Rating: 
Summary: Looking for love in all the wrong places...
Review: Not a typical McMurtry novel;but then again none of his are.I've had this book for a long time as well as it's sequel "The Late Child"and for a change of pace decided to give it a try.
It is a great read.Somewhat like "Tems of Endearment";but more along the lines of "Cadillac Jack";which was my first McMurtry novel and probably my favorite.As a matter of fact I would'nt have been surprised if he has shown up somewhere;maybe at one of Myrtle's garage sales.
McMurtry has put together a great bunch of characters who all belong with one another.Kind of like the cast you find in a novel by Erskine Caldwell,Kinky Friedman,Hunter Thompson or even Steinbeck.These characters come from a different slice of life . These are the personal lives of the people who live very public lives in the Las Vegas entertainment world.In spite of it all, these are real people.Mc Murtry shows it is a tough world and eats up the workers and gamblers and spits them out when they reach the end of their prime or run out of cash.Rather than being Rednecks I guess you'd have to call them Pinknecks.They are somewhat akin to those loveable characters we know as Carnies.
Anyway, the book is a great,fast moving read with a surprise on every turn of a page.A lot of characters and I'm glad I made notes as they appeared so I could keep track of them.
Liked it so much I'm reading "The Late Child " next to see what happened to all these characters.It's surprising that so much time went by between this book and the sequel--12 years.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, lyrical novel
Review: Poignant, beautiful, complex character-driven novel a must for McMurtry fans.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite McMurty stories...
Review: The main character Harmony is off the wall, naive, jaded, irresponsible, loyal, and filled with goodness. You can't help but like this character no matter how many dumb turns she makes in her life. McMurty paints his main character with a warm and affectionate brush.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Mcmurtry's best
Review: This novel is good for summer reading, but not one of McMurtry's best. It does not have the grandeur of the Lonesome Dove series, or the poignancy of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. However, it does showcase a cast of quirky and eccentric (if not wholly believable) characters that seem uniquely human. The plot is interesting and fast-paced. The story is told from the points of view of Harmony, an aging Las Vegas showgirl, and her beautiful daughter Pepper. The symmetry of their stories--as Harmony's career ends and Pepper's begins--lends the story a lot of texture and irony. And McMurtry, as usual, writes in a strong, compelling voice.But there are some flaws. First, it is obvious Harmony is supposed to be a more likable character than Pepper. McMurtry even refers to Pepper as "a monster" in his preface to the mass market edition. However, Pepper is stronger, smarter, and takes her destiny into her own hands. I identified with her much more than her overly optimistic mother. I have heard that Pepper is absent from the sequel (THE LATE CHILD). If that's true, I'll probably skip it. Second, there is a LOT of sex in this book. This is not unusual for McMurtry's novels, but unlike in LAST PICTURE SHOW and TEXASVILLE, it adds nothing to the story. Much of it was thrown in simply for the sake of vulgarity and titillation. Finally, the book could have benefitted from another go-round with the editor. There is a big timing descrepancy in Part I (told from Harmony's point of view) and Part II (told from Pepper's point of view). In Part I, we learn of an important breakfast conversation between the women about Pepper's future. However, when the events are retold in Part II, the conversation is left out--and there are no time gaps during which it could have occured. This is a small flaw, but an annoying one (I have a pet peeve against sloppy editing). Flaws notwithstanding, the story was fun (and short). I've definitely read worse.
Rating:
Summary: Fun to read, but not one of McMurtry's best
Review: This novel is good for summer reading, but not one of McMurtry's best. It does not have the grandeur of the Lonesome Dove series, or the poignancy of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. However, it does showcase a cast of quirky and eccentric (if not wholly believable) characters that seem uniquely human. The plot is interesting and fast-paced. The story is told from the points of view of Harmony, an aging Las Vegas showgirl, and her beautiful daughter Pepper. The symmetry of their stories--as Harmony's career ends and Pepper's begins--lends the story a lot of texture and irony. And McMurtry, as usual, writes in a strong, compelling voice. But there are some flaws. First, it is obvious Harmony is supposed to be a more likable character than Pepper. McMurtry even refers to Pepper as "a monster" in his preface to the mass market edition. However, Pepper is stronger, smarter, and takes her destiny into her own hands. I identified with her much more than her overly optimistic mother. I have heard that Pepper is absent from the sequel (THE LATE CHILD). If that's true, I'll probably skip it. Second, there is a LOT of sex in this book. This is not unusual for McMurtry's novels, but unlike in LAST PICTURE SHOW and TEXASVILLE, it adds nothing to the story. Much of it was thrown in simply for the sake of vulgarity and titillation. Finally, the book could have benefitted from another go-round with the editor. There is a big timing descrepancy in Part I (told from Harmony's point of view) and Part II (told from Pepper's point of view). In Part I, we learn of an important breakfast conversation between the women about Pepper's future. However, when the events are retold in Part II, the conversation is left out--and there are no time gaps during which it could have occured. This is a small flaw, but an annoying one (I have a pet peeve against sloppy editing). Flaws notwithstanding, the story was fun (and short). I've definitely read worse.
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