All the Pretty Horses

This book is definitely not one of my favorite this year, it started off really slow, though I tried going with the flow as it described the scenery of the typical Texas ranch in endless detail, it got old after the while. I was never got truly interested into the plot.

It story begins with the main character, John Grady Cole, a young man who is dealing with the loss of his grandfather, as he is saying his last good-bye at the funeral. As a result of his death, John Grady also has to say farewell to love of working on the family ranch, since his mother decides to sell the unprofitable land. She then moves to San Angelo to pursue the rest of her life as an actress and find new romance after being separated from John Grady's father for some time. John Grady later meets with his father at the local diner, where they ate with little conversation about the recent events. During this meeting, it hinted that his father is suffering from lung cancer. John Grady then hitchhikes his way to San Angelo to see his mother perform in a play, though never approaches her. He seeing the play he finds his friend Rawlins, the pair both decide to leave Texas, and ride down to Mexico.

On their way to the border, they encounter Belvins, who looks like he is thirteen, and ends up taging along on the trip. Belvins becomes more of a problem than an asset to the team with his need to prove himself against insults. After sometime traveling, the group runs into a thunderstorm revealing how Belvins is frightened of lighting, causing him to take off his clothes and hiding. When John Grady and Rawlins find him when the storms over, Belvins horse, clothes, and pistol are gone.

Later they discover the small town her Belvins horse is and develop a plan to steal it back, but anxious Belvins goes ahead without them. He gets the horse while waking up the town, escaping with men trailing not far behind. John Grady and Rawlins split in another direction to safety. Further in the story, they learn that Belvins was caught and put in jail, and hanged as punishment.

As John Grady and Rawlins continue on their travels, they find work as ranchhands for Don Hector. John Grady proves his skills with horses as he breaks sixteen horses in three days. He gets promoted to help breed the horses, bringing him closer Alejandra, the daughter of Don Hector. He begins to meet with her secretly, knowing very well it goes against Don Hector's wishes and Alfonsa, Alejandra's aunt. John Grady become intimate and someone sees them together who tells Don Hector. Don Hector then tries to end the affair by sending Alejandra to Mexico City. He then has John Grady and Rawlins arrested and put in jail as conspirators of Belvins. In jail it was believed that since they were Americans they were rich, resulting them fighting to stay alive, since they failed to bribe one of the head prisoners. They were soon released from prison by Alfonsa paying to get them out as a favor to Alejandra, in return she was not to see John Grady. Rawlins decides to return home after being released. John Grady returns to get the American horses back, taking the captain as hostaged. As he carries out his plan he gets shot in the leg, though he later makes back to Texas. John Grady then learns his father died in his absence, his friendship with Rawlins was not what it was, and he rides into the western sunset.

I think the book would have been better if the beginning wasn't so slow, but if you like the detailed descriptions of the Texas frontier and stories about cowboys, then you should read this book.

Michelle Herrera