Kelly’s Reviews > Lonesome Dove > Status Update

“All his work, and it hadn’t saved anyone, or slowed the moment of their going by a minute.” p804

“It was during the Captain’s absence that Newt discovered a talent for breaking horses.” p815

“…(Gus) looked relieved. I’ve never forgot it…he saw it would be a struggle if he won me, and he didn’t want it.” p826

“I should have married again. Two wives ain’t very many. Solomon beat me by several hundred, although I’ve got the same equipment he had…I was working in my head, you see, I was trying to figure out life.” p737

“It seemed to her she had better not form the practice of ignoring death…it would take another of her loved ones to remind her to respect it.” p747

“You’ll end up bearshit.” p760

“To the huge astonishment of her girls, Clara walked straight off the porch and into the stranger’s arms…and kissed him right on the mouth.” p690

“But in Clara’s house, she wasn’t afraid to remember her grandmother and the softness of the bed.” p706

“This goddamn country has burned up my tears.” (The Irishman said) p720

“It will get dry” Po Campo insisted. “We will be drinking horse’s blood if we’re not lucky.” p668

“You wouldn’t” he said, meaning to tell the man not to kick, but the boot hit his face before he could get his words out…he spat out blood and teeth.” p672

“This was what (Lorena) had done all those months at the Dry Bean, with any man who had drawn his wages.” p683

“It was wearying, adjusting to all the paces life required.” p604

“But he’s a man,” …Their father had never cried, as far as she knew.
“Men have tears in them too, same as you,” Clara said. p623

You can’t avoid it, you’ve got to learn to handle it…if you only come face to face with your own mistakes once or twice in your life, it’s bound to be extra painful. I face mine every day...” p633

“…reflecting that he had cried more in the last few weeks than his whole life up to that point.” p534

“It’s humbling. I lived through the worst war ever fought and then got killed by a damn horse thief. That galls me.” p564

“The earth is mostly just a boneyard.” p573

“Life works out peculiar…if he hadn’t talked you into making this trip, we wouldn’t have had to hang him today.” p585

“Elmira wished she was a man so she could just buy a horse and ride away.” p420

“…often recovery came too late if the captives were women. Usually their minds were gone and they were only interested in dying, which they mostly did once they got back to people who would let them die.” p443

“Loss of life always is. But the life is lost for good. Don’t you go attempting vengeance.” p464

“Lorena began to wish there was some way to just die…but it wasn’t death she got - just the four men.” p390-1

“It ought to be a hanging crime for the post office to work so slow..” p394

“If only he could be in the sky and use the stars like stepping-stones.” p397

“…naked and wet, sure to be murdered unless a slip of a girl, armed only with rocks, could defeat two men armed with guns.” p411

“…since we chased out the Indians and hung all the good bandits,” Augustus said. “Does it ever occur to you that everything we done was probably a mistake?” p323

“I don’t guess I’ve watched you punish yourself for thirty years to be totally wrong about you. I just don’t know what you done to deserve the punishment.” p345

“(Call) had begun…to talk out loud to her when they were alone.” p348