Terms of Endearment

I'm a big fan of Larry McMurtry, and am amazed at the amount of quality material he has cranked out over the years. Be it with his "Lonesome Dove" series, or his more contemporary novels such as this one, there always seems to be parts of the story that make one despair about life in general. There is usually death of some kind. While many authors will write something 'redeeming' about a death, McMurtry will tend to show the stark fact that life goes on, and often a death is indeed a big waste. Cruel as it sounds, it is probably more real than we'd like to admit, and for that, I like his work. While this novel doesn't contain the wholesale slaughter of his westerns, there is enough pain to carry the story in his manner described above. What makes the book great is how he takes a pair of characters who are not that pleasant a couple, and makes us really care for them. Aurora, the widowed mother, is an overweight, overbearing woman who constantly cajoles those close to her. Her daughter Emma, also overweight and seemingly without focus in life, is not exactly someone you're gonna turn the TV on to see. One is tempted to close the book early on and look for more uplifting characters, but McMurtry hooks you, first with comedy, then tragedy. I was surprised to see how much I grew to like Aurora by the end of the book, and have sympathy for Emma. There is a method to Aurora's rudeness. For example, being a widow, she has a handful of male suitors. At first I was wondering what all these older guys saw in her, as elderly guys, by sheer numbers, would have the pick of much more numerous older ladies. We see how she keeps them at arm's length, and as the book goes on, we see how they fit into their lives. When several of the suitors often wind up in the same room without too much bloodshed, we see that the method does work. Aurora has a role for each of them, and understands that most of them would not be able to keep up with her.Same with Emma. If I were to meet this person at just about any part of her life, I probably would have little interest. But we do see the needs of this person. Yes, she probably made a big mistake with her choice of husband. But we see how she does want affection from a man who doesn't seem to have much to give, and thus turns back to her mother. While they both keep each other at arm's length, we can see the bond that holds them together until the end. Terrific book, and and excellent translation to the screen.

Terms of Endearment is a standout from a special author. The book has it all: unforgetable characters (I can't imagine where McMurtry comes up with these people), laugh out loud comedy and heart wrenching drama. The book is not just a story; it's a wonderful experience. Anyone avoiding this book as a result of seeing the Acadamy award winning movie is making a HUGE mistake. I actually read the book first, and found the crticially acclaimed movie to be a major let down. The movie covers about one tenth of what appears in the book, pratically ignoring some of the most memorable characters and story lines ever. Don't miss Terms of Endearment; I think it's great.

This is one of my faviorite books. I laugh alot and cried at the ending. I loved the characters. i could almost see Vernon living in his car. I liked the book better than the movie.

I simply fell in love with this book. It is my all time favorite book. It is full of rich characters including Aurora Greenway, an eccentric, overbearing and somewhat annoying woman that you just have to love. Aurora's scenes with her suitors are so humorous that you are compeled to laugh out loud. This is a must read for those who enjoy books written from the heart.