Lonesome Dove (book series) - an unimportant question

[Equanimous Phil]

I very much enjoyed watching Lonesome Dove the movie or rather TV mini series with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. So, I downloaded and read the novel which brought even more pleasure. Needless to say that then I wanted to know Woodrow's and Augustus' whole story and found the "Lonesome Dove Chronicles" for download on my e-reader. It contains all four novels in chronological order, starting with Dead Man's Walk and ending with Streets of Laredo, and I am asking myself now if that makes any sense. I assume most people have read Lonesome Dove first and then went to the other three books. My question is now, what order would you recommend to someone who hasn't read any of the four novels yet? Wouldn't it be Lonesome Dove for the start as Larry McMurtry introduced his main characters with that book and only later explains in Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon how they became the persons they are?

As the thread title says, it's a rather unimportant question, I am just wondering...

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

I suggest Streets of Laredo as your next book, and don’t bother with Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon.

 

The last two are dark. Really dark.  I did not finish either because they were just unpleasant.  I read for adventure, fun, escape, and entertainment.  Dark is not among them,

[Equanimous Phil]

I've already read Dead Man's Walk as second and I am now half way through Comance Moon. I agree, they're dark, but that's part of the story...

[Rye Miles #13621]

I wish I would have seen them in order but I understand why they put out lonesome dove first. I mean after all Robert DuVall and Tommy Lee Jones were in it. That was why it got so popular. 

[watab kid]

i always try to read/watch in order , it provides the nuances and characters in order , you get the background for some of what is happening later so your not confused or left in the dark on why some things occur , 

 

i read all the james bond novels as they came out thanks to my grandmother - she bought them , read them , then gave them to me because she knew i liked to read as much as she did , if you read/watch in order ypou always know whu spome things happen the way they do , you dont necessarily anticipate but you understand as it unfolds , 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

On 2/12/2026 at 6:32 AM, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

I suggest Streets of Laredo as your next book, and don’t bother with Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon.

 

The last two are dark. Really dark.  I did not finish either because they were just unpleasant.  I read for adventure, fun, escape, and entertainment.  Dark is not among them,

Agreed. I might say they were a little twisted. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I enjoyed all of them! Just MHO 

[Irish Pat]

Read lonesome Dove. then start reading the Robert Parker series of novels on Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. one has been made into the movie “appaloosa” but not the first movie by that name with Marlin Brando

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Think about "Star Wars". The first movie was the fourth chapter. When I was watching the third movie, I couldn't get excited about it, because I already knew how it turned out.