‘Lonesome Dove’ Turns 40: Why the Cowboy Epic Has Captivated the Internet—and Even Taylor Sheridan Himself

Between its dusty sweeping backdrop; epic tale of unlikely friendship, love and loss; complex characters; and enduring spirit of adventure, there are many reasons to love Larry McMurtry’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Lonesome Dove—and right now the classic book is capturing the hearts of a new generation. In recent months, thousands of bookish social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram have exploded with Lonesome Dove lore. The praise isn’t entirely unprecedented, though. The award-winning book has always had a devoted legion of fans and this year is the book’s 40th anniversary, for which Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan wrote a foreword, but the recent uptick is particularly interesting because the novel is reaching a younger audience this time around. So why is everyone reading this nearly 900-page cowboy story from the eighties again? Keep reading to find out all the answers, discover the book’s premise and more!

But first, what is ‘Lonesome Dove’ about?

Set in the mid-to-late 1870s American West, Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove is described as “the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness.” The story brings readers to the tiny town of Lonesome Dove and follows retired Texas rangers Augustus McCray and Woodrow Call during a dangerous cattle drive to the plains of Montana. It’s a tale rife with risks, adventure, a cast of unforgettable characters and the spirit of the American West. 

From book to screen: the ‘Lonesome Dove’ TV show

McMurtry—who previously penned the beloved novel Terms of Endearment—published Lonesome Dove in 1985 and the book won a Pulitzer the following year. In 1989, it was adapted into a four-part CBS miniseries that drew millions of viewers per episode. The series aired from 1994 to 1996 and featured an A-List cast including Robert Duvall as Augustus ‘Gus’ McCrae, Tommy Lee Jones as Woodrow F. Call, Danny Glover as Joshua Deets, Diane Lane as Lorena Wood, Anjelica Huston as Clara Allen and more. The show was wildly successful among viewers and critics alike—and many even credited Lonesome Dove with reviving the Western genre.

The book’s 40th anniversary—and a foreword from Taylor Sheridan

This year marks Lonesome Dove’s 40th anniversary and the book’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, asked Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan to write the foreword. “I first read Lonesome Dove in the spring of 1989,” Sheridan writes. “To say it enthralled me, shocked me and sparked my imagination before it shattered me is an understatement. In August of that year, the television adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s transformative novel first aired. It is arguably the most literal and faithful adaptation to the screen in cinematic history.”

Sheridan goes on to credit McMurtry’s story as “easily the most formative event of my life.” At the time, Sheridan’s family was mostly in law enforcement and cattle raising, but experiencing Lonesome Dove fueled his inspiration as a storyteller. He went on to create Yellowstone—the most-watched cable series since The Walking Dead.

“When deciding who to approach for an introduction, we focused on contemporary Western storytellers with a profound understanding and appreciation of American mythology,” the book’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, tells Woman’s World. “Taylor Sheridan embodies this perfectly, and we were thrilled to discover his personal connection to Lonesome Dove.”

Praise from Stephen King and more!

In addition to the book’s anniversary and foreword by Sheridan, which led to even more buzz surrounding the novel, the legendary King of Horror, Stephen King, also played a role in the book’s renaissance. In an interview a few years back, he told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that Lonesome Dove is his favorite book. “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,” King said. 

Since its release, Lonesome Dove has sold about 1.5 million copies, with 56,000 being purchased this year alone. “We can confirm that 2025 is the highest-selling year for the book since 1993 and 1994, when the Return to Lonesome Dove TV miniseries aired,” Simon & Schuster says. The publisher notes that the renewed interest in Lonesome Dove stems from a mix of factors. “The book’s recent buzz can be attributed to endorsements from Stephen King and other tastemakers, along with a renewed fascination with the American West—something social media has only amplified.”

Everything is coming up cowboys: trends, rave reviews and tastemakers 

“For many readers discovering Lonesome Dove in 2025, it’s their first Western read. It’s serving as a gateway not just to the rest of the Lonesome Dove series, but to the entire genre,” the publisher notes. “McMurtry’s mastery of character and place is at the heart of this. His ability to create deeply human characters and his vivid landscapes of the American West are brought to life with such authenticity that it feels like stepping into another world.”

From Reddit to Booktok, readers are raving. “The book is very character- and emotion-driven but still captures that vivid sense of time and place and provides a clear plot and character growth. McMurtry was brilliant. Even his shorter works have that distinct dreamy, epic feel to them. He made the mundane and normal people feel so much larger than life,” one Reddit user said. 

“It’s an excellent book that does not portray men in a toxic way, but instead is thought-provoking and can even provide some role models,” another user added. 

Simon & Schuster mentioned other tastemakers shining a light on the book—and two of those are New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino, who included the novel in a book recommendation roundup, and bestselling author of Sweetbitter, Stephanie Danler, who posted to Threads about it: “Obsessed with Lonesome Dove. Can’t parent, can’t write, just need to read my thousand-page book filled with old cowboy dudes not talking about their feelings. What McMurtry should I read next?” Danler gushed to her 37,000-plus followers.

Will there be another ‘Lonesome Dove’ adaptation?

Between the current cowboy craze and a TV titan like Sheridan writing the foreword, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear another Lonesome Dove adaptation was in the works. But is there? The answer at this point is not yet, but it seems likely. In fact, the rights are already secured. “Teton Ridge has acquired the rights to adapt the Lonesome Dove series for film and TV,” the publisher says. 

Want to experience the epic story of adventure for yourself? Pick up a copy of Lonesome Dove here or listen to the audiobook, narrated by Will Patton.