Larry McMurtry became famous writing sad stories about Texas. His early stories were sad because they focused on ways of life that were dying or on lonely, anxious adolescents who were continually told "This is the best time of your life" by the adults in their world. The adolescents continued on, lonely and anxious, afraid the adults were telling the truth. You wouldn't have blamed any of them for blowing town or blowing their brains out at the end of The Last Picture Show. In the the sequel, Texasville, you want them to stay there forever.
Because Texasville is funny, one of the funniest novels I've ever read, and it shouldn't be. If you are familiar with the original set of characters, Duane Moore stayed in Thalia, got rich as an oil-man during the gas embargo days of the '70s but is about to go bust in the 80's. He's millions of dollars in debt, his kids are out of control, (the first born son sells drugs and seduces married women; the nineteen year old daughter is on her third divorce and the twins are pure hell), his house is too big for comfort, his marriage is on shaky ground and he doesn't really like his girlfriend. Granted, Duane's troubles are nothing compared to bank president Lester Marlow (also broke and facing jail time) and most of his friends are in the same boat but all in all, Duane is stressed out. He's still happier than when he was young. Most of the characters are.
First off, a strange mix of pragmatic lunacy and optimism seems to emanate from many of the characters. These folks have hung on through through dry wells, mean weather, sudden death, humiliation and scandal; now, they have no reason to think they can't survive this oil glut, as well. One oilman believes bombing OPEC will fix the falling oil prices until he learns OPEC has no fixed location. Another convinces half the county that the convenience store's owner has been kidnapped by Libyans when the owner missed part of his work shift . Of course the idea is ludicrous (why would Libyans be interested in Sonny Crawford, the only non-oil man in town?) but the point is every character is looking for a solution, however mad the suggestion is. The attitude has changed from "Why Me?" to "How can I Fix This?"
McMurty matches hyperbolic North Texas speech with this hard-headed perspective to comic effect. When Karla says to an inebriated intruder, "Put the gun down, Billie Anne. Little Barbette might have a trauma for life if you shot someone here by the hot tub." it's not because she fears an incipient murder. Instead, the drunken, gun-toting girl is just one more element in Karla's evening with her family, one more conversation she must negotiate before they can go out and order a steak.
Unfounded optimism, comic timing and small town absurdities combine for a finale too strange to be predicted or described but I will say I have never read this part of the book silently. I try, but once I pass a certain point, I start to snort or snicker. Then giggles leak from me, like air from a tire, and finally I have to put down the book and laugh. Texasville makes me laugh out loud every time.
That's not bad for a book about people who should be feeling depressed. Try Texasville if you want to smile. Just don't expect you can read it quietly.
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