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Outstanding
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Chicago Sun-Times Ron Franscell
In Loop Group, McMurtry exhibits the character depth and sensual texture that marbled his three best novels (out of 27): "Lonesome Dove," "Terms of Endearment" and "The Last Picture Show." In some ways, it blends the best of each.
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Favorable
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San Francisco Chronicle David Kipen
Raffishly lazy but casually enchanting... For a book partly about depression, did I mention that "Loop Group" is a total hoot?
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Favorable
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The New York Times Book Review Liesl Shillinger
In spite of the potluck nature of Maggie and Connie's trials, the ultimate pointlessness of their road trip and the haphazard manner in which their adventures are brought to a conclusion -- the language in which all this is told is appealingly confident and unforced. McMurtry has an instinct for the sort of seemingly humdrum everyday details that make his characters feel real and rooted.
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Favorable
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Booklist Jay Freeman
Maggie and Connie can be frustratingly self-absorbed, even whiny, and they often irritate each other, but their shared experiences over decades help make this a quirky but enjoyable buddy story. [15 Oct 2004, p.363]
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Favorable
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Publishers Weekly
In his 28th novel, Pulitzer-winner McMurtry again displays his knack for compelling characters and plots.
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Favorable
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Los Angeles Times Peter Lefcourt
Contains enough of his trademark quirky humor and sharp character delineation to make the occasionally bumpy ride worth taking.
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Mixed
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Kirkus Reviews
The proportions may be wrong, but there's something here for everyone: An affectionate peek at the workers clinging to Hollywood's lowest rung; campy sex; drama on the highway; and canny insights into the dynamics of family and friendship.
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Mixed
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Entertainment Weekly Mary Kaye Schilling
You need to fall in love with characters this loopy, but McMurtry's group falls short on charm.
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Mixed
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Washington Post Carolyn See
Loop Group does no harm.
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Mixed
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Library Journal Sheila Riley
While the novel's story line conjures images of Thelma and Louise, it rides an easier road, substituting raunchiness for rich narrative and complex characterization. [15 Oct 2004, p.54]
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Unfavorable
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USA Today Stephen Lyons
Let's hope Larry McMurtry's latest novel, the uninspired and seemingly dashed-off Loop Group, is just a hiccup in the Pulitzer Prize winner's career.
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Unfavorable
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The New York Times Janet Maslin
There is built-in tiresomeness to a heroine shopworn enough for "Terms of Endearment VII" and to the hoary notion of self-renewal through travel.
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Unfavorable
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Boston Globe Amanda Heller
McMurtry's heart isn't in it either... The cumulative quirkiness still comes up a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
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Terrible
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Houston Chronicle Jim Barloon
A better title for Larry McMurtry's latest novel, Loop Group, would be "Loathsome Dung." I have, in my lifetime, read hundreds of novels, perhaps thousands, and Loop Group is by far the worst.
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Terrible
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Chicago Tribune Erica Marcus
If McMurty's improbable plot were inhabited by believable characters, the enterprise might have worked, but his characters are even less grounded in reality than his story.
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