We’re diving into True Grit, the high-stakes story of Mattie Ross and the legendary, trigger-happy U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. It’s a fast-paced hunt for justice through a lawless frontier. Come for the sharp dialogue, stay for beverages and a laid-back conversation about one of the greatest anti-heroes in American fiction. No formal analysis required—just good discussion with good company.

We'll need at least two registrations to hold the discussion, so we strongly encourage you to register. (You can always cancel if you won't be able to join us.) Copies of the book are available at the first-floor service desk.

About Connect With the Classics

This is a monthly series of casual discussions about "classic" literature, defined very loosely. Discussions are open to all, whether you're an occasional reader or a serious book club fan.

About True Grit

Charles Portis has long been acclaimed as one of America’s most enduring and incomparable literary voices, and his novels have left an indelible mark on the American canon. True Grit, his most famous novel, was first published in 1968 and has garnered critical acclaim and enthusiastic praise from countless passionate fans for more than fifty years.

This story of danger and adventure in the Old West became the basis for two award-winning films: the first, starring John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role as Marshall Rooster Cogburn, and the widely praised remake by the Coen brothers, starring Jeff Bridges.

True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross, who is just fourteen when the coward Tom Chaney shoots her father in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs him of his life, his horse, and $150 cash. Filled with an unwavering urge to avenge her father’s blood, Mattie finds and, after some tenacious finagling, enlists one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available US Marshal, as her partner in pursuit, and they head off into Indian Territory after the killer.

True Grit is essential reading. Not just a classic Western, but an undeniable classic of American literature as eccentric, cool, funny, and unflinching as Mattie Ross herself. For fans of either the John Wayne classic or the more recent Coen brothers’ movie, it’s a chance to relive the story of Mattie and Rooster, as it was originally told. For fans of taut, funny storytelling, it will be a joy to experience in its original form.