"She has got you buffaloed with her saucy ways!" First, imagine the dandyish Texas Ranger LaBoeuf saying this to former bushwhacker Rooster Cogburn to scold him for taking up with a 14 year old girl hell-bent on avenging her father’s death. Got it? Now, imagine it being read aloud over your car speakers by Donna Tartt during your morning commute. AWESOME. I heart the book and film versions of Charles Portis' classic western tale of revenge and justice, but the audio version read in Donna Tartt's tough-girl Mississippi accent trumps them all.

On reflection, I would say that I did not give nearly enough credit to Charles Portis in my quick review (below). Portis portrayed his 14-year-old heroine convincingly and sensitively. His deftness is even more remarkable because he created a courageous, self-directed heroine who didn't need a man to prop up her identity, and he wrote her into existence at a time when such individuals were not at all the fashion. *** My original comments: ,I had high expectations for this book, given the fervent admiration expressed by others. I found it gripping and enjoyable despite the heroine's occasional priggishness, but for me it was no more than an entertaining yarn. Possibly I was spoiled for the book because I saw the most recent movie version first.

Told as a monologue by Mattie Ross a few decades after the incident has taken place, the story of how she sets out to avenge her father's death is gripping, humorous, and a powerful portrait of the frontier at that time. The afterword has an interesting comparison of Mattie to other, similar novels of the time, such as Huck Finn and Dorothy Gale. I'm looking forward to reading more of Portis's work, and grateful not to have missed this masterpiece.

I love this book! The characters are unforgettable, it's very funny and easy to read. Highly recommended whether you've seen the movie or not!

I was a little disappointed with Portis' popular novel, mostly a function of having expected too much although I was surprised to immediately encounter that the book is written entirely in the form of a monologue which at times segued off the plot in a prolonged and dull fashion. All the same it's a short read and our lead teenage character provides all the entertainment, especially towards the end.

I quite enjoyed it, especially since the most recent film version of True Grit follows the book more closely than the John Wayne version, even though I haven't seen that particular version. Anyways, I really liked this book, but once you view the movie, the book is basically ruined and therefore took me awhile to actually finish it. Its not that its a bad book, its actually quite good, but its just that the Cohen Brothers took way too much from the book. But all that being said, I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend the book to anybody who either has read a western or hasn't read a western.

Fantastic writing, funny, and a quick read. Highly recommended.

I have to admit to not having heard of this book until the Coen brother's movie came out. I've not seen the movie but wanted to and thought I should read the book first, and I'm glad I read it! I liked Mattie's character right away and loved the style of writing - I couldn't put it down and I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. Great read and I can't wait to see BOTH of the movies.

O/s writer

The story is told by an old Mattie, who has strong opinions, isn't afraid of telling the reader what to think, and has a lifetime of experience to reflect on the adventure of a lifetime. Great book. The afterword by Donna Tartt is a good summary of why the book is a classic.