True Grit

What is it about gritty stories with gritty characters?  Characters who walk outside the norms of society, who eschew the rules and cut their own trails through life’s jungles, not afraid to get a little blood on their blue jeans for the sake of the story.  They’re often physically dirty, covered with the gritty dust of travel and, often, blatant disregard for hygiene.  We love them, don’t we?

Rooster Cogburn (not to mention his young nemesis, Mattie Ross), John Luther, Rocky Balboa, Katniss Everdeen, Han Solo, Sarah Connor, just to name a few.

This month’s stories are teeming with characters that struck us as that kind of gritty.  There’s that guy who’s a couple of decades older than all the other kids seeking adventure in the wilds of Alaska, or the demi-god who lives in a top-floor hole-in-the-wall apartment, or the berobed slightly-nuts classic car aficionado.

They may not be likeable, but they’re certainly lovable, and completely unforgettable.

Grit.  That’s what it is.  True Grit.