians who populated his home town of Archer City but he was uncomfortable living anywhere else.
Streitfeld does good work in prying apart these dualities but McMurtry often defied this kind of exegesis. As a result, Streitfeld tends to focus on the parts of McMurtry’s life that he can explain. Streitfeld seems to be something of a cinephile as he devotes long sections of the book to McMurtry’s work in Hollywood and the production of or ultimate failure to produce a long list of movies. One of the greatest faults of the biography is Streitfeld’s focus on the movie production while he devotes relatively little space to how McMurtry produced his books. Streitfeld makes a good case that McMurtry is one of America’s most consequential novelists, yet there is surprisingly little attention paid to the craft of writing itself. Other than the fact that he only used a typewriter, we learn very little about McMurtry’s actual writing function.
In the end, McMurtry could have been a character in one of his own novels. Perhaps he was. He lived a life worth writing about and Western Star succeeds in telling the tale. What was fact and what was legend may never be known and, honestly, it is better for McMurtry—and for us—if it isn't.
When legend becomes fact, print the legend.
The line comes from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Ford’s adaptation of Dorothy M. Johnson’s 1953 short story. Larry McMurtry loved the quote and later used it in the preface to one of his own books.
The quote explains much of McMurtry's life and work. He was never one to let a few facts get in the way of a good story. The legends of the West, and of McMurtry himself, were built on stories that eclipsed inconvenient truths.
In Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry, David Streitfeld puts in the work trying to separate the facts from the legends but even he admits early on in the biography that McMurtry the man and McMurtry the myth were often inseparable. Even McMurtry himself seemed to confuse the two.
Streitfeld was a friend of McMurtry’s, insofar as McMurtry had friends at all. One of the more revealing patterns in the biography is McMurtry’s apparent distance from close male friendship and his repeated preference for intimate but often platonic relationships with women. It seemed central to the man: emotionally guarded, dependent on companionship, but wary of ordinary intimacy. Streitfeld notices this without turning the biography into psychoanalysis, and his book is stronger for it.
I read Western Star at the same time I was re-reading Lonesome Dove. I had previously read the Lonesome Dove series but was not familiar with any of McMurtry’s other works. I had always considered McMurtry to be an author of Westerns. Reading Western Star in tandem helped me to understand Lonesome Dove but also helped me realize that McMurtry had a far larger and more varied oeuvre. While he might be best known and celebrated for Lonesome Dove, the majority of his work was not Western. In fact, most of McMurtry’s successes came from working with Hollywood by writing screenplays and adapting novels to movies.
Like the legends he wrote, McMurtry was adept at inventing himself. He presented himself as a Texas Cowboy yet mingled with the LSD-loving Merry Pranksters. He was a book nerd who befriended and romanced Hollywood stars. He hated North Texas and the vulgarians who populated his home town of Archer City but he was uncomfortable living anywhere else.
Streitfeld does good work in prying apart these dualities but McMurtry often defied this kind of exegesis. As a result, Streitfeld tends to focus on the parts of McMurtry’s life that he can explain. Streitfeld seems to be something of a cinephile as he devotes long sections of the book to McMurtry’s work in Hollywood and the production of or ultimate failure to produce a long list of movies. One of the greatest faults of the biography is Streitfeld’s focus on the movie production while he devotes relatively little space to how McMurtry produced his books. Streitfeld makes a good case that McMurtry is one of America’s most consequential novelists, yet there is surprisingly little attention paid to the craft of writing itself. Other than the fact that he only used a typewriter, we learn very little about McMurtry’s actual writing function.
In the end, McMurtry could have been a character in one of his own novels. Perhaps he was. He lived a life worth writing about and Western Star succeeds in telling the tale. What was fact and what was legend may never be known and, honestly, it is better for McMurtry—and for us—if it isn't.
When legend becomes fact, print the legend.
June 11, 2026
Early in McMurtry’s biography, there’s a reference to director John Ford’s famous line, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” And, indeed, the author notes how the myth has overshadowed the truth for such luminaries of the Wild West as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Jesse James, & Billy the Kid. Throughout the book, this point is always on the back burner regarding various memories and stories about Larry and many of his famous writer/friends. For the most part, these seemed like inconsequential things…such as whether McMurtry’s father read to him as a child (i.e., Larry claimed it never happened, but his father had warm memories of doing so). However, throughout his life, there were often half a dozen different stories regarding a single moment in time.
While I felt that the author spent a little too much time on the question of whether certain trivial matters really happened to Larry, the long passages on other writers was more frustrating. For that matter, while I would have preferred more insight on Larry’s creative involvement in the many books he cranked out, it often felt like the focus was on various other novelists, such as Ken Kesey, Annie Proulx, Wallace Stegner, and others. Indeed, the lengthy chronicle concerning Tom Wolfe and the Merry Pranksters seemed to have very little to do with McMurtry’s overall story.
The most fascinating part of the book focused on Larry’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Lonesome Dove. McMurtry’s first dive into this novel of the west took place in 1971, when he worked on a script called Streets of Laredo, which was supposed to star John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda. However, the script fell apart for a variety of reasons; one, of which, was that the three aging stars weren’t interested in playing the roles of three aging cowboys. Even so, McMurtry didn’t let go of the script.
Ironically, while McMurtry’s goal was to set the record straight about the romanticized version of the Wild West, there have been a number of conflicting stories about the novel. In this regard, along with just how he came up with the title of “Lonesome Dove,” different accounts exist as to when he actually began writing the novel, as well as whether the unedited version was as much as 1,800 pages in length. Despite its massive popularity., Larry declined writing the television script, as he indicated he was “sick” of the characters and noted that writing anymore about them would be “…akin to hopping back into a bad marriage.” Even so, with the offer of a healthy paycheck, he did write three other novels concerning the central characters.
While I would have preferred more focus on Larry’s various books, this was an interesting—if not stellar—biography. Hopefully, another writer will pick up the reins for this venture at a later date. Although I am swimming against a wave of 5-star reviews, I didn't feel that this was not a truly fulfilling biography of a great novelist.
While I felt that the author spent a little too much time on the question of whether certain trivial matters really happened to Larry, the long passages on other writers was more frustrating. For that matter, while I would have preferred more insight on Larry’s creative involvement in the many books he cranked out, it often felt like the focus was on various other novelists, such as Ken Kesey, Annie Proulx, Wallace Stegner, and others. Indeed, the lengthy chronicle concerning Tom Wolfe and the Merry Pranksters seemed to have very little to do with McMurtry’s overall story.
The most fascinating part of the book focused on Larry’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Lonesome Dove. McMurtry’s first dive into this novel of the west took place in 1971, when he worked on a script called Streets of Laredo, which was supposed to star John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda. However, the script fell apart for a variety of reasons; one, of which, was that the three aging stars weren’t interested in playing the roles of three aging cowboys. Even so, McMurtry didn’t let go of the script.
Ironically, while McMurtry’s goal was to set the record straight about the romanticized version of the Wild West, there have been a number of conflicting stories about the novel. In this regard, along with just how he came up with the title of “Lonesome Dove,” different accounts exist as to when he actually began writing the novel, as well as whether the unedited version was as much as 1,800 pages in length. Despite its massive popularity., Larry declined writing the television script, as he indicated he was “sick” of the characters and noted that writing anymore about them would be “…akin to hopping back into a bad marriage.” Even so, with the offer of a healthy paycheck, he did write three other novels concerning the central characters.
While I would have preferred more focus on Larry’s various books, this was an interesting—if not stellar—biography. Hopefully, another writer will pick up the reins for this venture at a later date. Although I am swimming against a wave of 5-star reviews, I didn't feel that this was not a truly fulfilling biography of a great novelist.
June 15, 2026
A solid, engaging bio of a prickly, elusive man and brilliant writer who wrote one of my all-time favorite novels, “Lonesome Dove,” and several other stellar ones, including “Leaving Cheyenne,” “The Last Picture Show” and “All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers.”
McMurtry wrote at a gallop with a keen eye and ear for his home state of Texas, past and present. His brand of storytelling appealed to a vast readership hungry for colorfully flawed characters with bite and twang in their speech and to those hankering for the solace and adventure of wide-open Western spaces.
From the start, Hollywood beckoned. His debut novel, “Horseman, Pass By,” was made into a terrific movie, “Hud,” starring Paul Newman and Patricia Neal. His next Hollywood success was “The Last Picture Show,” based on his coming-of-age novel set in the fictional town of Thalia, modeled after his hometown of Archer City. Larry co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich. Then came the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” and then his screenplay for the much-lauded “Brokeback Mountain,” based on an Annie Proulx short story, for which he won a screenwriting Oscar along with his writing partner, Diana Ossana.
Novels, screenplays, essays, biographies and memoirs poured out of McMurtry. His personal and literary quirks and crochets were legion. He fell in love often but kept relationships at a distance. He won many literary prizes, including a Pulitzer for “Lonesome Dove,” but didn’t much like the limelight. One of his favorite pastimes was driving long distances to collect old books to resell at one of his several antiquarian bookstores, all named Booked Up.
Since finishing “Western Star,” I’ve been inspired to re-read some of my favorite McMurtrys. Despair and loneliness permeate every witty, sexy page of “The Last Picture Show,” which I finished yesterday and found even better than I’d remembered. I’ve just started “Leaving Cheyenne,” about a love triangle that unfolds across four decades in rural West Texas, which I read in the mid-1980s and loved. Soon I might saddle up for the long, dusty cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana in the company of retired Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call.
“Western Star” captures the essence of Larry McMurtry, both the man and artist. At his best, he was among the greatest writers of his time. At his worst, he was still pretty damn good.
McMurtry wrote at a gallop with a keen eye and ear for his home state of Texas, past and present. His brand of storytelling appealed to a vast readership hungry for colorfully flawed characters with bite and twang in their speech and to those hankering for the solace and adventure of wide-open Western spaces.
From the start, Hollywood beckoned. His debut novel, “Horseman, Pass By,” was made into a terrific movie, “Hud,” starring Paul Newman and Patricia Neal. His next Hollywood success was “The Last Picture Show,” based on his coming-of-age novel set in the fictional town of Thalia, modeled after his hometown of Archer City. Larry co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich. Then came the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” and then his screenplay for the much-lauded “Brokeback Mountain,” based on an Annie Proulx short story, for which he won a screenwriting Oscar along with his writing partner, Diana Ossana.
Novels, screenplays, essays, biographies and memoirs poured out of McMurtry. His personal and literary quirks and crochets were legion. He fell in love often but kept relationships at a distance. He won many literary prizes, including a Pulitzer for “Lonesome Dove,” but didn’t much like the limelight. One of his favorite pastimes was driving long distances to collect old books to resell at one of his several antiquarian bookstores, all named Booked Up.
Since finishing “Western Star,” I’ve been inspired to re-read some of my favorite McMurtrys. Despair and loneliness permeate every witty, sexy page of “The Last Picture Show,” which I finished yesterday and found even better than I’d remembered. I’ve just started “Leaving Cheyenne,” about a love triangle that unfolds across four decades in rural West Texas, which I read in the mid-1980s and loved. Soon I might saddle up for the long, dusty cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana in the company of retired Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call.
“Western Star” captures the essence of Larry McMurtry, both the man and artist. At his best, he was among the greatest writers of his time. At his worst, he was still pretty damn good.
May 6, 2026
I vacillated on whether to give this one 3 or 4 stars. I felt this was a well-written and entertaining book, but it falls short as an attempt at definitive biography.
Streitfeld was a friend of McMurtry's and clearly has literary aspirations beyond non-fiction. Following the cliches of "End of the Tour" style ingratiating biographers, Streitfeld inserts himself into the story, meanders into literary digressions, and looks for the most interesting angle on a given moment rather than the most relevant. This last habit was particularly tough to swallow when a celebrity entered the picture. The work on Cybil Shepherd often seemed like it was written with one hand.
That being said, Streitfeld's appreciation, and even love, of McMurtry comes through so clearly. He writes movingly about the two great pillars of the author's life, "The Last Picture Show" and "Lonesome Dove." He situates McMurtry among his peers with razor-sharp precision. And yet, one can't help but feel that this will become merely a source for a more definitive and rigorous biography written by someone a little further from the subject. You can feel that Streitfeld really wants McMurtry to like him and like his biography from beyond the grave.
So, while I felt great joy while listening to this book and I devoured the 16 hours of listening, I leave the book convinced that this biographer is not the man for the job, not matter how bad he wants to be. Because, a good biographer should want to have a command on their subject and they should not want to be their subject.
Streitfeld was a friend of McMurtry's and clearly has literary aspirations beyond non-fiction. Following the cliches of "End of the Tour" style ingratiating biographers, Streitfeld inserts himself into the story, meanders into literary digressions, and looks for the most interesting angle on a given moment rather than the most relevant. This last habit was particularly tough to swallow when a celebrity entered the picture. The work on Cybil Shepherd often seemed like it was written with one hand.
That being said, Streitfeld's appreciation, and even love, of McMurtry comes through so clearly. He writes movingly about the two great pillars of the author's life, "The Last Picture Show" and "Lonesome Dove." He situates McMurtry among his peers with razor-sharp precision. And yet, one can't help but feel that this will become merely a source for a more definitive and rigorous biography written by someone a little further from the subject. You can feel that Streitfeld really wants McMurtry to like him and like his biography from beyond the grave.
So, while I felt great joy while listening to this book and I devoured the 16 hours of listening, I leave the book convinced that this biographer is not the man for the job, not matter how bad he wants to be. Because, a good biographer should want to have a command on their subject and they should not want to be their subject.
July 6, 2026
Western Star is a fascinating, deeply researched, and richly textured portrait of one of America's most important literary figures.
David Streitfeld accomplishes something difficult and admirable: he captures Larry McMurtry not as a legend carved in stone but as a complicated, contradictory, and intensely human storyteller. The biography explores the many dimensions of McMurtry's life—novelist, screenwriter, bookseller, public intellectual, and relentless observer of the American West.
What I appreciated most is the book's examination of McMurtry's relationship with the myths he helped shape. Few writers did more to define the modern literary West, yet few were as willing to question and dismantle its romanticized narratives. That tension gives both McMurtry's life and this biography an extraordinary depth.
The book also succeeds because it places McMurtry within a broader cultural landscape. Through his friendships, his literary influences, and his relationships with film and publishing, we gain a greater understanding not only of the man himself but also of the changing nature of American storytelling during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
At its heart, Western Star is a biography about stories—how they are made, why they matter, and the complicated people who devote their lives to telling them.
An engrossing and beautifully written biography that will appeal to readers of literary history, American culture, and anyone who loves great storytelling.
David Streitfeld accomplishes something difficult and admirable: he captures Larry McMurtry not as a legend carved in stone but as a complicated, contradictory, and intensely human storyteller. The biography explores the many dimensions of McMurtry's life—novelist, screenwriter, bookseller, public intellectual, and relentless observer of the American West.
What I appreciated most is the book's examination of McMurtry's relationship with the myths he helped shape. Few writers did more to define the modern literary West, yet few were as willing to question and dismantle its romanticized narratives. That tension gives both McMurtry's life and this biography an extraordinary depth.
The book also succeeds because it places McMurtry within a broader cultural landscape. Through his friendships, his literary influences, and his relationships with film and publishing, we gain a greater understanding not only of the man himself but also of the changing nature of American storytelling during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
At its heart, Western Star is a biography about stories—how they are made, why they matter, and the complicated people who devote their lives to telling them.
An engrossing and beautifully written biography that will appeal to readers of literary history, American culture, and anyone who loves great storytelling.
April 18, 2026
A biography of the Texas author and screenwriter Larry McMurtry.
An enlightening glimpse into the life and career of the great Texas author Larry McMurtry. I enjoyed this a great deal. Due to his friendship with McMurtry, the author, David Streitfeld, is able to paint a comprehensive and compassionate portrait. I must admit, for being a longtime reader of McMurtry's work and for holding "Lonesome Dove" in the highest esteem, I didn't know much about his life. It was fascinating to learn about Larry's youth and first forays into literature. His career spanned decades and because he was so prolific, this book had rich fodder.
By Streitfeld's own admission, McMurtry wasn't keen to analyze his own career or have other people do it for him. Nevertheless, this book had the support and participation of many of Larry's loved ones, collaborators and contemporaries. At times, the novel's narrative can drift, as we are lead backwards and forwards in Larry's life and career, but the book is never less than engaging. I could have done without the multiple mentions of anonymous reviewers of McMurtry's work on Goodreads, IMDb and Amazon, but Streitfeld does an excellent job of establishing McMurtry's importance and continued relevance in the literary world.
An enlightening glimpse into the life and career of the great Texas author Larry McMurtry. I enjoyed this a great deal. Due to his friendship with McMurtry, the author, David Streitfeld, is able to paint a comprehensive and compassionate portrait. I must admit, for being a longtime reader of McMurtry's work and for holding "Lonesome Dove" in the highest esteem, I didn't know much about his life. It was fascinating to learn about Larry's youth and first forays into literature. His career spanned decades and because he was so prolific, this book had rich fodder.
By Streitfeld's own admission, McMurtry wasn't keen to analyze his own career or have other people do it for him. Nevertheless, this book had the support and participation of many of Larry's loved ones, collaborators and contemporaries. At times, the novel's narrative can drift, as we are lead backwards and forwards in Larry's life and career, but the book is never less than engaging. I could have done without the multiple mentions of anonymous reviewers of McMurtry's work on Goodreads, IMDb and Amazon, but Streitfeld does an excellent job of establishing McMurtry's importance and continued relevance in the literary world.
April 20, 2026
Famously taciturn, famously prickly, McMurtry could be a difficult person to write objectively about. It's questionable that his own memoirs are completely truthful (spoiler alert: they aren't, either by intention or forgetfulness).
Streitfeld was a pretty good friend of Larry's but didn't seem to have a particular axe to grind. He had access to a lot of documents and talked to a LOT of people to put this chronological biography together. There's McMurtry the novelist, McMurtry the scriptwriter, McMurtry the book scout and bookseller, and above all McMurtry the Texan, with his love/hate relationship with his home state and especially his hometown, Archer City. We also get a lot of McMurtry the womanizer. He chronically fell in love with most every interesting and beautiful woman he met.
The stories about his experiences with Hollywood and trying to get movies made are quite juicy. There's lots of stories about Peter Bogdanovich and Cybill Shepherd and the make of The Last Picture Show, as well as the director of Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee. There is, of course, discussion of the adaptations of Lonesome Dove and its sequels/prequels.
The more you are familiar with his books and movies adapted from his work, the better you'll appreciate this book.
Streitfeld was a pretty good friend of Larry's but didn't seem to have a particular axe to grind. He had access to a lot of documents and talked to a LOT of people to put this chronological biography together. There's McMurtry the novelist, McMurtry the scriptwriter, McMurtry the book scout and bookseller, and above all McMurtry the Texan, with his love/hate relationship with his home state and especially his hometown, Archer City. We also get a lot of McMurtry the womanizer. He chronically fell in love with most every interesting and beautiful woman he met.
The stories about his experiences with Hollywood and trying to get movies made are quite juicy. There's lots of stories about Peter Bogdanovich and Cybill Shepherd and the make of The Last Picture Show, as well as the director of Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee. There is, of course, discussion of the adaptations of Lonesome Dove and its sequels/prequels.
The more you are familiar with his books and movies adapted from his work, the better you'll appreciate this book.
April 8, 2026
Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry is a richly detailed and authoritative biography that captures the full scope of Larry McMurtry’s life and literary legacy. David Streitfeld combines meticulous archival research with intimate interviews to paint a portrait of McMurtry as both a towering figure in American literature and a man of contradictions romantic yet pragmatic, playful yet serious, fiercely private yet profoundly influential.
Streitfeld illuminates McMurtry’s formative years on a Texas ranch, his complex relationships, and his creative genius that produced classics like Lonesome Dove and Brokeback Mountain. Readers gain insight into not only his literary achievements but also his lifelong engagement with the myths and realities of the American West. This biography is essential for fans of Western literature, American cultural history, and anyone seeking to understand the mind behind some of the 20th century’s most enduring stories.
Streitfeld illuminates McMurtry’s formative years on a Texas ranch, his complex relationships, and his creative genius that produced classics like Lonesome Dove and Brokeback Mountain. Readers gain insight into not only his literary achievements but also his lifelong engagement with the myths and realities of the American West. This biography is essential for fans of Western literature, American cultural history, and anyone seeking to understand the mind behind some of the 20th century’s most enduring stories.
June 29, 2026
This bio brings back my nostalgia for Texas, where I lived for two years as a grad student in Austin. But it's also a book about Larry McMurtry's pervasive influence on Texas. Though I've never read any of his fictional novels, I do remember seeing three of the movies based on them: Hud, where I was repulsed by the title character played by Paul Newman, a selfish, snarling heel and The Last Picture Show, which is pretty much a catalog of high school sexual activity in Larry's hometown of Archer City. Not much Texan drama in that movie, though. Details about how the director and scriptwriter along with Larry, debate the filming take a whole chapter of this bio. Also, there's Brokeback Mountain, for which Larry helped write the screenplay, a plot that depicts a complex romantic relationship between two cowboys. Larry was deeply laconic, straightforward and profoundly Texan. It's amazing how Streitfeld was able to get McMurtry to “open up” for this bio. I appreciate the Texas flashbacks.
April 2, 2026
David Streitfeld has achieved something remarkable: a biography that matches its subject in scope, complexity, and quiet heartbreak. Larry McMurtry spent decades deconstructing the myths of the American West while carefully constructing his own, and Streitfeld honors both projects without flinching. The book moves fluidly between McMurtry's ranching roots, his literary ascent, his Hollywood tangents, and his final years as an obsessive bookseller, always circling back to the central tension: a man who wrote about connection yet struggled to sustain it. Streitfeld's access as a longtime friend never curdles into hagiography. Instead, we get a fully dimensional portrait of a writer who understood that legends, like the West itself, are built from longing as much as fact. Essential reading for anyone who cares about American literature.
April 30, 2026
Biography is so often a trap; sometimes the biographer is too much in love with their subject and sometimes they form a resentment; either one gets in the way of what a biography should be. The author was a close friend of McMurtry's and I was afraid he would be overly generous but that was not the case. He sees McMurtry with a clear eye, praising him for his successes and not shying away from pointing out his failures. Streitfeld has done his homework exhaustively, speaking with those still alive, studying old reviews and essays, and even noting reviews on the internet--including Goodreads. And Streitfeld is a good writer himself. He has an eye for the personal details and anecdotes that make a biography truly enjoyable. The last few chapters, covering McMurtry's later years and his legacy, are understated and moving. One of the best biographies I've read in recent years.
May 19, 2026
McMurtry as a person was completely unknown to me. Interesting he still is. The book admits that it will be difficult to separate truth versus fiction about him because he was usually creating his own reality and his life stories but the book fact checks many of them. Best parts for me covered the Last Picture Show and its development as a book and a movie.
I got lost in tracking all the individuals that keep filtering in and out of various chapters. Thought he needed a better editor. Worth the read which is the most important feedback.
I got lost in tracking all the individuals that keep filtering in and out of various chapters. Thought he needed a better editor. Worth the read which is the most important feedback.
April 1, 2026
Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry is a meticulously researched and authoritative biography.
David Streitfeld provides comprehensive archival research and detailed interviews, offering a clear portrait of McMurtry’s life, work, and cultural influence.
Essential reading for readers of literary biography, American history, and the life of one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers.
David Streitfeld provides comprehensive archival research and detailed interviews, offering a clear portrait of McMurtry’s life, work, and cultural influence.
Essential reading for readers of literary biography, American history, and the life of one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers.
June 29, 2026
To begin with, this book is a literary biography. The chapters concern themselves with the various McMurtry works, be they fiction, non-fiction, book reviews, articles, screenplays, and movies. How each came about, within the framework of his life and his writings, and the results of his literary efforts.
I read it because I’d read “Lonesome Dove” many years ago.
Not everyone’s “cup of tea”, I’m sure.
I read it because I’d read “Lonesome Dove” many years ago.
Not everyone’s “cup of tea”, I’m sure.
April 6, 2026
Western Star was meticulously researched. Streitfeld knew the author and went the distance in finding people, reading everything out there about McMurtry, his work, his lives, and on and on. I think I am not the target audience. This was too deep a dive for me. TMI.
But I can see how true McMurtry fans will live this work.
But I can see how true McMurtry fans will live this work.
April 7, 2026
Wonder story biography about Larry McMurtry. A good read if you enjoy his storytelling.
Read
April 24, 2026Biography of Larry McMurtry.
May 18, 2026
Interesting story but a little too heavy on Hollywood gossip.
June 7, 2026
Interesting look at the relationship between Texas and its greatest writer.
May 28, 2026
The second newly published biography of McMurtry I've read this spring. The author knew McMurtry well and that flavors the piece. Given that there are notes but no bibliography, I took it as a long remembrance of the author's friend. Paired with the Daugherty book and I definitely feel I know McMurtry better.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews