Cormac McCarthy, who passed away last year, was a giant of American letters.
McCarthy bagged numerous prizes over the decades, including a National Book Award and a Pulitzer.
Some of his grim stories were controversial, winning him critics alongside the admirers.
Image by Federico Napoli
They are likely the best of his novels to begin with.
There’s a great rhythm to the language.
14’The Orchard Keeper' (1965)
Rating: 3.53/5
“They are gone now.
Fled, banished in death or exile, lost, undone.”
McCarthy’s debut novel immerses readers in the rugged landscapes and complex moral codes of rural Tennessee.
Unbeknownst to them, their fates are linked by a violent act.
The focus is less on story and more on mood and reflection.
There are also countless Biblical references, which add to the thematic weight.
A life without grief is no life at all.
But regret is a prison.
“The Passengerwas McCarthy’s first novel afterThe Road, ending a 16-year hiatus.
The main character is Bobby Western, a salvage diver haunted by his past.
“Child of Godisa chilling character studyabout Lester Ballard, a violent outcast who descends into depravity.
However,McCarthy still examines the character complexly, even while being clear about his villainousness.
Nevertheless, critics embracedChild of God, with particular praise for its stylistic inventiveness.
The book is made up of her conversations with her psychiatrist.
Through their dialogue,the book examines everything from mental illness and genius to quantum mechanics and the atombomb.
The conversation format works and is the most interesting aspect of the novel.
In a lot of ways, it has thematic overlaps withOppenheimer.
For example, Alicia feels conflicted about the role her father played in the Manhattan Project.
The book is thus critical of science and intellect, acknowledging the dark outcomes both can bring about.
But the accounts gets balanced anyway.”
Financial and emotional instability are among the central themes.
The sparse stage directions add to the lean feel, with an emphasis on character over spectacle.
The pacing is slow and the action minimal, letting the language do most of the heavy lifting.
From McCarthy’s last novel to one of his very first.
For instance, the characters seem devoid of morality; it simply doesn’t factor into their decision-making.
As a result, the story is unrelenting, building up the reader’s hopes only to dash them.
That said, the writing itself is still poetic and enjoyable.
McCarthy clearly spent a long time constructing the prose, bolting each word and sentence into its right place.
LikeStella Maris,The Sunset Limitedis made up entirely out of dialogue.
The result is one of his most compelling and approachable works.
HBO adapted the play intoa 90-minute filmstarringTommy Lee JonesandSamuel L. Jackson, which is also worth checking out.
As one would expect,the book is suffused with melancholy and yearning.
There’s love, but it’s usually unrequited.
However,All the Pretty Horsesreceived mostly negative reviews.
“Cities of the Plainis the concluding installment in the John Grady Cole trilogy.
It’s the 1950s, and Cole now works as a ranch hand in New Mexico.
There, he falls in love with Magdalena, a young Mexican sex worker.
He dreams of rescuing her from her dismal life, but countless obstacles stand in his way.
Taken together and viewed as a single work, theBordertrilogy is an impressive effort.
