Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryby Larry McMurtry
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 10 of 122 novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a gripping, funny, emotionally heavy western that even readers who dislike the genre enjoy. The one critic strongly advises against reading it, without giving a specific reason.
People recommend it as a gripping, funny, emotionally heavy western that even readers who dislike the genre enjoy. The one critic strongly advises against reading it, without giving a specific reason.
16 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 15
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 94%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 15 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 15 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Enjoyed even by non-western fans
“"Lonesome Dove" was the most surprising book in years for me - I do not like westerns, and that book is a western - but guess what: I loved it!”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “I love neo western films, so this sounds right up my alley.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” Gritty with emotional weight
“Lonesome Dove is more just very... gritty. And packs a serious emotional heft.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “there's a lot of moral strength in some of the characters”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” Among best westerns ever
“Lonesome Dove won a Pulitzer for a reason. It's very good.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “Fantastic story! The best western I've ever read.”
Comment from 16 Feb 2026 in “Robert Duvall Dead at 95”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Lonesome Doveby Larry McMurtryThis page | 15 | 1 | 94% | 4 | — | Approved |
What people said
14 of the 18 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“it continues to top my all time favorites list”
“I loved them all for wildly different reasons.”
“Lonesome Dove is more just very... gritty. And packs a serious emotional heft.”
“"Lonesome Dove" was the most surprising book in years for me - I do not like westerns, and that book is a western - but guess what: I loved it!”
“I love neo western films, so this sounds right up my alley.”
“Lonesome Dove won a Pulitzer for a reason. It's very good.”
“I agree that it's a great read.”
“there's a lot of moral strength in some of the characters”
“I strongly recommend against it.”
“The book is also absolutely hilarious and has one of my favorite characters in a book”
“the book has a lot more details and explains the events better than the series”
“The book will not let you down”
“Fantastic story! The best western I've ever read.”
“And it's hard to convey how much I enjoyed it.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.