Back in August of 2000, I read my very first book by Larry McMurtry titled Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen. It was a semi-autobiographical work, discussing the writer's life and love of books. From that point, I decided I needed to read Mr. McMurtry's works of fiction. I started with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove as well as its sequel, Streets of Laredo.
Being completely satisfied with those two works, I decided to tackle The Last Picture Show. From the popularity of the 1971 film (which I have not seen), I expected a large book filled with enough triumph and tragedy to fill an entire screenplay. Imagine my surprise when the librarian handed me a slim 215-page book, so old that it had been rebound with a dreary, plain baby poo-colored cover. This is Larry McMurtry's famous work? I thought.
Yes, it is. Didn't anyone ever tell you that size doesn't matter?
The Last Picture Show chronicles a mid 1950's year in the life of Thalia, Texas. The place is so small that everybody knows everybody else. Life revolves around the single traffic light in town. There's not much to look at except the movie theater, the pool hall, and the all-night diner.
This is a "coming of age" story, plain and simple. Not only are the characters coming of age, but the town and the nation is as well.
Sonny and Duane are seniors at Thalia High School. They are best friends who live on their own. They have full-time jobs to support themselves and use school time to catch up on their sleep. Their thoughts generally revolve around where to get a bite to eat, and sex.
Duane is dating Jacy, the rich girl in school. Though they haven't had sex yet, Duane knows it's just a matter of time, because they intend of getting married anyway.
Jacy is the daughter of money. She's beautiful and she knows it. Her life revolves around looking good. She lives for the day, because she doesn't know any better. She's always been given everything she's ever wanted. She toys with the notion of dating richer boys, and manages to juggle Duane and another boy at the same time.
Sonny has no steady girlfriend, as he is recently single. He finds companionship in an unlikely place. He offers to drive the football coach's wife, Ruth Popper, to the doctor. From that moment they begin an affair. Sonny doesn't know what to think. He just knows he's getting laid and that Ruth loves him.
Ruth, on the other hand, is finally discovering herself through Sonny. He gives her the pleasure she's never felt with her fat, chauvinistic, insensitive husband. It may be sick and sinful, but Ruth doesn't care. Sonny fills so many voids in her life, including that of lover and child she never had.
There are many other characters that represent the townsfolk, as well.
Coach Popper is exactly as I described earlier. He's the high school football coach, and in small Texas towns like Thalia, that gives you higher status than the mayor gets. His biggest accomplishment during the year is staging a witch-hunt and accusing a male teacher of being homosexual because he teaches English, and that's a woman's job.
Also present in the story is Jacy's mother, Lois Farrow. She was once a poorer version of Jacy. Though she and her husband now have money, Lois is miserable. She drinks to remember the past and forget the present.
I can't forget to mention Sam the Lion. He owns the diner, pool hall and picture show. Also important is Genevieve, the evening shift waitress at the diner. She works to support her disabled husband, and doles out motherly advice to Sonny and Duane.
The town of Thalia itself is going through changes as well. Economy is slow. Even the movie house is closing down for lack of business (hence the title The Last Picture Show).
This book is a classic in its own right. It portrays and accurate account of small town life in the mid 50's. Who knew that in a few years men would start growing their hair longer? Or that the American youth would smoke pot and start questioning their elders? The Last Picture Show is like a snapshot of life the way it used to be when everyone was blissfully ignorant of the inevitable changes to come.
Unfortunately, this story will never attain the Classic status it deserves. There are just too many offensive scenes within the story to make it a useful tool in English class. That's too bad, too, because Larry McMurtry created some realistic characters here, and I think students could relate to Sonny, Duane and Jacy.
I am pretty sure the town of Thalia is based on Mr. McMurtry's actual hometown of Archer City, Texas. He dedicated the book to its citizens. I wonder if they were appreciative or offended by the example? I tried to get some information on the book, but all I could find was reviews of the movie. Internet users are completely ignoring the literary work. Guess that's a sign of the times, too, huh?
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to most readers. The story started our slow, in my opinion. However, once I was comfortable with the pace and characters, I was spellbound. Larry McMurtry's work will do that to me.
I hope you consider reading The Last Picture Show as well. I had no problem finding a copy through the inter-library loan program at my public library. (You can use your library card to check out books from other libraries all over the place. It's a great program. Check it out.)
I can't forget to mention the other two novels in the Thaila trilogy. Texasville follows the story and characters through the mid 1980's. Duane's Depressed was written in 1999 as sort of a closure on the characters and town. Once you read The Last Picture Show you'll probably find yourself wanting to read these other two novels as I did.
