RIP Cormac McCarthy

[mph]

He was a gifted writer and storyteller. The Road is tremendous but my personal favorite remains Blood Meridian. The news of his death prompted me to order The Passenger and Stella Maris which I’ll finally make time to read.

[OldPhiKap]

All the Pretty Horses, and No Country for Old Men, are fantastic reads.

[ClemmonsDevil]

All the Pretty Horses, and No Country for Old Men, are fantastic reads.

Those were my favorites too.

[pcal6vb]

While at Duke, I took a seminar class on Cormac McCarthy with Professor Victor Strandberg. We read every one of McCarthy's novels published at that time (this predated The Road and No Country for Old Men). For this engineering major, writing a literary analysis essay on Blood Meridian was one of my favorite assignments during all of undergrad. Plus, listening to Professor Strandberg's booming, Heston-esque baritone discuss McCarthy with the ~12 of us around the table was unforgettable. I remember emailing with him a couple of years after graduating, asking his thoughts on The Road and No Country and their movie adaptations.

Sad we won't have another McCarthy novel, but this will spur me to read Blood Meridian again soon.

p.s. making this post every so slightly "on topic" to the main board - Nick Horvath audited the seminar class, but he was in attendance probably 25% of the time...

[mph]

While at Duke, I took a seminar class on Cormac McCarthy with Professor Victor Strandberg. We read every one of McCarthy's novels published at that time (this predated The Road and No Country for Old Men). For this engineering major, writing a literary analysis essay on Blood Meridian was one of my favorite assignments during all of undergrad. Plus, listening to Professor Strandberg's booming, Heston-esque baritone discuss McCarthy with the ~12 of us around the table was unforgettable. I remember emailing with him a couple of years after graduating, asking his thoughts on The Road and No Country and their movie adaptations.

Sad we won't have another McCarthy novel, but this will spur me to read Blood Meridian again soon.

p.s. making this post every so slightly "on topic" to the main board - Nick Horvath audited the seminar class, but he was in attendance probably 25% of the time...

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

[Edouble]

He was a gifted writer and storyteller. The Road is tremendous but my personal favorite remains Blood Meridian. The news of his death prompted me to order The Passenger and Stella Maris which I’ll finally make time to read.

Would Blood Meridian be a good one to start with?

My background: English major, Trinity. Never read anything by Cormac McCarthy. Love the movie No Country For Old Men.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Would Blood Meridian be a good one to start with?

My background: English major, Trinity. Never read anything by Cormac McCarthy. Love the movie No Country For Old Men.

I thought that The Road and All the Pretty Horses were so indescribably well done. All the Pretty Horses particularly has this sort of gauzy, dreamlike feel for me as I read it.

[OldPhiKap]

Would Blood Meridian be a good one to start with?

My background: English major, Trinity. Never read anything by Cormac McCarthy. Love the movie No Country For Old Men.

I’m reading Blood Meridian right now and really enjoying it. I also loved No Country for Old Men, I recommend even if you’ve seen the movie (yes, the book is better as always and the movie focuses more on Llewelyn while the book is in many ways about the sheriff).

I read all the Pretty Horses years ago, found it difficult and did not enjoy really. Perhaps it was not in rhythm with my leisure time.

[pcal6vb]

Would Blood Meridian be a good one to start with?

My background: English major, Trinity. Never read anything by Cormac McCarthy. Love the movie No Country For Old Men.

I consider Blood Meridian his masterpiece, but it is certainly more surreal and fantastical than the somewhat more approachable (if any of McCarthy can be called approachable) The Road, All the Pretty Horses, and No Country for Old Men. If you appreciate getting jarred out of your comfort zone, then I wholeheartedly recommend Blood Meridian. Otherwise, one of the other three might be a good appetizer.