Stephen King's Favorite Book Is a Western, and It Has a 98%-Rated TV Adaptation

Stephen King's work is filled with unique images: small towns that hide terrible secrets, troubled teenagers, and a clown in the sewers.

However, it turns out that the atmosphere of King's favorite book is completely different from his own works: sun-drenched prairies, horseback riders, and exciting shootouts.

Stephen King's Favorite Book Is a Western by Larry McMurtry

During a short video interview with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen King revealed his favorite book, admitting that it was difficult to choose:

“There are so many that I would be afraid to say. Probably, if I had to pick anything, I'd say Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.”

Published in 1865, Lonesome Dove is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that blends Western and realism genres. Four years later, it was adapted into a miniseries of the same name.

What Is 'Lonesome Dove' About?

Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Captain Woodrow F. Call are two former famous Texas rangers living in a small, dusty border town called Lonesome Dove.

The story begins when Jake Spoon, a former friend of Call and McCrae, reappears after an absence of more than ten years following an accidental shooting of a dentist.

It turns out that the dentist's brother is the sheriff. Jake captivates the two with the idea of gathering a herd of cattle and driving it to the frontier to establish their own ranch there.

'Lonesome Dove' Is an Acclaimed Western Classic

Producer Suzanne de Passe purchased the rights to Larry McMurtry's novel for $50,000 with the intention of releasing the miniseries simultaneously with the book's release. However, every major network rejected the idea.

After the book was published and gained widespread popularity – along with a Pulitzer Prize – every network that had rejected Suzanne's idea immediately contacted her, offering to start working on a miniseries.

Lonesome Dove eventually aired on CBS and became not only a hit, but also a critically acclaimed classic. The series was nominated for 19 Emmys, winning seven, and took home two Golden Globes out of four nominations.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Lonesome Dove'?

Even more than 30 years after its release, many Western fans still consider Lonesome Dove to be one of the greatest projects in the genre. Redditor No-Argument3357 wrote:

“Easily one of the very BEST western series ever made. I am a massive western guy, and I understand that there a lot of westerns out there, but Lonesome hit everything perfectly.”

• Lonesome Dove has 98% from critics and 94% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the miniseries has a score of 8.7/10.

Where to Watch 'Lonesome Dove'?

Lonesome Dove is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.