Folly and Glory is a novel by Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry

Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...

. It is the fourth and last, both in chronological and publishing order, of The Berrybender Narratives

The Berrybender Narratives

The Berrybender Narratives is a series of novels written by Larry McMurtry. It tells the story of an ill-fated hunting expedition lasting several years and covering much of the early American West...

. Set in the years 1835 and 1836, it completes the Berrybenders' North American adventure by sending them from Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

 to the disease-ridden and war-torn wilderness of New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Many characters are caught up in a whirlwind of death, madness, and bitter remorse.

The title refers to the shortsightedness of the Berrybenders and their friends, and to the courage with which most of them face the consequences.