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"I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains." On the Majesty of True Grit (a book by Charles Portis).

2/21/2015

3 Comments

 
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All hail Portis.
Why is it that all schoolchildren in this country are not given to read True Grit by Charles Portis? It is the greatest novel ever written by a white man. It has not one, but two, relatively faithful and watchable movie versions for them to cheat off of when they go to write their themes on it. There are shootouts, a teenage protagonist, moral rectitude tested by "the most wicked men in the world," men who have "ridden the 'hoot owl trail' and tasted the fruits of evil," and five funny things said on every page. It does not matter why. What matters is setting things right. Buy it--an edition with the afterword by Donna Tartt. Read it. Buy two more copies, give one to a friend and one to a child. Campaign against your local school board members if they refuse to support you in demanding it be read. And you writers, always remember these words of Mattie Ross, the narrator of True Grit: "Nothing is too long or too short either if you have a true and interesting tale and what I called a 'graphic' writing style combined with educational aims." True Grit, friends. I stand by it now and forever. And don't you watch the movies and think you've accomplished. You haven't. 
3 Comments
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12/30/2018 12:57:44 am

Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this website needs much more consideration. I'll probably be again to read much more, thanks for that info.

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5/27/2019 07:34:32 pm

In my opinion, reading the said novel should not be required. I have read the synopsis of it and there are some part of that is not appropriate for such young age. Well, let us first clarify your term "school children." How old are they? Are we talking about those who are in elementary, high school, or college? If and only if we are talking about those who are in elementary, it is a big NO for them to read it. They can't fully understand the story yet, they might just end up misinterpreting it. As for those who are in high school, still, they should be required. You can advice them to read but for school purposes but never as life guidance. They are very sensitive, curious, and adventurous. They might end up doing things that should not be done. Lastly, if we are talking about college students, maybe you can require them because they are already grown ups, and they already have their own judgement. Still, requiring them should also be accompanied with proper guidance. Personally, I like the flow of the story.

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5/13/2020 02:55:49 am

Thanks for such a great post and the review, I am totally impressed! Keep stuff like this coming.

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    Robert Gipe grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. He lives in Harlan, Kentucky.

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