True Grit

It was only after getting halfway through this book that I realized the familiarity that came with having already seen the 2010 movie (despite forgetting I had done so). I greatly enjoyed this book, as I generally tend to enjoy first person narration, as it added a dimension I didn't feel the movie had. My main takeaway from reading this book was the general coldness of the characters. While revenge is had and the major players survive the main conflict of the book, Cogburn never reaches out to Mattie, only in death does he see her again, despite her writings. Mattie is a young woman determined for revenge with unyielding determination to see her father's killer done in her way, by her hand. Her attitude throughout the book is far from warm and cuddly, and she ends up rich but unmarried at the end of the book. While everything seems a bit melancholic at the end, the story of True Grit isn't intrinsically sad. While it may not be the happy ending people would want, the story wraps up well, and the actions are befitting of the characters. The book didn't provide an ending that would make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, because solving problems is messy and it takes grit to do whatever it takes to get the job done. This story serves to show that problems aren't solved through doing the "right" thing or being the best person, but through doing the things that need to be done.