McMurtry looks at books

The Larry McMurtry on the cover of his most recent book "Literary Life" looks positively laid back. Maybe the author is in a more relaxed mood now that he has completed two thirds of his memoirs.
Certainly nothing in "Literary Life" hints at a popular, if not critically exalted, author suffering much angst as he looks back at a long and productive career in books.
"Literary Life," is about McMurtry becoming an author. It follows "Books," which concentrated on his other career as a book scout and book store owner. "Hollywood," the final part of the trilogy, will detail his adventures as a screenwriter.
The subject matter of all three of these books, as it relates to McMurtry's long career, is hard to unravel. There's a lot of back and forth in the first two books (and in the third I assume) but that won't bother book lovers and/or McMurtry fans who enjoy getting a peek inside the author's head.
McMurtry drops a lot of names in "Literary Life." He seems to have met just about every author worth meeting over the last 30 years and the supply of anecdotes appears endless. McMurtry points put the warts, but isn't nasty about it. "Literary Life" is not about settling scores.
McMurtry looks at his own work and his picks and pans may surprise readers. "Duane's Depressed" is his favorite and it is a fine novel.
McMurtry continues to wrestle with the success of "Lonesome Dove," which won him a Pulitzer and put a lot of money in his bank account. The author seems almost embarrassed by the lofty perch his western epic has claimed in the popular culture.
I met McMurtry briefly this past summer and one of the many questions I wanted to ask him, but didn't, was why the hell couldn't he just admit he had written a damn fine book and leave it at that. However, I did thank him for the graceful demise he gave Duane Moore, the hero of five McMurtry novels and a favorite of many of his fans.
"Literary Life" is a fast and carefree read. McMurtry's fans will gobble it up and immediately begin hungering for "Hollywood."