Biography Western Star Explores Larry McMurtry's Contradictions as Novelist and Bookseller

In *Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry*, David Streitfeld focuses on McMurtry's impact as a bookseller and his involvement in Hollywood, rather than conducting a literary critique. McMurtry, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 84, amassed a collection of 28,000 books and ran Booked Up in Georgetown, D.C., eventually expanding to four buildings in Archer City, Texas, housing over 400,000 volumes. He received a Pulitzer Prize for *Lonesome Dove* (1985) and wrote popular novels such as *The Last Picture Show* (1966) and *Terms of Endearment* (1975), often minimizing his accolades. Additionally, he shared an Oscar in 2006 for *Brokeback Mountain*. Streitfeld's 464-page biography is available from Mariner Books for $35.