Moving on

By Larry McMurtry

Book Overview

Larry McMurtry's Moving On, his epic first novel in the acclaimed Houston series, has long been considered a defining tale of "monumental honesty" worthy of great attention (New York Times). Preceding Terms of Endearment by five years, it is essential reading for anyone who appreciates the inherent genius of McMurtry's late twentieth-century fiction. Moving On centers on the life of Patsy Carpenter, one of his most beloved characters. After calmly finishing a Hershey bar alone in her car, a restless Patsy drives away from her lifeless marriage in search of a greater purpose. In "precise and lyrical prose" (Boston Globe), McMurtry reveals the complex, colorful lives of Pete, the rodeo clown; high-spirited cowboy Sonny Shanks; and impassioned grad student Hank. A critical work of American literature that "presents human drama with sympathy and compassion" (Los Angeles Times), Moving On unfolds a tale of perseverance and emotional survival in the modern-day West.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1631493493
• ISBN13: 9781631493492
• Release Date: October 2018
• Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
• Length: 832 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable read

Interesting novel that takes you on a ride with Patsy and her acquaintances. More of a character study than a riveting plot driven novel. Certainly enjoyable but don’t expect to have an answer to “What is the point?” It is, however, a pleasant excursion.

The first of McMurtry's Houston books ...

To correct and amplify on some of the earlier reviews -- As Wagner's 'Ring' is a prologue followed by a trilogy, Larry McMurtry's Houston books are a trilogy followed by a epilogue -- in chronological order, 'Moving On', 'All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers', 'Terms of Endearment', and 'The Evening Star'. After McMurtry attended Texas Tech University, he went to graduate school in English at Rice University in Houston, where he lived and taught in the late '60s - early '70s. These novels are a perfect historical & sociological mirror of the time & place (I was there, too), but more than that they are stories of memorable, completely developed, fully complex characters lost between an old & mythical Texas of ranches & rodeos and the new urban Texas fueled by big money, real estate & oil. Is there a more memorable character than Patsy Carpenter in contemporary American literature? She cries a lot -- oh, does she cry -- but she cries because she is lost, alone & confused, and McMurtry never backs away from or softens his portrayal of her despair. We intimately know her family & friends, their loves, affairs, betrayals and kindnesses, and they quickly become believable, fully human, and known. This is a long book and, in musical terms, stays mostly between mezzo-piano & mezzo-forte -- short on dramatic plot development and cathartic climaxes. But 'Moving On' is a beautifully developed portrait of a group of almost-real people, and you will remember them for a long, long time.

Excellent book - read the trilogy

The first book (I think) in the trilogy that includes "Terms of Endearment" and "All my friends are going to be strangers". "Moving On" is excellent. McMurtry's description of small everyday tasks and oddball characters are beautiful. I read somewhere that McMurtry's women friends hated the book when it came out (one of whom supplied the title - McMurtry wanted to call it 'Patsy Carpenter') because the main character cries a lot. A LOT. But she is engaging and I wanted the book to go on and on and on.

Why isn't this book a movie ?

This big book is replete with McMurtry's usual supporting cast of strong and strange characters (the best is Sonny, the ex-Rodeo Champion of the World and a truly loose man). The main character, Patsy, who is a study in female contradictions and a pleasure to behold on paper, prances fitfully through the '60s and marriage, lust, motherhood, and a Haight-Ashbury family intervention. Joining her are best friend Emma Horton (prequel to "Terms of Endearment")and a comically engaging parade of academics, lovers, rivals, and barrel riders. The novel really captures the confusion and mindful wanderlust of the time and once again paints the reader's mind in the many hues of McMurtry's Texas. Savor it slowly and often while pondering your ideal cast for the Best Movie Which Never Got Made

McMurtry's Best and most Neglected Novel

Moving On was one of Larry McMurtry's first, and in my opinion, his best book. Its main character, Patsy, is an excellent portrait of an evolving personality. The incidental characters, both at the rodeo and back in Austin, are all well drawn. McMurtry also excells in capturing the culture, personality and humidity of the southwest. Despite my love of some of his other books (Horseman, Pass By and The Last Picture Show), Moving On is my favorite