Don’t start with The Passenger, which contains nods to some of his other books’ themes. You’ll appreciate this book if you read some of his earlier work first. This is my favorite McCarthy book, probably because I had the background to recognize where McCarthy was being McCarthy (sometimes comically) in this text.
I don't get how No Country is not a good novel. It's a story about an old man coming to terms with his life, resigning to his fate earnestly. The novel is haunting and beautiful. It subverted clichés of the Western genre. Most novels are awful actually because they obey genre conventions. No Country destroyed them.
I agree, also how his old world views of cowboy lawmen and how the world should work doesn't fit with the modernity of his current reality and through that final trial and tribulation we see, he finally lets go. Chaos and chance are also a huge themes in the book.
It doesn’t hold a candle to Cities of the Plain or The Crossing. And reads like a it was written by a different man than Blood Meridian. Does that make it bad? No. It is just not McCarthy at his best. A little like The Road. Those two books you can almost feel the publisher sitting behind him.
All the Pretty Horses is probably my all time favorite novel. It feels so much like life. It’s beautiful and hopeful and disappointing and tragic. I’ve listened to the audio which is phenomenally performed at least 20 times. That story is like a warm blanket to me.
100% agree and the audible narration is the best. I listen to it to fall asleep like ASMR. Everything a man needs to know about having character is found in John Grady Cole.
Hello there. Just when I saw your pic from afar on my PC I recognized your face ^^ I used to listen to your videos about books, and the one about McCarthy marked me much.
@@KathleenAnnBooks I'm very pleased to hear that, I wonder if you read and like Richard Ford, he is one of my favourites, along with Russel Banks, God rest his soul.
I started with Blood Meridian and finished it a few weeks ago. One of the best novels I’ve ever read. Some of the passages are so beautiful and evocative they give me chills. I can quote some of them by heart now I’ve reread them so much. The whole book has this wild, haunted darkness to it, with the judge looming evil over everything ... it’ll stick with me for a long time Reading all the pretty horses now and I like it a lot. Not on par with Blood Meridian, but it has a good plot and some beautiful writing. I started No Country recently too, but so far it’s so straightforwardly written that it almost reads like it’s by a completely different author
I agree with each of your assessments of these McCarthy books right down the line. Meridian is so beautiful, and disturbing, and awful. Horses is such a good western with some beautiful writing. Old Men is flat.
I think everyone should start with Blood Meridian :) Blood Meridian is my favorite and The Road is... not my favorite. Child of God is BRUTAL. I love seeing you do a McCarthy video!
Interesting. I find Outer Dark to be my very favorite and I’ve read all of his books. It’s underdeveloped but damn, to me, it’s a nearly perfect book. Suttree is also another favorite. Give me all the misogyny, all of the pretentiousness, all of the seediness. I want it all and more. I like books to challenge me every step of the way and make me uncomfortable as heck. These days, though, people just want to be catered to and leave offending books that would stretch them to the curb.
I heard the quote "Between the wish and the thing the world lies waiting" and had to trace its origin back to the mind from where it came so I've started with All the Pretty Horses.
I feel as a teacher trying to get students to use proper punctuation that Cormac McCarthy is my enemy. LOL. But as a poet, I love Cormac McCarthy. Great discussion here.
They actually did make a movie with “Child of God” and both the movie and the book are excellent. Scott Haze does an amazing job playing Lester Ballard to the extent that I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role. Don’t cheat yourself out of a great McCarthy classic. I would advise reading the book first though.
I have to jump in here and say that I have watched this movie. I don't come across many people that have. It is definitely worth watching. But feel like the movie is a very literal interpretation of the book and I don't think the book was intended to be interpreted quite so literally. I saw the movie as being about Lester Ballard the serial killer and the book was about the idea that anyone of us could be Lester. I like that "The Devil All the Time" was referenced here. I did read that also but never put a connection together until this video. That was Donald Ray Pollock. I think the first I read of him was Knokemstiff, Anyway, all of this is good stuff. I'm glad I'm not the only one reading this.
Excellent video, Brian! I think your description of Outer Dark is spot on. It seems unfulfilled in multiple ways and just plain sophomoric. Suttree was originally part of the too cool for school Vintage Contemporaries line, one of my all-time favorite prints. There is an alternate universe where McCarthy decided to write more books in that vein and had a sort of competition with the great Denis Johnson, who also had books published in Vintage Contemporaries. I am the weird McCarthy reader who enjoyed No Country for Old Men. I think Blood Meridian is a book that reveals so much about the American Dream as a nightmare and brings so many esoteric philosophies to bear on both the western and horror genres. Great video again, and thank you for the shoutout! Best, Jack
I like the story in _No Country for Old Men_ and the fact that McCarthy's theme of "civilization" imperiled by heathens and amoral operators is simplified and toned down. Because of that I think if you read _No Country for Old Men_ and pick up on that idea it helps simplify the reading of _Blood Meridian_ and _The Road_ (which I think of as almost pure allegory). The Judge, the bearded man from from _Outer Dark_ , the cannibal gangs from _The Road_ are essentially more complicated versions of Anton Chigurgh (sp) and the Kid, and the Sister, the Dad, are versions of sheriff Ed Tom.
Very helpful! I read the road as a teenager, but my reading taste (and comprehension) is so vastly different than it was then, that I like to think I'm coming into McCarthy fresh. I own All the Pretty Horses and based on your advice, this is probably my best place to start and then if I enjoy it I'll put Blood Meridian on my tbr.
Thank you Elle. I think that's a good plan for approaching McCarthy, but if you've read _The Road_ the violence of _Blood Meridian_ shouldnt be a problem though the writing style is more complex.
I’ve read “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men” and enjoyed both. Plan on reading “Blood Meridian.” His style of writing for me, is similar to Hemingway’s.
I hadn't thought about the Hemingway comparison . . . I can see it in _No Country For Old Men_ I think. Certainly there is a Hemingwayesque celebration for "the manly arts."
I found the writing style of Blood Meridian absolutely incredible. But it's slower and denser than The Road or No Country. Strap in though, Blood Meridian is haunting and more than a little traumatizing to experience
I would agree that 'All the Pretty Horses' is the best place to start. That's where I started and I loved it...some passages are just absolutely beautiful. I've read 5 of his novels...The Border Trilogy, The Road, and Blood Meridian, which I've read twice. Of the books I've read, I liked 'The Crossing' the least. It was difficult and a bit muddled. 'Blood Meridian' is a masterpiece...and absolutely brutal. 'The Road' is no picnic as well.
Outer Dark is a bit underdeveloped but I wouldn’t say that the ending is bad or doesn’t make sense. It isn’t spelled out for us but it seemed pretty straight forward .
Really helpful video. I started with Blood Meridian and appreciated the writing but the violence and bleakness was too much for me. I may try again in the future.
Thank you. There is less violence in _All the Pretty Horses_ but violence is a feature of McCarthy’s books. That said_Blood Meridian_ and _The Road_ are extremely violent.
@@BookishTexan Thank you for your reply. I will keep this in mind. The format for these videos is very interesting, I am checking out the others as well.
No Country for Old Men doesn't have a theme? Really?? You are way too hard on that book, it's a cracking thriller which is far more elevated in its storytelling and writing style than most other thrillers.
Perhaps. To me its a western that doesn't go much beyond typical good guy v. bad guy stuff with a dash of old man regret. It is a propulsive and exciting read. And, I did recommend it. But, compared to McCarthy's other books it is pretty surface level.
I’m currently reading child of god, it’s an interesting read. Especially if you go in almost completely blind like I did. It’s an interesting thought experiment but it’s definitely not for everyone
@@BookishTexan totally, it’s definitely not for everyone but if you think you can stomach it ( honestly it’s pretty tame compared to a lot of modern films) it’s worth the read.
Child of God is amazing and you can read it in one night. I think the early works of any great author are always a good place to start, and this is no exception. In fact, I would always suggest that someone ‘start at the begining’, with any author… as you would in college.
Thank you for your comment. I can't agree with your start at the beginning approach I'm afraid. I'm more of a start when the author hit their stride and then go back kind of reader.
The first part of _The Crossing_ is some of McCarthy's best work, but in the second half(after the wolf) he loses control of the narrative and gets too caught up in the fantastical and weird stuff for my taste -- defrocked priests, airplanes, Gypsies (what's with McCarthy and Gypsies), wagon loads of opera stuff, . . .
I started with the road, boy that is a great book. The characters are mysterious yet you know them and feel the man and boys struggle through the book.
I'm not as big of a fan of _The Road_ but I am glad that you liked it. I found it a bit too allegorical for my tastes I think, but I think its a good starting point for McCarthy.
Started with "The Road" in June, "Blood Meridian" in July, and now "Outer Dark". Blood Meridian blew my mind!! I started over half way through and found my pace. I did not find BM difficult at all, again it is really about pace. Find your pace. Outer Dark is just fascinating. I love it. Absolutely love it!!
Great! I need to reread _Cities of the Plain_ to see what I think. There is some good writing in the Border Trilogy I think. There were a lot of things about _Suttree_ that I liked.
Brian, do you know McCarthy intended to make a The Border Trilogy a trilogy from the beginning or was it in retrospect that he decided to put the first two books together and write a third to tie them up? I know you said not to start with Suttree, but it sounds incredibly intriguing besides the misogyny. Steve Donoghue gets in and amongst the best of us.
I don't know if he intended to write a trilogy when he started. I doubt it, but I think if asked he would say that he did. The first two books have zero to do with each other though they both tell somewhat similar stories. I need to reread third, but the one of the characters from the first two are in it and interact.
@@BookishTexan That’s great to know!! I’m a bit skeptical when a sequel comes out decades after the first or when suddenly books are sold in pairs because of a similar theme. Super interesting video, Brian.
@@BookishTexan John Grady Cole from book 1 and Billy from book 2 are basically best friends in book 3. Sucks Rawlins from book 1 doesn't show up again.
I wouldn't reccomend Blood Meridian first. It can be hard to follow because it is mostly long descriptions of characters actions with no dialogue. I think it is easy to space out.
Great point. Everything you said about _Blood Meridian_ is true. My recommendation was based on my belief that it is his best book and some people like to start with the best.
So helpful, Brian, thanks! I have wanted to pick up a McCarthy for a while but didn't really know which one. I was definitely leaning towards Blood Meridian but after watching this video, I think The Road is the place for me to start.
Thank you. Both _The Road_ and _Blood Meridian_ are grim and brutal, but I think _The Road_ is more accessible (if that makes sense) -- McCarthy wasn't trying as hard to make "art" in _The Road_
I pointed out that All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing have nothing to do with one another as a part of the point I was making about Cities of the Plain: You can read those two books in either order, but you need to have read them before reading the third. I wasn’t criticizing the books for not being related or sequential
Thanks for the video; just grabbed most of McCarthy’s books off Alibris last night. Found a companion text for blood meridian out of the university of Texas as well, so that should be a fun little project. Very interesting guy though, not a lot of writers out there that actually had character themselves.
That's great. McCarthy can be a great writer (not so sure I think he's a great guy though). Would you mind telling me the title of the companion text for Blood Meridian that you found? Thanks for watching and commenting.
The companion piece is “ Notes on Blood Meridian: Revised and Expanded Edition” by John Sepich. I didn’t mean to say McCarthy is a great guy, more along the lines of an interesting figure in the vein of a Melville, a Kipling, or a Conrad in terms of him living a life fit to be included in a book himself. The lack of information regarding him, his frugal interaction with media/interviewers, the texts he himself read, and his incredible intelligence intermixed with an extremely non-urbanite/cosmopolitan existence that you find in authors in our current age. All of these things add up to an interesting man, and a man that can afford to express ideas as he sees fit; never having to rely on the popular narrative for guidance, which is extremely refreshing for an individual like myself, who made it through a literature degree where professors valued nothing of the sort. Cheers dude!
How is it you evaluate McCarthy without mentioning “prose”? If you’re approaching his works looking for a conventional, cinematic arch, just don’t read him. What you call “over wrought”, I think a lot of readers would describe as “dense”.
I believe I mentioned his prose in my discussion of several of the books in this video. But the point of the video wasn't to celebrate or denigrate McCarthy or his writing, but to offer advice on which books to avoid as a starting point. I have other videos that go into more detail about McCarthy's writing.
I’ve read everything but Orchard Keeper. Blood Meridian is my favorite with No Country for Old Men and The Road the least. I remember reading something somewhere that said McCarthy wrote those two books to give his son a financial legacy. There is a made for Hollywood quality about them, so I’m not surprised that No Country started off as a film script.
I agree about _Blood Meridian_ though I think the first section of _The Crossing_ is some of McCarthy's best. I know McCarthy really got into the idea of writing for the movies after the film adaptation of _All the Pretty Horses_ . It wouldn't surprise me if he had movies in mind when he wrote _The Road_. If he wrote them to leave his son some money that may be the first time I've ever heard of him thinking about someone other than himself.
If you've tried and you hate his writing I don't think you have to keep trying. In fact I don't thing people have to try McCarthy at all.😁 But if you do I hope the video is helpful.
Thanks Brian. I feel ok to give it another go with no pressure on myself. I value your guidance and insight and yes, these kind of videos are helpful and motivating. I like to read outside my comfort zone. I had a similar start with Jim Harrison’s novels. He was quite problematic for me (still is) but then I ventured back and started with all his poetry then tackled his novels and novellas. I don’t think I’ve read anyone quite like him. Have you read any Jim Harrison? I wonder what Cormac McCarthy readers think of him. It’s one of the reasons I want to try this again.
I've read Blood Meridian, the Border Trilogy, and The Road. They all just blew me away. Now that the Passenger is in route I'm considering rereading all of them. The prose is just so stupendous. McCarthy is just on another level. Of those Blood Meridian is a top five all time book for me. The rest were merely fantastic, and in many ways All The Pretty Horses (or was it the Crossing?) sticks with me more than any other. The book to start with? Hmm. The Road. It's the most straight forward. And perhaps All The Pretty Horses ... just make sure you download the Spanish to English translation that you can find online.
I have not read any Carmac McCarthy yet so this video was very helpful for me. Of these places to start I have No Country For Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses in my current collection. So now I just need to choose from those three LOL
Thanks Mindy. I think those are all good starting points. Anyone of them will give you a good window into what McCarthy’s work is like. Ranked in order disturbing scenes and graphic violence they would be 1. The Road 2. No Country For Old Men 3. All The Pretty Horses.
I think the early novels can actually be a great place to start. people often confuse the great books from one author with good books to get into the bibliography of said author. The Orchard Keeper is more 'standard' and still owes a lot to Faulkner but it's a great southern gothic story. Outer Dark is more personal and McCarthian: lyrical and evocative language, biblical themes intertwined with violence and tragedy, it's a beautiful story. DO NOT start with Blood Meridian, work up to it because it is a monumental novel linguistically and thematically, and don't begin with the Passenger/Stella Maris, Suttree either ... I'd say start with The Road or All the pretty horses to be safe, then maybe No Country or the rest of the border trilogy. But do as you please, draw your own conclusions
@@BookishTexan I did. I do not agree with some of the things you said. I agree with other aspects. I think the early novels are a good intro just as much as The Road or No Country.
@@TdF_101 Ok. It just seemed like you had not watched because you recommended starting with most of the same books that I recommended as starting points and we agreed on Suttree.
Only read 'the road' and loved it. Had a look at some of the comments and surprised to see a lot don't like it. Going to read Blood Meridian when I can get hold of it.
I started with The Road which I really enjoyed. I also have No Country for Old Men which I will read next before delving into the border trilogy or Blood Meridian
Pretty good and reasoned recommendations. I would say do not start with his first three novels. The quality is not as high and the subject matter is so perverse it could scare a lot of people away. Like many, I consider Blood Meridian his masterpiece and one of the best, if not the best books I've ever read. Love The Road and Suttree, but understand your reason to say not to start there, but would definitely recommend it. But I wonder why you didn't include The Crossing? Surely The Crossing is one of his greatest books, better than No Country for Old Men, and considering NCFOM was an excellent movie that many people have already seen, doesn't The Crossing deserve a spot at the top?
Thank you for your comment. I have a mixed relationship with _The Crossing_. The first part, about the wolf is some of my favorite McCarthy, but the rest of it, the longer part, is full of the stuff -- long dialogues with weird characters who just appear -- that frustrates me about McCarthy.
If you really hate the middle and end, I understand. I'd just say that, I agree that the first section is the best, and some of his best work, period. I like the remainder more than you, but you even say that the remainder is what frustrates you the most with Mccarthy, insinuating that in totality the whole book is quintessential Cormac Mccarthy, unlike, I'd argue, NCFOM. It's your opinion, if you really hated the middle and end I understand opting for the easier to read option, I'm just saying I and many others see the crossing as one of his finest books and much more "pure" Mccarthy. I love NCFOM too, but I would put it in "don't start with" for the same reason as Suttree. Not because it's bad, just a bit off-brand.
@@piratemccall Just as a reminder this video is about where not to start with McCarthy. I didn’t put The Crossing on that list. I did provide a list of better starting places that included NCFOM because I think it is an easier entry point to McCarthy’s work than The Crossing.
I understand your reasoning, and it's valid, NCFOM is more easily digestible. And it's your list, you can't be "wrong." I'm just putting an argument out there for any of your viewers that haven't read anything by him that the crossing is quintessential Mccarthy. I'd say blood meridian and the crossing are the peak of his power... Btw, I saw you really disliked the passenger. I haven't read it yet, where would you rank it in his bibliography? Above/below what? Just to get a gage. Thanks.
@@piratemccall My McCarthy Ranking 1. Blood Meridian 2. All the Pretty Horses 3. The Crossing (part one is amazing) 4. Suttree 5. The Road 6. Outer Dark 7. The Passenger 8. Cities of the Plains 9. No Country for Old Men (I haven't read Child of God or The Orchard Keeper) There is a big, big drop off for me between 1&2 and then another big drop between 2&3. After that 3-5 could change order depending on the day and then a drop again between 5&6. For me NCFOM is the least consequential of McCarthy's books. It probably isn't fair but the fact that it started as a movie script lowers it in my estimation. But, like I said in the video, I think it could be an easy entry point to reading McCarthy.
Not well read . Did audiobook for blood meridian. Ive tried other books audio ones . Want to start reading again but i get bored quickly. The blood meridian was perfect for me. The writing style was just perfect. Dont know where to go now. 🤔 What author to follow or book. It kind of got the bug for audiobooks into me just dont know how to follow it up. Any author similar and brutally honest like him . I respected the honesty of the book.
McCarthy’s style is pretty unique. It is influenced by a number of older writers like William Faulkner but McCarthy is more direct. Try McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses. You might try Elmore Leonard he wrote some westerns but mostly crime stuff. His writing is very good and direct (and if you like him he wrote about a million books😂) or Harry Crews whose books are a little violent, and a little weird. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is a great book and a western. He wrote several other books in that series. Audiobooks are a great way to get into books so don’t let anybody give you crap about listening to them. All books come from our storytelling traditions.
@@BookishTexan thank you so much for the recommendation sir I really appreciate it. 😊I'll go with the harry crews guy and I'll go with lonesome dove . I have something to look forward to now 😉 thanks.
@@BookishTexan Leonard and Crews are two of my absolute favorites. Crews is criminally underappreciated and I'd love to see you do a video on him, or at least find out your favorites of his. Naked in Garden Hills is almost impossible to find without spending a small fortune, but I was lucky that a local library has it. He considered it his best and I can now see why. Larry Brown was his protege of sorts, and another great writer.
Why would you "watch" Devil all the time, and not read it? You never watch a movie before reading the book. Always consider the source of an artwork, never the derivative. Know what came first and why and only then can anything after, truly be appreciated and understood.
Well, let’s see. I watched it as part of a weekly film club, didn’t choose the movie, wasn’t aware there was a book, wouldn’t have had time to read it if I had, and am glad I only invested the two hours it took to watch the movie of this miserable, cliche’d, derivative story. But thanks for your comment. I always get a good laugh out of people telling me things I should “never” do.
I really enjoyed this! The Road is the only McCarthy book I own but still haven't read. I'm interested in reading Blood Meridian and The Border Trilogy too.
_The Road_ is unrelentingly grim and _Blood Meridian_ may be grimmer, but is more beautifully written. I need to reread the last book in the Border Trilogy, but the first one and half books in the trilogy are good and accessible.
@@BookishTexan The Road may not be as beautifully written, but it is a simple, yet powerful, and even beautiful story of survival and the love of a father and son.
@@BookishTexan I think McCarthy’s strong point as an author is language, not plot. No one is ever going to accuse him of being Elroy Leonard or of writing Njal’s Saga. I read his books for the use of language and atmosphere in the same way I read Thomas Wolfe.
@@johnsilver8059 I agree that McCarthy at his best is mostly about the writing, the images, and the language. But many of his books are plot driven - The Road, All the Pretty Horse’s, No Country for Old Men.
@@BookishTexan I have yet to read The Road. I’ve noticed, and I’m sure you have as well, that the language McCarthy uses to tell a story is a major part of his writing. The narrative style in Blood Meridian is far closer to the mid-19th century than the late 20th. The style of the language in the Border Trilogy is meant, in my opinion, to mimic the terse, laconic, but slightly formal, style of speech of the main characters. I think he’s a real artist; he doesn’t always succeed in my opinion (again), but he wouldn’t succeed at all if he didn’t try.
@@johnsilver8059 I agree that he is an artist and that because of that he often fails. There is no doubt that the language itself is incredibly important in his works. However, his books are not without plots and in fact I think many are intended as allegories about the struggle between the forces of civilization and chaos.
The Book, The Devil All the Time, is by Donald Ray Pollock. The movie is a a good adaptation. I can see the similarities with McCarthy (violence, rural America) but Pollock is not as "poetic" as McCarthy. Anyway, great video & Blood Meridian is far and away my favorite novel. There in no close second.
Thanks for that info. McCarthy can be great, but I always feel like he is walking such a high wire in his work that one false step and it will fail. _Blood Meridian_ and the first part of _The Crossing_ are truly great.
@@BookishTexan I would say start with The Road before tackling Blood. The Road is a much quicker read and it will give the reader an introduction into Mccarthy's style such as the lack of punctuation or the difficulty of knowing who is speaking, & of course the violence. The Road has succinct sentences unlike the long poetic Faulkneresque passages in Blood. Blood has to be read very slowly. You really do need a dictionary as you read it. The Road can be knocked out in a day or two. So I would start there. I loved The Road & the border trilogy but all are very different from each other. Blood Meridian is his magnum opus and the greatest book that I have read.
@@BookishTexan I think it is strong throughout. The man in the collapsed church talking about going mad thinking about the accountability of God, the blind man and how he understands the world and human nature, and the beautiful descriptions of nature scattered throughout are all breathtaking. McCarthy is an amazing author.
Suggest you re-read Outer Dark. The story, the layers, the themes are genius and totally original. It's like some historical complement to Eraserhead. I'm sorry but your comments on McCarthy are glib.
I enjoy making videos about McCarthy because I get a variety of opinions. He is one of those authors whose fan base is so intense that any negative statements about the man or his work provoke a response even when they are in a video largely praising his best work. It is possible that my opinion of Outer Dark was affected by the fact that I read it after McCarthy’s greatest works, but I still don’t think it’s a good place to start with the man’s work. I think most of the ideas and themes in the book can be found in his better books.
@@BookishTexan True, but his most popular novels are straight out of Sam Peckinpah, fact. Which brings up the question: Why are his most violent novels so popular? _Blood Meridian_ is widely acclaimed by critics and general readers. I think McCarthy would argue that violence is central to the American Experience, wether we want to acknowledge it or not. Remember _Blood Meridian_ is based on the _historical_ record.
@@jerryrichardson2799 I’m not arguing that his theme isn’t accurate or that his best works aren’t among his most violent. I’m saying the violence doesn’t make a book good or bad.
You should give No Country another chance. *Spoilers* The symbolism lies in Anton Chigur, his crimes throughout the movie aren't really all perptrated by him, but instead a slew of random criminals. The sheriff imagines that all this chaos is coming from one bad guy, like in the old days. And if he takes that one bad guy then all will be well. But then at the end he learns that even in the past there never was just one bad guy. Theres no solution to get rid of all the evil in the world. Theres no real world where the good guy beats the bad guy and all is saved, like in stories. There is No Country For Old Men.
@@stevie576 Fair enough. In listening to the video again I contradict myself by saying you can use it to pick up on McCarthy’s themes and the later I say it doesn’t have symbolism or themes.
McCarthy imitating McCarthy, interesting. I do like his passages, describing diving, or men doing manly things🙃, they are rich. But I am only half way through. Yet, I feel like " impressive ideas " are strung together. Somehow, I hoped for more. There are great ideas, but maybe some kind of cinematic lens has gotten in the way... I will finish.
Describing men doing manly things is fine, but it is such a common feature of McCarthy's novels that it has become something of a trope. I hope you enjoy the remainder of the books.
Child of God is disturbing, but well worth your time. I recommend checking out Kathleen Ann’s review: ua-cam.com/video/1XiHB6tWhLs/v-deo.html I agree No Country, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses are the best places to start. As far as his best books go, Outer Dark is one of my favorites - it felt like an opera by Wagner to me.
I will check out that review, but I have to tell you at this point I can't think of a book I want to read less. Maybe the review will change my mind. My problems with _Outer Dark_ started around page 200 when Holme encounters the three men by the fire for the first time. Its around there that I felt like McCarthy's somewhat fuzzyheaded themes (philosophy?) took over and McCarthy lost control over what I thought was a pretty effective narrative. It just seems like a trial run for his other books where he controlled the surreal elements of his stories better. ** Watched the review. She makes a strong case for the book.
@@BookishTexan The three men I took as a representation of the darker aspects of humanity or even the protagonist himself. A lot like judge Holden who reflects the the worst aspects of the kid. The whole story reads like some sort of hillbilly fable. You could draw parallels to McCarthy’s life at the time (divorce, losing his child) and the protagonist being cast into “outer darkness”. There’s a lot more to say about the book but I’ll just say that in my opinion it’s his most under appreciated work.
@@TheDarthmitch I don’t dispute what the men represent, I just felt like their introduction to the story and the scenes they were in were clunky and to heavy handed. As you point out he introduces the same kind of theme through The Judge in _Blood Meridian_ only it is done much, much better so why not start there instead of with _Outer Dark_ ?
Yes I started with Blood Meridian and am convinced it's a masterpiece no matter what KD books says.He does write a lot like Faulkner though luckily it's not as convoluted as the Old Oxford Ms master. Also loved The Road which is as scary as any horror movie. The Crossing was a disappointment and I'm hesitant to read The Passenger because many of the reviews have been bad.
I read the road first.. blood meridian is on my list for this year 😃 will see what I think. I do agree all the pretty horses is an easier read than the road
Thanks Sandy. _All the Pretty Horses_ has some beautiful writing and a nicely controlled plot that kept me reading. I think in it, _Blood Meridian_, the first section of _The Crossing_ , and _All the Pretty Horses_ are the books in which McCarthy's writing is the best and he is able to control his plot and his ideas.
This type of videos are very useful. I’ve only read one book by this author and I was curious about your ranking of not to start with. But I’ve read the most popular one 😂 The road and I’ve to said that although there was a specific part I found disgusting I liked his writing very much. So when you’ve mentioned the words masterpiece I was prepared to noted down the title but after the words difficult, violent… I’ve searched the plot and I think It’s too much for me. I’m sure my next McCarthy book will be All the pretty horses.
The violence in _Blood Meridian_ is on a par with _The Road_ but described in more detail (I think) and without characters who you can root for. _All the Pretty Horses_ is, in my opinion, a very good book.
I started with Blood Meridian, but I had seen the movie versions of No Country, and The Road. It was hard to understand, and get through, but now I've read it several times and I really enjoy it. After Blood Meridian, I read the Border trilogy, and loved it, especially All the Pretty Horses. Also read No Country and The Road, the latter is a very powerful book, that I've read several times. The last one I read was Suttree, it wasn't really for me, it reminded me of a more deranged version of a Faulkner book. I haven't read it again, I expect to like it more upon my second read. But speaking of it being misogynistic, i remember there being lines I thought were just uncalled for and offensive. Overall Cormac is an excellent author, and would recommend to anyone.
I sometimes laugh at myself with these videos, because of course my recommendations often mirror the order in which I read the books. I started with All The Pretty Horses, read the rest of The Border Trilogy, then Blood Meridian, The Road, Suttree, No Country, then Outer Dark. I have to say that I felt that The Road was really heavy handed. I thought it was good, but not great. I agree though with everything you said about Suttree. _Outer Dark_ is I think more Faulkner influenced, but it is definitely there in Suttree.
@@BookishTexan To be honest I didn't care much for The Road either until I read it a couple times, and it really grew on me. The relationship between the father and son really resonated with me. I've yet to read Outer Dark, but I will get to it sooner or later. I've been on a fantasy kick lately.
I agree Suttree has a similar feel as Tortilla Flats or even Cannery Row. Down and out working class life. I have read all of Mr. McCarthy and I enjoyed No Country for Old Men, The Road and All The Pretty Horses and would recommend them to a general reader. I would recommend Blood Meridian to no one except Satan. It was a sadistic mess.
_Suttree_ is the oddball of his books I think, but I liked a good bit of it. Not sure I see _Blood Meridian_ as being more sadistic than _The Road_, but both are brutal.
I appreciate you comment, but I’m afraid I don’t think it’s a great book. An interesting book, a book that shows McCarthy developing his themes and is style, yes.
@@WesternTraditionsPodcast Several of the female characters, particularly those with whom Suttree is involved, are presented as purely sexual beings, ball breakers, and/or crazy.
No one should force themselves to watch Devil All the Time! 🤣 I’m definitely going to read Child of God eventually, but Suttree is the McCarthy I want to read next-that or No Country for Old Men, although for some reason I feel like I might know the film too well to enjoy that book much. I feel like All the Pretty Horses, Blood Meridian, or The Road would all be solid places to start, depending on a reader’s sensibilities.
I don't recommend Devil All the Time except as a substitute for _Child of God_. _No Country For Old Men_ is very similar to the movie. I agree that ay one of those three is a good place to start depending on why you are picking up McCarthy in the first place.
I've only ever read All the Pretty Horses and The Road and really loved them. Also, your dogs are always walking around. Don't they know how to relax? 😁
Thanks for replying 👍🏻 I’m looking forward to the new ones. I really struggled with suttree. Personally I began with the border trilogy with “the crossing” being my favourite. I must ask, if you don’t regard blood meridian as a masterpiece in American letters, what do you place in that position? Blood meridian is in my opinion the greatest novel ever written. It is style over substance, but good god, what style! 👍🏻
@@iansmith9125 I believe that I referred to _Blood Meridian_ as a masterpiece in the video. Not sure I would put it at the very top, but its in my top ten. I read _The Passenger_ and reviewed it. Short version: I didn't think it was all that good. Cheers.
I love this series, and this episode was particularly helpful. I've never read McCarthy, and I may never, but it helps to know what I'd be in for if I summoned the cajones. I'm assuming his work fits securely in the Dude-Bro Lit category, to which I'm not necessarily opposed, but add in extreme violence and I'd rather run to my Jane Austen.
This seems like an incredibly pretentious idea for a video series. In order to feel qualified to judge an author’s works, you have to think you fully understand what the author was trying to accomplish and know that it was flawed. And I can tell you don’t meet that mark in any way at all. You say you finished outer dark for the first time the day before making this video and you call it straight up bad? That is incredible arrogance and frankly just completely insolent.
Is it more arrogant and insolent than coming into my channels comments to tell me I’m pretentious? What bona fides do you have that give you the right to judge me? The great news for me is that it’s my channel and I can make the videos I want without worrying about whether Cormac fan boys are going to like it. (Whatever you do don’t watch my review of The Passenger of Stella Maris. You might cry.)
@@BookishTexan My comment is for anyone who has the misfortune to stumble upon this terrible video. Consider it my review of your review. Not only are you so mindblowingly arrogant that you think you're intelligent enough to criticize books you have no understanding of, but you also seem to think your low quality content shouldn't be criticized. BTW your latest video has a middle school level grammar error in the title.
It's really weird how he can write books and women just don't exist for 95% of the story, and then are just passing by when they're there. The Road and Blood Meridian are both really bad about this, and the depictions of women in those are in no way full or flattering. I kind of agree about Blood Meridian. There's something about it that's captivating. It's sensational with its violence and then Judge Holden speaks. I don't think he ever directly commits any violence despite worshiping war??? And the only hint at it is a vague notion at the conclusion...which....what...these are some low lifes that have seen some dirt...what could he have seen that would make him say good god almighty... I don't much care for The Road though because it's SO overwritten.
The Road is not one of my favorite McCarthy novels, but its the one the most people have heard of and I think you can read it and get a good idea what McCarthy is about theme and tone wise. _Blood Meridian_ is a masterpiece. If you reread it the violence will be less shocking and some of the books other features will come through I think. That ending wont get any clearer though.
I think you missed the point of the ending. I never understood why people think the ending is mysterious. It seems clear that "good god almighty" is the most gruesome violence in the entire book. In stark contrast to the meticulously detailed violence of the men in the story, the brutality of the judge is simply indescribable. In short, the judge really, really, REALLY fucked up the kid/the man.
You mean the book I recommended as a starting place for getting into the works of its author? If you think you can do better post a response video on your channel.
The only bad thing about NCFOM was his..."and...and..and" fixation. Very much like Kings obsession with smoking and urination in one form or another😂 I saw "Sunset Limited" with Jackson and Jones. I was spellbound. Then I read it. I saw NCFOM, read that. Read Blood Meridian, Orchard Keeper...and the journey continues
Tommy Lee Jones is as matter of fact so dark and determined in his course of action in that movie that its terrifying. I've been on both sides of that coin so it really hit home
Don’t start with The Passenger, which contains nods to some of his other books’ themes. You’ll appreciate this book if you read some of his earlier work first.
This is my favorite McCarthy book, probably because I had the background to recognize where McCarthy was being McCarthy (sometimes comically) in this text.
Good advice. I believe I published this video before it’s release so I appreciate you updating it.
I don't get how No Country is not a good novel. It's a story about an old man coming to terms with his life, resigning to his fate earnestly. The novel is haunting and beautiful. It subverted clichés of the Western genre. Most novels are awful actually because they obey genre conventions. No Country destroyed them.
i agree, but it took me two reads to realize that.
I don’t see No Country for Old Men as upsetting the conventions of westerns in a new way. At least not in ways that Lonesome Dove hadn’t already done.
I agree, also how his old world views of cowboy lawmen and how the world should work doesn't fit with the modernity of his current reality and through that final trial and tribulation we see, he finally lets go.
Chaos and chance are also a huge themes in the book.
No Country is awesome. He changes his style and creates tangible feelings as well as creating one of the greatest villains of all time.
It doesn’t hold a candle to Cities of the Plain or The Crossing. And reads like a it was written by a different man than Blood Meridian. Does that make it bad? No. It is just not McCarthy at his best. A little like The Road. Those two books you can almost feel the publisher sitting behind him.
All the Pretty Horses is probably my all time favorite novel. It feels so much like life. It’s beautiful and hopeful and disappointing and tragic. I’ve listened to the audio which is phenomenally performed at least 20 times. That story is like a warm blanket to me.
That’s great. There is some beautiful writing and there are great characters in the book.
100% agree and the audible narration is the best. I listen to it to fall asleep like ASMR. Everything a man needs to know about having character is found in John Grady Cole.
I would agree that Blood Meridien is a masterpiece. It’s a book that many people can’t stomach but if you can, it is well worth it.
It is his best book. And, beautiful in its way.
I want to read it but i can't understand it
Hello there. Just when I saw your pic from afar on my PC I recognized your face ^^ I used to listen to your videos about books, and the one about McCarthy marked me much.
@@lyes-ot6it Thank you for remembering me. I am back to making videos again after a long absence.
@@KathleenAnnBooks I'm very pleased to hear that, I wonder if you read and like Richard Ford, he is one of my favourites, along with Russel Banks, God rest his soul.
I started with Blood Meridian and finished it a few weeks ago. One of the best novels I’ve ever read. Some of the passages are so beautiful and evocative they give me chills. I can quote some of them by heart now I’ve reread them so much. The whole book has this wild, haunted darkness to it, with the judge looming evil over everything ... it’ll stick with me for a long time
Reading all the pretty horses now and I like it a lot. Not on par with Blood Meridian, but it has a good plot and some beautiful writing. I started No Country recently too, but so far it’s so straightforwardly written that it almost reads like it’s by a completely different author
I agree with each of your assessments of these McCarthy books right down the line. Meridian is so beautiful, and disturbing, and awful. Horses is such a good western with some beautiful writing. Old Men is flat.
I think everyone should start with Blood Meridian :) Blood Meridian is my favorite and The Road is... not my favorite. Child of God is BRUTAL. I love seeing you do a McCarthy video!
I knew you would say that !!!!😁😁😁
_The Road_ also not my favorite. I don't think I'm going to read _Child of God_
The Road is *my* favorite, and, unlike Brian, I *will* be reading Child of God.
The Road’s deus ex machine ending was a major disappointment
Interesting. I find Outer Dark to be my very favorite and I’ve read all of his books. It’s underdeveloped but damn, to me, it’s a nearly perfect book. Suttree is also another favorite. Give me all the misogyny, all of the pretentiousness, all of the seediness. I want it all and more. I like books to challenge me every step of the way and make me uncomfortable as heck. These days, though, people just want to be catered to and leave offending books that would stretch them to the curb.
I enjoyed _Suttree_ but we'll just have to disagree about _Outer Dark_. I still don't think either is the best place to start with McCarthy.
I heard the quote "Between the wish and the thing the world lies waiting" and had to trace its origin back to the mind from where it came so I've started with All the Pretty Horses.
I feel as a teacher trying to get students to use proper punctuation that Cormac McCarthy is my enemy. LOL. But as a poet, I love Cormac McCarthy. Great discussion here.
Thanks Jeremy.
McCarthy, for all kinds of reasons, would be a bad model for high school writers.
Don't break the rules until you learn them?
"Child of God is about a necrophiliac serial killer"
LMAO the way you said that man😭😭😭
They actually did make a movie with “Child of God” and both the movie and the book are excellent.
Scott Haze does an amazing job playing Lester Ballard to the extent that I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role. Don’t cheat yourself out of a great McCarthy classic. I would advise reading the book first though.
Thank you for the recommendations. I will give it some thought.
I have to jump in here and say that I have watched this movie. I don't come across many people that have. It is definitely worth watching. But feel like the movie is a very literal interpretation of the book and I don't think the book was intended to be interpreted quite so literally. I saw the movie as being about Lester Ballard the serial killer and the book was about the idea that anyone of us could be Lester.
I like that "The Devil All the Time" was referenced here. I did read that also but never put a connection together until this video. That was Donald Ray Pollock. I think the first I read of him was Knokemstiff,
Anyway, all of this is good stuff. I'm glad I'm not the only one reading this.
Reading Cormac McCarthy is a cathartic experience. An amazing cathartic experience.
That’s cool.
Excellent video, Brian! I think your description of Outer Dark is spot on. It seems unfulfilled in multiple ways and just plain sophomoric.
Suttree was originally part of the too cool for school Vintage Contemporaries line, one of my all-time favorite prints. There is an alternate universe where McCarthy decided to write more books in that vein and had a sort of competition with the great Denis Johnson, who also had books published in Vintage Contemporaries.
I am the weird McCarthy reader who enjoyed No Country for Old Men. I think Blood Meridian is a book that reveals so much about the American Dream as a nightmare and brings so many esoteric philosophies to bear on both the western and horror genres.
Great video again, and thank you for the shoutout!
Best, Jack
I like the story in _No Country for Old Men_ and the fact that McCarthy's theme of "civilization" imperiled by heathens and amoral operators is simplified and toned down. Because of that I think if you read _No Country for Old Men_ and pick up on that idea it helps simplify the reading of _Blood Meridian_ and _The Road_ (which I think of as almost pure allegory). The Judge, the bearded man from from _Outer Dark_ , the cannibal gangs from _The Road_ are essentially more complicated versions of Anton Chigurgh (sp) and the Kid, and the Sister, the Dad, are versions of sheriff Ed Tom.
Very helpful! I read the road as a teenager, but my reading taste (and comprehension) is so vastly different than it was then, that I like to think I'm coming into McCarthy fresh. I own All the Pretty Horses and based on your advice, this is probably my best place to start and then if I enjoy it I'll put Blood Meridian on my tbr.
Thank you Elle.
I think that's a good plan for approaching McCarthy, but if you've read _The Road_ the violence of _Blood Meridian_ shouldnt be a problem though the writing style is more complex.
I’ve read “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men” and enjoyed both. Plan on reading “Blood Meridian.” His style of writing for me, is similar to Hemingway’s.
I hadn't thought about the Hemingway comparison . . . I can see it in _No Country For Old Men_ I think. Certainly there is a Hemingwayesque celebration for "the manly arts."
I found the writing style of Blood Meridian absolutely incredible. But it's slower and denser than The Road or No Country. Strap in though, Blood Meridian is haunting and more than a little traumatizing to experience
All The Pretty Horses is a good place to start.
The Road is an absolute masterpiece but is “off brand” to normal McCarthy work. If that makes sense
I'm not as big of a fan of _The Road_ but your comment that it is off brand makes perfect sense. I
It is a masterpiece, it deserves multiple reads.
I would agree that 'All the Pretty Horses' is the best place to start. That's where I started and I loved it...some passages are just absolutely beautiful. I've read 5 of his novels...The Border Trilogy, The Road, and Blood Meridian, which I've read twice. Of the books I've read, I liked 'The Crossing' the least. It was difficult and a bit muddled. 'Blood Meridian' is a masterpiece...and absolutely brutal. 'The Road' is no picnic as well.
I agree completely with what you said about The Crossing except for the first section about the wolf.
@@BookishTexan Yes...agreed.
Outer Dark is a bit underdeveloped but I wouldn’t say that the ending is bad or doesn’t make sense. It isn’t spelled out for us but it seemed pretty straight forward .
Fair enough. Thank you for watching.
Really helpful video. I started with Blood Meridian and appreciated the writing but the violence and bleakness was too much for me. I may try again in the future.
Thank you.
There is less violence in _All the Pretty Horses_ but violence is a feature of McCarthy’s books. That said_Blood Meridian_ and _The Road_ are extremely violent.
@@BookishTexan Thank you for your reply. I will keep this in mind. The format for these videos is very interesting, I am checking out the others as well.
No Country for Old Men doesn't have a theme? Really?? You are way too hard on that book, it's a cracking thriller which is far more elevated in its storytelling and writing style than most other thrillers.
Perhaps. To me its a western that doesn't go much beyond typical good guy v. bad guy stuff with a dash of old man regret. It is a propulsive and exciting read. And, I did recommend it. But, compared to McCarthy's other books it is pretty surface level.
The ending of Outer Dark made sense to me. I'm no literary expert, but I thought it all wrapped up very nicely.
Fair enough.
Read Outer Dark again. I think you're missing it's point if you think the ending was rushed and somehow "didnt make sense."
No thanks. Once was enough for me, but thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I’m currently reading child of god, it’s an interesting read. Especially if you go in almost completely blind like I did. It’s an interesting thought experiment but it’s definitely not for everyone
Thank you for your insights. It is not a McCarthy that I am anxious to read.
@@BookishTexan totally, it’s definitely not for everyone but if you think you can stomach it ( honestly it’s pretty tame compared to a lot of modern films) it’s worth the read.
Child of God is amazing and you can read it in one night. I think the early works of any great author are always a good place to start, and this is no exception. In fact, I would always suggest that someone ‘start at the begining’, with any author… as you would in college.
Thank you for your comment. I can't agree with your start at the beginning approach I'm afraid. I'm more of a start when the author hit their stride and then go back kind of reader.
This was fantastic. Still, no The Crossing? That's my favorite McCarthy novel.
Finally! Another person who loves The Crossing! It’s my second favorite of his works after The Road. 🤓
The first part of _The Crossing_ is some of McCarthy's best work, but in the second half(after the wolf) he loses control of the narrative and gets too caught up in the fantastical and weird stuff for my taste -- defrocked priests, airplanes, Gypsies (what's with McCarthy and Gypsies), wagon loads of opera stuff, . . .
@@BookishTexan Fair enough. Personally, I love the meandering, surreal, picaresque second half. But I see what you mean.
I know multiple people who consider The Crossing his best work.
@@OldBluesChapterandVerse Well shit. Now I feel like less of a hipster.
I started with the road, boy that is a great book. The characters are mysterious yet you know them and feel the man and boys struggle through the book.
I'm not as big of a fan of _The Road_ but I am glad that you liked it. I found it a bit too allegorical for my tastes I think, but I think its a good starting point for McCarthy.
Started with "The Road" in June, "Blood Meridian" in July, and now "Outer Dark". Blood Meridian blew my mind!! I started over half way through and found my pace. I did not find BM difficult at all, again it is really about pace. Find your pace. Outer Dark is just fascinating. I love it. Absolutely love it!!
Great to hear how much you enjoy McCarthy's writing. Have you pre-ordered the two new novels coming out in December.?
@@BookishTexan not yet, but i plan too.
Ah yes, my favorite author. Currently going through The Border Trilogy.Leave Suttree for last, I would say. I started with The Road.
Great! I need to reread _Cities of the Plain_ to see what I think. There is some good writing in the Border Trilogy I think. There were a lot of things about _Suttree_ that I liked.
Brian, do you know McCarthy intended to make a The Border Trilogy a trilogy from the beginning or was it in retrospect that he decided to put the first two books together and write a third to tie them up? I know you said not to start with Suttree, but it sounds incredibly intriguing besides the misogyny. Steve Donoghue gets in and amongst the best of us.
I don't know if he intended to write a trilogy when he started. I doubt it, but I think if asked he would say that he did. The first two books have zero to do with each other though they both tell somewhat similar stories. I need to reread third, but the one of the characters from the first two are in it and interact.
@@BookishTexan That’s great to know!! I’m a bit skeptical when a sequel comes out decades after the first or when suddenly books are sold in pairs because of a similar theme. Super interesting video, Brian.
@@BookishTexan John Grady Cole from book 1 and Billy from book 2 are basically best friends in book 3. Sucks Rawlins from book 1 doesn't show up again.
I wouldn't reccomend Blood Meridian first. It can be hard to follow because it is mostly long descriptions of characters actions with no dialogue. I think it is easy to space out.
Great point. Everything you said about _Blood Meridian_ is true. My recommendation was based on my belief that it is his best book and some people like to start with the best.
So helpful, Brian, thanks! I have wanted to pick up a McCarthy for a while but didn't really know which one. I was definitely leaning towards Blood Meridian but after watching this video, I think The Road is the place for me to start.
Thank you.
Both _The Road_ and _Blood Meridian_ are grim and brutal, but I think _The Road_ is more accessible (if that makes sense) -- McCarthy wasn't trying as hard to make "art" in _The Road_
Saying they don’t have anything to do with each other misses the whole point of the novels
I pointed out that All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing have nothing to do with one another as a part of the point I was making about Cities of the Plain: You can read those two books in either order, but you need to have read them before reading the third. I wasn’t criticizing the books for not being related or sequential
I've actually never read anything by Cormac McCarthy (I know, bad Americanist!), so this is very useful advice. Thanks, Brian! 🙂
I don't think anyone has to read McCarthy btw. . . . But I would love to hear what you think sometime.
Thanks for the video; just grabbed most of McCarthy’s books off Alibris last night. Found a companion text for blood meridian out of the university of Texas as well, so that should be a fun little project. Very interesting guy though, not a lot of writers out there that actually had character themselves.
That's great. McCarthy can be a great writer (not so sure I think he's a great guy though).
Would you mind telling me the title of the companion text for Blood Meridian that you found?
Thanks for watching and commenting.
The companion piece is “ Notes on Blood Meridian: Revised and Expanded Edition” by John Sepich. I didn’t mean to say McCarthy is a great guy, more along the lines of an interesting figure in the vein of a Melville, a Kipling, or a Conrad in terms of him living a life fit to be included in a book himself. The lack of information regarding him, his frugal interaction with media/interviewers, the texts he himself read, and his incredible intelligence intermixed with an extremely non-urbanite/cosmopolitan existence that you find in authors in our current age. All of these things add up to an interesting man, and a man that can afford to express ideas as he sees fit; never having to rely on the popular narrative for guidance, which is extremely refreshing for an individual like myself, who made it through a literature degree where professors valued nothing of the sort.
Cheers dude!
I haven’t read any McCarthy and this video is making me want to pick up one of his books. I will keep these recommendations in mind!
I will be curious to hear what you think if get around to reading him.
How is it you evaluate McCarthy without mentioning “prose”? If you’re approaching his works looking for a conventional, cinematic arch, just don’t read him. What you call “over wrought”, I think a lot of readers would describe as “dense”.
I believe I mentioned his prose in my discussion of several of the books in this video. But the point of the video wasn't to celebrate or denigrate McCarthy or his writing, but to offer advice on which books to avoid as a starting point. I have other videos that go into more detail about McCarthy's writing.
I’ve read everything but Orchard Keeper. Blood Meridian is my favorite with No Country for Old Men and The Road the least. I remember reading something somewhere that said McCarthy wrote those two books to give his son a financial legacy. There is a made for Hollywood quality about them, so I’m not surprised that No Country started off as a film script.
I agree about _Blood Meridian_ though I think the first section of _The Crossing_ is some of McCarthy's best. I know McCarthy really got into the idea of writing for the movies after the film adaptation of _All the Pretty Horses_ . It wouldn't surprise me if he had movies in mind when he wrote _The Road_. If he wrote them to leave his son some money that may be the first time I've ever heard of him thinking about someone other than himself.
I’ve tried but haven’t given up. Will take your advice towards finishing at least one of his novels. 🙆🏻♀️
If you've tried and you hate his writing I don't think you have to keep trying. In fact I don't thing people have to try McCarthy at all.😁 But if you do I hope the video is helpful.
Thanks Brian. I feel ok to give it another go with no pressure on myself.
I value your guidance and insight and yes, these kind of videos are helpful and motivating. I like to read outside my comfort zone.
I had a similar start with Jim Harrison’s novels. He was quite problematic for me (still is) but then I ventured back and started with all his poetry then tackled his novels and novellas. I don’t think I’ve read anyone quite like him.
Have you read any Jim Harrison?
I wonder what Cormac McCarthy readers think of him. It’s one of the reasons I want to try this again.
I've read Blood Meridian, the Border Trilogy, and The Road. They all just blew me away. Now that the Passenger is in route I'm considering rereading all of them. The prose is just so stupendous. McCarthy is just on another level.
Of those Blood Meridian is a top five all time book for me. The rest were merely fantastic, and in many ways All The Pretty Horses (or was it the Crossing?) sticks with me more than any other.
The book to start with? Hmm. The Road. It's the most straight forward. And perhaps All The Pretty Horses ... just make sure you download the Spanish to English translation that you can find online.
Glad you have enjoyed so much of McCarthy’s work. I think we have similar ideas about where to start..
I have not read any Carmac McCarthy yet so this video was very helpful for me. Of these places to start I have No Country For Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses in my current collection. So now I just need to choose from those three LOL
Thanks Mindy.
I think those are all good starting points. Anyone of them will give you a good window into what McCarthy’s work is like. Ranked in order disturbing scenes and graphic violence they would be 1. The Road 2. No Country For Old Men 3. All The Pretty Horses.
Honestly I think No Country for Old Men is the perfect starter and is a very good book
I do think its a great place to start, though I don't think its one of McCarthy's best.
Thanks for your comment.
@@BookishTexan Hey, thanks for the response! Enjoying the show!
I think the early novels can actually be a great place to start. people often confuse the great books from one author with good books to get into the bibliography of said author. The Orchard Keeper is more 'standard' and still owes a lot to Faulkner but it's a great southern gothic story. Outer Dark is more personal and McCarthian: lyrical and evocative language, biblical themes intertwined with violence and tragedy, it's a beautiful story. DO NOT start with Blood Meridian, work up to it because it is a monumental novel linguistically and thematically, and don't begin with the Passenger/Stella Maris, Suttree either ... I'd say start with The Road or All the pretty horses to be safe, then maybe No Country or the rest of the border trilogy. But do as you please, draw your own conclusions
I don’t think you actually watched my video.
@@BookishTexan I did. I do not agree with some of the things you said. I agree with other aspects. I think the early novels are a good intro just as much as The Road or No Country.
@@TdF_101 Ok. It just seemed like you had not watched because you recommended starting with most of the same books that I recommended as starting points and we agreed on Suttree.
Only read 'the road' and loved it. Had a look at some of the comments and surprised to see a lot don't like it. Going to read Blood Meridian when I can get hold of it.
_The Road_ isn't one of my favorite McCarthy novels, but I don't think its bad. Hope you find a copy of _Blood Meridian_ and like it.
I started with The Road which I really enjoyed. I also have No Country for Old Men which I will read next before delving into the border trilogy or Blood Meridian
I think that sounds like a good plan. I think you'll find a little more depth and a better writing as you go back.
To quote Mister Furious: rage ... Rising ...
Mission accomplished!
Pretty good and reasoned recommendations. I would say do not start with his first three novels. The quality is not as high and the subject matter is so perverse it could scare a lot of people away. Like many, I consider Blood Meridian his masterpiece and one of the best, if not the best books I've ever read. Love The Road and Suttree, but understand your reason to say not to start there, but would definitely recommend it. But I wonder why you didn't include The Crossing? Surely The Crossing is one of his greatest books, better than No Country for Old Men, and considering NCFOM was an excellent movie that many people have already seen, doesn't The Crossing deserve a spot at the top?
Thank you for your comment.
I have a mixed relationship with _The Crossing_. The first part, about the wolf is some of my favorite McCarthy, but the rest of it, the longer part, is full of the stuff -- long dialogues with weird characters who just appear -- that frustrates me about McCarthy.
If you really hate the middle and end, I understand. I'd just say that, I agree that the first section is the best, and some of his best work, period. I like the remainder more than you, but you even say that the remainder is what frustrates you the most with Mccarthy, insinuating that in totality the whole book is quintessential Cormac Mccarthy, unlike, I'd argue, NCFOM. It's your opinion, if you really hated the middle and end I understand opting for the easier to read option, I'm just saying I and many others see the crossing as one of his finest books and much more "pure" Mccarthy. I love NCFOM too, but I would put it in "don't start with" for the same reason as Suttree. Not because it's bad, just a bit off-brand.
@@piratemccall Just as a reminder this video is about where not to start with McCarthy. I didn’t put The Crossing on that list. I did provide a list of better starting places that included NCFOM because I think it is an easier entry point to McCarthy’s work than The Crossing.
I understand your reasoning, and it's valid, NCFOM is more easily digestible. And it's your list, you can't be "wrong." I'm just putting an argument out there for any of your viewers that haven't read anything by him that the crossing is quintessential Mccarthy. I'd say blood meridian and the crossing are the peak of his power... Btw, I saw you really disliked the passenger. I haven't read it yet, where would you rank it in his bibliography? Above/below what? Just to get a gage. Thanks.
@@piratemccall My McCarthy Ranking
1. Blood Meridian
2. All the Pretty Horses
3. The Crossing (part one is amazing)
4. Suttree
5. The Road
6. Outer Dark
7. The Passenger
8. Cities of the Plains
9. No Country for Old Men
(I haven't read Child of God or The Orchard Keeper)
There is a big, big drop off for me between 1&2 and then another big drop between 2&3. After that 3-5 could change order depending on the day and then a drop again between 5&6.
For me NCFOM is the least consequential of McCarthy's books. It probably isn't fair but the fact that it started as a movie script lowers it in my estimation. But, like I said in the video, I think it could be an easy entry point to reading McCarthy.
I started with Child of God…and, wow, it was a start.
Not well read . Did audiobook for blood meridian. Ive tried other books audio ones . Want to start reading again but i get bored quickly. The blood meridian was perfect for me. The writing style was just perfect. Dont know where to go now. 🤔 What author to follow or book. It kind of got the bug for audiobooks into me just dont know how to follow it up. Any author similar and brutally honest like him . I respected the honesty of the book.
McCarthy’s style is pretty unique. It is influenced by a number of older writers like William Faulkner but McCarthy is more direct. Try McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses. You might try Elmore Leonard he wrote some westerns but mostly crime stuff. His writing is very good and direct (and if you like him he wrote about a million books😂) or Harry Crews whose books are a little violent, and a little weird. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is a great book and a western. He wrote several other books in that series.
Audiobooks are a great way to get into books so don’t let anybody give you crap about listening to them. All books come from our storytelling traditions.
@@BookishTexan thank you so much for the recommendation sir I really appreciate it. 😊I'll go with the harry crews guy and I'll go with lonesome dove . I have something to look forward to now 😉 thanks.
@@BookishTexan Leonard and Crews are two of my absolute favorites. Crews is criminally underappreciated and I'd love to see you do a video on him, or at least find out your favorites of his. Naked in Garden Hills is almost impossible to find without spending a small fortune, but I was lucky that a local library has it. He considered it his best and I can now see why. Larry Brown was his protege of sorts, and another great writer.
The Devil all the Time is also a book by Donald Ray Pollock. Coincidently I read it just after Child of God - geez what a month.
Yikes!
Having seen the movie I have no desire to read _The Devil All the Time_ . Thanks for watching and commenting.
I've only read "The Road", so this is a very helpful video Brian 🙂
Thank you. _The Road_ is a good place to start though most of his best books are set in the southwest and involve men on horses.
Why would you "watch" Devil all the time, and not read it? You never watch a movie before reading the book. Always consider the source of an artwork, never the derivative. Know what came first and why and only then can anything after, truly be appreciated and understood.
Well, let’s see. I watched it as part of a weekly film club, didn’t choose the movie, wasn’t aware there was a book, wouldn’t have had time to read it if I had, and am glad I only invested the two hours it took to watch the movie of this miserable, cliche’d, derivative story.
But thanks for your comment. I always get a good laugh out of people telling me things I should “never” do.
I really enjoyed this! The Road is the only McCarthy book I own but still haven't read. I'm interested in reading Blood Meridian and The Border Trilogy too.
_The Road_ is unrelentingly grim and _Blood Meridian_ may be grimmer, but is more beautifully written. I need to reread the last book in the Border Trilogy, but the first one and half books in the trilogy are good and accessible.
@@BookishTexan The Road may not be as beautifully written, but it is a simple, yet powerful, and even beautiful story of survival and the love of a father and son.
Huh. Outer Dark is clearly a reinvention of Greek myth in Appalachia as well as incorporating Scottish/Appalachian ballads in novel format.
Ok, and...
@@BookishTexan I think McCarthy’s strong point as an author is language, not plot. No one is ever going to accuse him of being Elroy Leonard or of writing Njal’s Saga. I read his books for the use of language and atmosphere in the same way I read Thomas Wolfe.
@@johnsilver8059 I agree that McCarthy at his best is mostly about the writing, the images, and the language. But many of his books are plot driven - The Road, All the Pretty Horse’s, No Country for Old Men.
@@BookishTexan I have yet to read The Road. I’ve noticed, and I’m sure you have as well, that the language McCarthy uses to tell a story is a major part of his writing. The narrative style in Blood Meridian is far closer to the mid-19th century than the late 20th. The style of the language in the Border Trilogy is meant, in my opinion, to mimic the terse, laconic, but slightly formal, style of speech of the main characters. I think he’s a real artist; he doesn’t always succeed in my opinion (again), but he wouldn’t succeed at all if he didn’t try.
@@johnsilver8059 I agree that he is an artist and that because of that he often fails. There is no doubt that the language itself is incredibly important in his works. However, his books are not without plots and in fact I think many are intended as allegories about the struggle between the forces of civilization and chaos.
The Book, The Devil All the Time, is by Donald Ray Pollock. The movie is a a good adaptation.
I can see the similarities with McCarthy (violence, rural America) but Pollock is not as "poetic" as McCarthy.
Anyway, great video & Blood Meridian is far and away my favorite novel. There in no close second.
Thanks for that info. McCarthy can be great, but I always feel like he is walking such a high wire in his work that one false step and it will fail. _Blood Meridian_ and the first part of _The Crossing_ are truly great.
@@BookishTexan I would say start with The Road before tackling Blood. The Road is a much quicker read and it will give the reader an introduction into Mccarthy's style such as the lack of punctuation or the difficulty of knowing who is speaking, & of course the violence. The Road has succinct sentences unlike the long poetic Faulkneresque passages in Blood.
Blood has to be read very slowly. You really do need a dictionary as you read it. The Road can be knocked out in a day or two. So I would start there. I loved The Road & the border trilogy but all are very different from each other.
Blood Meridian is his magnum opus and the greatest book that I have read.
Gotta disagree with you here--both Suttree and Outer Dark are excellent books and perfectly acceptable places to start.
Thanks for your comment.
Just finishing The Crossing. Absolutely wonderful, better than all the pretty horses
The first section of The Crossing is some of McCarthy's best.
@@BookishTexan I think it is strong throughout. The man in the collapsed church talking about going mad thinking about the accountability of God, the blind man and how he understands the world and human nature, and the beautiful descriptions of nature scattered throughout are all breathtaking. McCarthy is an amazing author.
Suggest you re-read Outer Dark. The story, the layers, the themes are genius and totally original. It's like some historical complement to Eraserhead. I'm sorry but your comments on McCarthy are glib.
I enjoy making videos about McCarthy because I get a variety of opinions. He is one of those authors whose fan base is so intense that any negative statements about the man or his work provoke a response even when they are in a video largely praising his best work.
It is possible that my opinion of Outer Dark was affected by the fact that I read it after McCarthy’s greatest works, but I still don’t think it’s a good place to start with the man’s work. I think most of the ideas and themes in the book can be found in his better books.
I've read _Blood Meridian_ and _The Road_ and I think they're both great. McCarthy isn't a writer for children or the squeamish.
True, but neither does the violence in them always make them better.
@@BookishTexan True, but his most popular novels are straight out of Sam Peckinpah, fact. Which brings up the question: Why are his most violent novels so popular? _Blood Meridian_ is widely acclaimed by critics and general readers. I think McCarthy would argue that violence is central to the American Experience, wether we want to acknowledge it or not. Remember _Blood Meridian_ is based on the _historical_ record.
@@jerryrichardson2799 I’m not arguing that his theme isn’t accurate or that his best works aren’t among his most violent. I’m saying the violence doesn’t make a book good or bad.
@@BookishTexan I agree, not in itself.
You should give No Country another chance. *Spoilers* The symbolism lies in Anton Chigur, his crimes throughout the movie aren't really all perptrated by him, but instead a slew of random criminals. The sheriff imagines that all this chaos is coming from one bad guy, like in the old days. And if he takes that one bad guy then all will be well. But then at the end he learns that even in the past there never was just one bad guy. Theres no solution to get rid of all the evil in the world. Theres no real world where the good guy beats the bad guy and all is saved, like in stories. There is No Country For Old Men.
Pretty sure I recommended it as one of the places to start with McCarthy
@@BookishTexan but you said it has no symbolic meaning. The title is literally explains the symbolism.
@@stevie576 Fair enough. In listening to the video again I contradict myself by saying you can use it to pick up on McCarthy’s themes and the later I say it doesn’t have symbolism or themes.
Informative
Thanks.
McCarthy imitating McCarthy, interesting. I do like his passages, describing diving, or men doing manly things🙃, they are rich. But I am only half way through. Yet, I feel like " impressive ideas " are strung together. Somehow, I hoped for more. There are great ideas, but maybe some kind of cinematic lens has gotten in the way... I will finish.
Describing men doing manly things is fine, but it is such a common feature of McCarthy's novels that it has become something of a trope. I hope you enjoy the remainder of the books.
McCarthy's novels are not for P-words.
I know a lot of pretty tough people who don't like McCarthy
Child of God is disturbing, but well worth your time. I recommend checking out Kathleen Ann’s review: ua-cam.com/video/1XiHB6tWhLs/v-deo.html
I agree No Country, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses are the best places to start. As far as his best books go, Outer Dark is one of my favorites - it felt like an opera by Wagner to me.
I will check out that review, but I have to tell you at this point I can't think of a book I want to read less. Maybe the review will change my mind.
My problems with _Outer Dark_ started around page 200 when Holme encounters the three men by the fire for the first time. Its around there that I felt like McCarthy's somewhat fuzzyheaded themes (philosophy?) took over and McCarthy lost control over what I thought was a pretty effective narrative. It just seems like a trial run for his other books where he controlled the surreal elements of his stories better.
** Watched the review. She makes a strong case for the book.
@@BookishTexan The three men I took as a representation of the darker aspects of humanity or even the protagonist himself. A lot like judge Holden who reflects the the worst aspects of the kid. The whole story reads like some sort of hillbilly fable. You could draw parallels to McCarthy’s life at the time (divorce, losing his child) and the protagonist being cast into “outer darkness”. There’s a lot more to say about the book but I’ll just say that in my opinion it’s his most under appreciated work.
@@TheDarthmitch I don’t dispute what the men represent, I just felt like their introduction to the story and the scenes they were in were clunky and to heavy handed. As you point out he introduces the same kind of theme through The Judge in _Blood Meridian_ only it is done much, much better so why not start there instead of with _Outer Dark_ ?
@@BookishTexan I defiantly agree BM is a better start/book-in-general than Outer Dark but I by no means think it's bad.
Yes I started with Blood Meridian and am convinced it's a masterpiece no matter what KD books says.He does write a lot like Faulkner though luckily it's not as convoluted as the Old Oxford Ms master. Also loved The Road which is as scary as any horror movie. The Crossing was a disappointment and I'm hesitant to read The Passenger because many of the reviews have been bad.
We seem to be in agreement about a lot of McCarthy's work. I didn't like _The Passenger_ but I know many who have. I know that doesn't really help.
I read the road first.. blood meridian is on my list for this year 😃 will see what I think. I do agree all the pretty horses is an easier read than the road
Thanks Sandy.
_All the Pretty Horses_ has some beautiful writing and a nicely controlled plot that kept me reading. I think in it, _Blood Meridian_, the first section of _The Crossing_ , and _All the Pretty Horses_ are the books in which McCarthy's writing is the best and he is able to control his plot and his ideas.
This type of videos are very useful. I’ve only read one book by this author and I was curious about your ranking of not to start with. But I’ve read the most popular one 😂 The road and I’ve to said that although there was a specific part I found disgusting I liked his writing very much.
So when you’ve mentioned the words masterpiece I was prepared to noted down the title but after the words difficult, violent… I’ve searched the plot and I think It’s too much for me. I’m sure my next McCarthy book will be All the pretty horses.
The violence in _Blood Meridian_ is on a par with _The Road_ but described in more detail (I think) and without characters who you can root for. _All the Pretty Horses_ is, in my opinion, a very good book.
I started with Blood Meridian, but I had seen the movie versions of No Country, and The Road. It was hard to understand, and get through, but now I've read it several times and I really enjoy it. After Blood Meridian, I read the Border trilogy, and loved it, especially All the Pretty Horses. Also read No Country and The Road, the latter is a very powerful book, that I've read several times. The last one I read was Suttree, it wasn't really for me, it reminded me of a more deranged version of a Faulkner book. I haven't read it again, I expect to like it more upon my second read. But speaking of it being misogynistic, i remember there being lines I thought were just uncalled for and offensive. Overall Cormac is an excellent author, and would recommend to anyone.
I sometimes laugh at myself with these videos, because of course my recommendations often mirror the order in which I read the books. I started with All The Pretty Horses, read the rest of The Border Trilogy, then Blood Meridian, The Road, Suttree, No Country, then Outer Dark. I have to say that I felt that The Road was really heavy handed. I thought it was good, but not great. I agree though with everything you said about Suttree. _Outer Dark_ is I think more Faulkner influenced, but it is definitely there in Suttree.
@@BookishTexan To be honest I didn't care much for The Road either until I read it a couple times, and it really grew on me. The relationship between the father and son really resonated with me. I've yet to read Outer Dark, but I will get to it sooner or later. I've been on a fantasy kick lately.
You didn't mention the movie for All The Pretty Horses is one of the worst things put to film in the 21st century
I've never seen the whole movie so I didn't want to comment on it. What I saw wasnt good.😁
I agree Suttree has a similar feel as Tortilla Flats or even Cannery Row. Down and out working class life. I have read all of Mr. McCarthy and I enjoyed No Country for Old Men, The Road and All The Pretty Horses and would recommend them to a general reader. I would recommend Blood Meridian to no one except Satan. It was a sadistic mess.
_Suttree_ is the oddball of his books I think, but I liked a good bit of it.
Not sure I see _Blood Meridian_ as being more sadistic than _The Road_, but both are brutal.
You've read ALL his books and wouldn't recommend blood meridian to anybody?! You have to be in a club of one. That's hard to comprehend.
The road? ... to the fireplace 🤣.
Outer dark was a great book. I mean, all McCarthy books end pretty badly
I appreciate you comment, but I’m afraid I don’t think it’s a great book. An interesting book, a book that shows McCarthy developing his themes and is style, yes.
How is Suttree misogynist?
@@WesternTraditionsPodcast Several of the female characters, particularly those with whom Suttree is involved, are presented as purely sexual beings, ball breakers, and/or crazy.
No one should force themselves to watch Devil All the Time! 🤣
I’m definitely going to read Child of God eventually, but Suttree is the McCarthy I want to read next-that or No Country for Old Men, although for some reason I feel like I might know the film too well to enjoy that book much.
I feel like All the Pretty Horses, Blood Meridian, or The Road would all be solid places to start, depending on a reader’s sensibilities.
I don't recommend Devil All the Time except as a substitute for _Child of God_.
_No Country For Old Men_ is very similar to the movie.
I agree that ay one of those three is a good place to start depending on why you are picking up McCarthy in the first place.
I liked The Devil All the Time!
@@OldBluesChapterandVerse And you are a certified insane person.
@@acruelreadersthesis5868 Not certified. But I’ve kept my interest in cannibalism hidden from my team of shrinks...
@@OldBluesChapterandVerse Certified by me, the PhD student in psychology.
Lol at the clarification in the description box
I started with The Road and that worked for me. You made me want to read Blood Meridian!
Since you have read The Road, the violence in Blood Meridian shouldn’t come as a shock. The writing is more ornate and sometimes beautiful.
I started with blood meridian 😂
That’s the best one.
_First!_ I need to read _Sutree._ Good one, Brian.
Thanks Allen. I think you will like _Suttree_
Great video
Thank you.
I've only ever read All the Pretty Horses and The Road and really loved them. Also, your dogs are always walking around. Don't they know how to relax? 😁
My dogs don't like it when I sit in the study and talk to the window.😁😁😁😁😁
The rest of the day they are asleep.
Outer dark is great!
Ok. I don't agree.
Thanks for replying 👍🏻 I’m looking forward to the new ones. I really struggled with suttree. Personally I began with the border trilogy with “the crossing” being my favourite. I must ask, if you don’t regard blood meridian as a masterpiece in American letters, what do you place in that position?
Blood meridian is in my opinion the greatest novel ever written. It is style over substance, but good god, what style! 👍🏻
@@iansmith9125 I believe that I referred to _Blood Meridian_ as a masterpiece in the video. Not sure I would put it at the very top, but its in my top ten.
I read _The Passenger_ and reviewed it. Short version: I didn't think it was all that good.
Cheers.
I love this series, and this episode was particularly helpful. I've never read McCarthy, and I may never, but it helps to know what I'd be in for if I summoned the cajones. I'm assuming his work fits securely in the Dude-Bro Lit category, to which I'm not necessarily opposed, but add in extreme violence and I'd rather run to my Jane Austen.
Thank you.
He’s Dudebro Lit royalty, but he is/was capable of some beautiful writing sometimes. Extremely and graphically violent though.
Don't start
Fair enough.
I've only read two of McCarthy's novels. I quite liked No Country For Old Men, and I hated The Road.
_The Road_ is more divisive in terms of readers reactions. It is not my favorite.
All the Pretty Horses is the only Cormac McCarthy that I own as of yet. So that's good:)
Great idea for a series of Booktube videos.
That is the book of his that I started with too.
Thank you.
This seems like an incredibly pretentious idea for a video series. In order to feel qualified to judge an author’s works, you have to think you fully understand what the author was trying to accomplish and know that it was flawed. And I can tell you don’t meet that mark in any way at all. You say you finished outer dark for the first time the day before making this video and you call it straight up bad? That is incredible arrogance and frankly just completely insolent.
Is it more arrogant and insolent than coming into my channels comments to tell me I’m pretentious? What bona fides do you have that give you the right to judge me?
The great news for me is that it’s my channel and I can make the videos I want without worrying about whether Cormac fan boys are going to like it.
(Whatever you do don’t watch my review of The Passenger of Stella Maris. You might cry.)
@@BookishTexan My comment is for anyone who has the misfortune to stumble upon this terrible video. Consider it my review of your review.
Not only are you so mindblowingly arrogant that you think you're intelligent enough to criticize books you have no understanding of, but you also seem to think your low quality content shouldn't be criticized. BTW your latest video has a middle school level grammar error in the title.
It's really weird how he can write books and women just don't exist for 95% of the story, and then are just passing by when they're there. The Road and Blood Meridian are both really bad about this, and the depictions of women in those are in no way full or flattering.
I kind of agree about Blood Meridian. There's something about it that's captivating. It's sensational with its violence and then Judge Holden speaks. I don't think he ever directly commits any violence despite worshiping war??? And the only hint at it is a vague notion at the conclusion...which....what...these are some low lifes that have seen some dirt...what could he have seen that would make him say good god almighty...
I don't much care for The Road though because it's SO overwritten.
The Road is not one of my favorite McCarthy novels, but its the one the most people have heard of and I think you can read it and get a good idea what McCarthy is about theme and tone wise.
_Blood Meridian_ is a masterpiece. If you reread it the violence will be less shocking and some of the books other features will come through I think. That ending wont get any clearer though.
I don't think McCarthy has a clue about how to write women other than as stereotypes.
I think you missed the point of the ending. I never understood why people think the ending is mysterious. It seems clear that "good god almighty" is the most gruesome violence in the entire book. In stark contrast to the meticulously detailed violence of the men in the story, the brutality of the judge is simply indescribable. In short, the judge really, really, REALLY fucked up the kid/the man.
@@piratemccall that may be, but it was on my mind and messing with me haha
Suttree a misogynist novel? WTFF are you talking about? JFC, easy block.
You’re going to block yourself from watching my videos😂😂😂😂
Thanks for the laugh this morning.
Most misogynist? That one’s next.
Your credibility goes out the window when you trashed no country for old men
You mean the book I recommended as a starting place for getting into the works of its author? If you think you can do better post a response video on your channel.
The only bad thing about NCFOM was his..."and...and..and" fixation. Very much like Kings obsession with smoking and urination in one form or another😂 I saw "Sunset Limited" with Jackson and Jones. I was spellbound. Then I read it. I saw NCFOM, read that. Read Blood Meridian, Orchard Keeper...and the journey continues
I’ve never seen Sunset Limited so thank you for bringing it to my attention. Thanks for your comment.
Tommy Lee Jones is as matter of fact so dark and determined in his course of action in that movie that its terrifying. I've been on both sides of that coin so it really hit home