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The Last Picture Show

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( 20,701 ratings, 1,514 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry is set in a small, declining Texas town in the 1950s. It explores the lives of a group of teenagers navigating the challenges of adolescence against a backdrop of changing times. The novel delves into themes of friendship, love, and the loss of innocence, while painting a vivid picture of rural American life.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are drawn to poignant tales of small-town life, capturing the essence of youth, change, and nostalgia. Set in a desolate Texas town, it delves into the complexities of adolescence and the struggles to find one's place amidst crumbling traditions. If you appreciate character-driven stories with rich emotional landscapes, this book may resonate with you.

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Sam the Lion runs the pool-hall, the picture house and the all-night cafe. Coach Popper whips his boys with towels and once took a shot at one when he disturbed his hunting. Billy wouldn't know better than to sweep his broom all the way to the town limits if no one stopped him.

The basis for a classic film, The Last Picture Show is both extremely funny and deeply profound. And, with the eccentrically peopled Thalia, Texas, Larry McMurtry made a small town that feels as real as any you've ever walked around.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Larry McMurtry's hilarious and touching novel, in Penguin Modern Classics for the very first time.

Sam the Lion runs the pool-hall, the picture house and the all-night café. Coach Popper whips his boys with towels and once took a shot at one when he disturbed his hunting. Billy wouldn't know better than to sweep his broom all the way to the town limits if no one stopped him. And teenage friends Sonny and Duane have nothing better to do than drift towards the adult world, with its temptations of sex and confusions of love.

The basis for a classic film, The Last Picture Show is both extremely funny and deeply profound. And, with the eccentrically peopled Thalia, Texas, Larry McMurtry made a small town that feels as real as any you've ever walked around.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry has been lauded for its transformative storytelling, with the New York Times Book Review likening the author's skill to that of an alchemist turning base materials into gold. The Boston Globe praises McMurtry for being an exceptionally entertaining writer, suggesting his works are both enjoyable and skillfully crafted.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141194448

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 March 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 192g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Larry McMurtry (born June 3, 1936) is an American essayist, bookseller, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, who wrote the screenplay of Brokeback Mountain. He has published 21 novels, and also operates antiquarian bookshops in Washington DC, Texas and Arizona. Mary Karr (born January 16, 1955) is an American poet, essayist and memoirist. She rose to fame in 1995 with the publication of her bestselling memoir The Liars' Club. She is the Peck Professor of English Literature at Syracuse University.

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