- Is Lonesome Dove a romantic or nostalgic vision of the West? Or is it a critique of the Western genre? Is it possible to be both?
- If you had to pick a main character out of this ensemble cast, who would you choose, and why?
- Why won't Call claim Newt as his son? Why does it anger Newt so much that Call will not claim him?
- What do you think is the biggest conflict in the book? Is it man versus man (who would it be?) or man versus nature? Cow versus grizzly bear?
- Why is the book so gosh-darn long? Could Lonesome Dove have been in a shorter format? Or did you not want it to end?
- Why is the book divided into three parts? Which significant events set apart each section?
- Which POV characters are your favorites? Why are these characters chosen to tell the story? Are you surprised to switch perspectives to characters like July or Elmira? What do they add to the story that you don't see during the cattle drive that takes up the bulk of the book?
- Have you seen the mini-series Lonesome Dove? How does it compare to the book? If you were to cast a new version of Lonesome Dove, which modern-day actors would you cast in each role?
- Elmira believes that Luke, after she runs him off, shoots the turkey. But Luke claims he didn't shoot the turkey. Who shot the turkey?! You think we're kidding.