Cormac McCarthy

mickoregan

I found Blood Meridian hard going, but....it's drawing me back for a second go!! McCarthy's style and imagery is VERY compelling.

mickoregan

nc6000 wrote: »

Have you downloaded the Spanish translations from his website?

http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/resources/translations/

No, I have not. I didn't know about them. I'll take a look.
I wonder why he wrote these passages at all, assuming that the majority of his readers would not speak Spanish. I understand the need for authenticity, but it struck me as strange just the same.
Are these passages crucial to the story and/or characters or are they passages that are more for authenticity alone. I'm curious.

nc6000

mickoregan wrote: »

No, I have not. I didn't know about them. I'll take a look.
I wonder why he wrote these passages at all, assuming that the majority of his readers would not speak Spanish. I understand the need for authenticity, but it struck me as strange just the same.
Are these passages crucial to the story and/or characters or are they passages that are more for authenticity alone. I'm curious.

Not sure to be honest, I only discovered the translations after I finished The Border Trilogy.

Honey-ec

candlegrease wrote: »

Absolutely cannot stand Cormac McCarthy.

Just my opinion.

What a worthy contribution to the thread.

I've no issue with anyone disliking an author, but if they're posting on a thread about said author, I'd expect them to at least elaborate a bit on why.

I'm on the fence about McCarthy, still. I enjoyed The Road, I still have no idea whether or not I liked No Country for Old Men, and I only started Blood Meridian last night.

I just think his style of writing is a bit, I don't know, sterile. I know a lot of people would say that's the point, but I don't know. I'm just very ambiguous about him.

Dirty Dingus McGee

I don't think it is necessary to get translations on the spanish pieces in the border trilogy, I don't speak Spanish but i didnt feel I was missing out by not knowing what was being said.All The Pretty Horses is my favourite book of all time it is such a great story and the writing is beautiful.I am a fairly slow reader but I read All The Pretty Horses over 3 days staying up till 3 in the morning a copuple of nights, a book that size would normally take at least a couple of weeks for me.I envy the people who have yet to read All the Pretty Horses

ThirdMan

Honey-ec wrote: »

I still have no idea whether or not I liked No Country for Old Men

You're jumping on Candlegrease because he won't elaborate on why he dislikes McCarthy, yet you don't know whether or not you like a book that you've read. Maybe you're both just lost for words.

ThirdMan

I read the Border Trilogy while I was in Barcelona. I was staying in a windowless hostel, with dodgy air conditioning. The sweat was literally dripping onto the book. I remember reading certain passages of The Crossing, with those long, drifting sentences. The rhythm of the prose and the scorching heat were pulling me into a kind of trance. It was agonising, but I'll never forget it.

mickoregan

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

I don't think it is necessary to get translations on the spanish pieces in the border trilogy, I don't speak Spanish but i didnt feel I was missing out by not knowing what was being said.All The Pretty Horses is my favourite book of all time it is such a great story and the writing is beautiful.I am a fairly slow reader but I read All The Pretty Horses over 3 days staying up till 3 in the morning a copuple of nights, a book that size would normally take at least a couple of weeks for me.I envy the people who have yet to read All the Pretty Horses

Good to know about the Spanish passages. However, I wasn't all that taken with "Horses"...

dr gonzo

Honey-ec wrote: »

I'm on the fence about McCarthy, still. I enjoyed The Road, I still have no idea whether or not I liked No Country for Old Men, and I only started Blood Meridian last night.

I just think his style of writing is a bit, I don't know, sterile. I know a lot of people would say that's the point, but I don't know. I'm just very ambiguous about him.

This is me exactly. Enjoyed the road, NCFOM was good but remain unsure about whether or not it was enjoyable, and have to return to BM.

I understand theres a lot to be said for pushing yourself to read what is considered to be high quality literature, but I think back on reading NCFOM and I just cant say that it was terribly enjoyable, for large sections at least. Certainly the characters were excellent, and some of the scenes were too, but the rest was a bit dull...

I think I'm doing the man an injustice now!

Mindfulness

While I can say that I enjoyed 'The Road' I felt that it was nowhere near as god as the reviews made out. Yes it was bleak, post-apocalyptic stuff but overall I found it lacking and I'm not sure why.

It's not as though I couldn't empathise with the main protagonist, I have a child myself but there was something about either the dialogue or the telling of the tale that left me unsure of the book as a great piece of writing.

mickoregan

I wonder how many came to THE ROAD and/or NCFOM through having seen the films, thus setting up certain expectations?
I've seen none of the films based on McCarthy's work. He's a writer who's imagery deserves the full rein of the imagination, IMO.

Mindfulness

mickoregan wrote: »

I wonder how many came to THE ROAD and/or NCFOM through having seen the films, thus setting up certain expectations?
I've seen none of the films based on McCarthy's work. He's a writer who's imagery deserves the full rein of the imagination, IMO.

Not me anyway. I read the book and then about two months later I was in the cinema with my wife and we saw the trailer for the film. I turned to my wife and said to her 'That's one you won't want to see'.

I still haven't seen the film but to be honest, having read the book I can honestly say I wouldn't be bothered. It would only be a pale imitation of the book and having read that and thought it was good but not the spectacular, unmissable, unputdownable read that the reviewers were making out, I can't see the point in viewing the film.

mickoregan

Yeah, I have no real interest in seeing the film - I presume you're referring to The Road. The book was wonderful.

Mindfulness

mickoregan wrote: »

Yeah, I have no real interest in seeing the film - I presume you're referring to The Road. The book was wonderful.

Indeed, that wasn't clear from my post. I really did enjoy the book but in many ways was probably victim of the literary reviews and then expected too much. In contrast when I first read 'the silence of the lambs' I knew nothing about it and it blew me away. I'm glad I hadn't read the reviews of that because perhaps then I'd have felt like I enjoyed the book but a little let down. A perception bias? Perhaps

--Kaiser--

mickoregan wrote: »

Yeah, I have no real interest in seeing the film - I presume you're referring to The Road. The book was wonderful.

The movie was woeful. I don't how anyone could have made that film if they had actually read the book

Tombo2001

Have read the border trilogy, amazing books. I would think the scene in the crossing where Billy comes across the trapped wolf is about the best piece of contemporary writing I have come across.

Havent read the more recent books, I am simply not that interested in books about serial killers no matter who writes them.....just thematically......not nearly as interesting as say Billy's story in the Crossing.

His work, having started in a fairly dark place, seem to have become even darker in latter years and I wasnt interested in going there.....not for reasons of distaste, but disinterest.

--Kaiser--

Tombo2001 wrote: »

His work, having started in a fairly dark place, seem to have become even darker in latter years and I wasnt interested in going there.....not for reasons of distaste, but disinterest.

I don't think any of his recent books were near as dark as Blood Meridian

mickoregan

I still think his darkest work to date has been Child of God, followed closely by BM.

ThirdMan

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Havent read the more recent books, I am simply not that interested in books about serial killers no matter who writes them.

You're talking about his older books there. The Road and No Country for Old Men aren't about serial killers. The latter does feature a homicidal psychopath, but that doesn't qualify as a serial killer (read Child of God and you'll understand the distinction). But yeah, I can understand why you don't want to read that type of material.

ThirdMan

Mindfulness wrote: »

I can't see the point in viewing the film.

Here's one reason: the 'cellar' scene. It's one of the most powerful moments in the novel, and the film just about does it justice. Even if you don't watch it, try find that scene.

minnow

I just finished my first McCarthy novel, The Road, and found it magnificent. I was delighted to find this thread for opinions on further McCarthy books. Have ordered Child of God and can't wait to receive it !

Reiver

No Country For Old Men and The Road are what I've read. His prose (especially the way he handles dialogue) should be off-putting but it isnt! I just get immersed. Great to see a few other fans of his work here!

Blood Meridian is next!

nc6000

I've read The Border Trilogy, The Road, Outer Dark and didn't finish Blood Meridian. I think I'll give it another go and then read Suttree, it's been sitting here untouched for a while now.