As the critics say, that book has a bull’s-eye opening sentence. If you haven’t read it, folks, buy a used one on Amazon in paperback - with the original primitive-art cover. You won’t regret it.
I have my copy right here, complete with a blub across the bottom plugging the "SMASH UNIVERSAL MOVIE STARRING JOHN WAYNE AND KATHARINE HEPBURN"... First Printing, February, 1969 (must've been referring to the Signet paperback version).
I pull it off the shelf and read it once every few years, and as time passed, I have increasingly wished they had stuck to the book closer when making the first movie version. I despise Hollywood more than ever and have weaned myself from the habit - even the desire - to go out and see a movie, but I may check out the new version of True Grit anyway.
Mr. niteowl77