True Grit

novel by Portis

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July 19, 2026

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True Grit is a novel by Charles Portis published in 1968. It tells the story of Mattie Ross, a determined 14-year-old girl who seeks to avenge her father's murder. She hires Rooster Cogburn, a grizzled and drunken U.S. marshal, to help her track down the killer, Tom Chaney. They are joined by La Boeuf, a Texas Ranger also pursuing Chaney. The novel is set in the 1870s and is known for its dry wit, realistic setting, and memorable characters, drawing comparisons to Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. The book became a bestseller and inspired two film adaptations.12

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Charles Portis
…best known for the novel True Grit (1968), which inspired two popular film adaptations (1969 and 2010).
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…best known for the novel True Grit (1968), which inspired two popular film adaptations (1969 and 2010).
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True Grit
…an adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel (1968), was directed by Henry Hathaway, who made a number of films with Wayne. This was arguably their finest collaboration, especially noted for the performance by Wayne, who played against type as the boozy and self-centred Cogburn. However, Campbell and Darby also earned praise,…
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…an adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel (1968), was directed by Henry Hathaway, who made a number of films with Wayne. This was arguably their finest collaboration, especially noted for the performance by Wayne, who played against type as the boozy and self-centred Cogburn. However, Campbell and Darby also earned praise,…
Read More