Duane's Depressed

by Larry McMurtry

Book Overview

Funny, sad, full of wonderful characters and the word-perfect dialogue of which he is the master, McMurtry brings the Thalia saga to an end with Duane confronting depression in the midst of plenty.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068485497X
• ISBN13: 9780684854977
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A beautiful ending to a wonderful trilogy.

Picking up this book was like attending a family reunion. I had that same sense of visiting with people I hadn't seen in years but still cared about. You want to reminisce and catch up on what everyone's been up to. It's been years since I read Texasville and over a decade since I read The Last Picture Show. Nevertheless, I was immediately able to fall back into the rhythms of Thalia, Texas. "Duane's Depressed" picks up several years after Texasville and once again focuses on Duane Moore and his family. The book opens with Duane's decision to give up motorized vehicles, a move that shocks the entire town and throws Duane's wife into a panic. Pedestrians, you see, are unheard of in Thalia. Typical of McMurtry's novels, the dialogue is extremely funny and true to life. McMurtry has an amazing ability to point out the ridiculousness of most human behavior without demeaning his characters. And he thoroughly captures the eccentricities of small town life. Even though this is basically a story about regrets and missed oportunities, it never becomes melancholy or dismal. This is a stronger book that Texasville, but no less entertaining. I highly recommend this book for all McMurtry fans, especially if you've read the rest of the trilogy.

W/O reading rest of triology, this is still great

I havne't read the first two books in this trilogy, but I found this book engaging and entertaining. Neither being in my sixties or male, I still found Duane's struggles interesting to read. This book is about a man who wakes up one day and decides to walk away from his life, literally, and push forward in a new direction. I think anyone of any age can relate to that kind of story, where the character is questioning his existence and wondering what it's all about. I would say in some ways this is a philosophical book, but it's also very entertaining and easy to read. I was glued to turning the pages, wanting to find out what would happen next. A great read.

Very entertaining - a "must read"

I coud not put this book down and finished it in 4 hours. What a wonderful book! McMurtry is a great writer, turning out an intelligent captivating story with funny, true to life characters that you believe in and care about. Haven't we all wanted to just take some time and walk around, hoping to figure it all out? I love a book that's well written AND makes me laugh out loud.

Duane discovers Proust & Thoreau

Larry McMurtry delivers us the human condition again and Proust-Thoreau as a bonus. Duane cyles through depression, irritation, loss of identity, love and comes to a soft landing on a cloud of understanding. He learns a few things about contentment and Proust teaches him to see the validity of his life now -- the pyramids aren't inherently better than Texas -- IF you pay attention. Excellent book for thinking people.

I really, really liked this book....

I haven't read anything by McMurtry...I tried to get past page 50 of "Lonesome Dove" a dozen times,without success. However, the jacket notes of this book intrigued me and I jumped in. I'm glad I did, too!This is a book for anyone who has thought about the meaning of life; who has been depressed; who has lived with someone with depression; who has made it to 50; who has lost someone they love; who has not quite lived up to their teen-age reputations. In other words, this is a book that anyone over 40 can relate to...you don't have to be male to understand Duane's desperation or despondency. I gave this book to my spouse to read...hope he finds as much enjoyment and enlightenment as I did. A great read and well worth my precious spare time.