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The Last Picture Show
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Plot Summary of The Last Picture Show
"The first of a trilogy depicting life in a small Texas town beginning in the 1960's, The Last Picture Show tells about the early lives of Duane, Sonny, and Jacy--a trio of amusing yet lovable characters who form an interesting but indefinable love triangle. Their lives in the small town of Thalia, where the only thing to do on a Saturday is take in a movie at the dilapidated movie theater downtown, are fairly uneventful until young adulthood hits them and they must figure out what to do with their lives. Unfortunately, that is not such an easy thing to do and this tale of their struggle to make the right decisions is a delightful read.
Maybe McMurtry's best book if you don't count Lonesome Dove."

Bill Brumlow, Resident Scholar

"Excellent coming of age story set in small Texas town in the late 1950's. The minor characters are as vividly drawn as the three central characters. Though sex is a major theme, it is presented with both a prelude and an aftermath....the anticipation of sex along with its consequences. The characters Sonny Crawford and Ruth Popper are among the saddest yet moving people ever presented in a novel."
Max Parker, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Last Picture Show
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - American Texas
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Something wrong upstairs/downstairs? - searching for identity/meaning
Parents/lack of parents problem? - rebelling against parent's expectations
Loving/sexing? - girl chasing

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male - Female
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 (a fair amount)
United States Yes
The US: - Texas
Small town? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - rape/molest (yeech!)
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Last Picture Show
Texas Summer by Terry Southern
Giant by Edna Ferber
A Way of Life by Tom Howard
Potatoes are Cheaper by Max Shulman
Life is Elsewhere by Milan Kundera


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Larry McMurtry Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
msjawolfe  

SCHOLARS:
Max Parker  


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