Western writer, author of Blood Meridian and others

suttree and blood meridian are unquestionably great

Blood Merdian is incredible, highly recommended

It's not accurate to call Cormac McCarthy a "Western writer;" he was born in Tennessee and wrote several fantastic novels in what could only be described as a Southern Gothic style before moving to El Paso and beginning his "Western phase" with the greatest Western novel ever written, "Blood Meridian."

All of his Southern books are incredible, with "Suttree" being the apex. I don't think very many people, even fans of his, have read the Southern stuff ("Outer Dark," "Orchard Keeper") but they really should.

His worst book by far is a Western book, "Cities Of The Plain." It's the last book of a very popular trilogy, he had to write it, and maybe he got tired of the whole thing.

I am extremely curious about what he is writing now.

Don't watch the "All The Pretty Horses" movie.

N/C by a billion.

Angus Jung wrote:It's not accurate to call Cormac McCarthy a "Western writer;" he was born in Tennessee and wrote several fantastic novels in what could only be described as a Southern Gothic style before moving to El Paso and beginning his "Western phase" with the greatest Western novel ever written, "Blood Meridian."

All of his Southern books are incredible, with "Suttree" being the apex.

His worst book by far is a Western book, "Cities Of The Plain."

I agree that 'Suttree' is his finest work and that 'Blood Meridian' takes the Western as far as it can go--it's hard to believe that anything remains to be said on the subject after that. Kind of like 'Damaged.'

I recall liking 'Cities of the Plain' slightly better than 'The Crossing,' but, really, I think the wjole "Border trilogy" pales in comparison to everything else he's written.

Have you read his play, 'The Stonemason,' set in Louisville? I guess that McCarthy lived in Louisville in the early 70's at the height (depth?) of his alcoholism, leading my friend T.R. to theorize that, while set around Knoxville (the landscape McCarthy knows best), most of the gutbucket incidents that inspired 'Suttree' likely went down in the Derby City. Impossible to confirm but an interesting theory, especially if one's from Louisville.

Another Western by a non-Western author that I highly recommend is 'True Grit' by Charles Portis. All of his comic Southern novels are worth a look, but 'True Grit' is something special. It's narrated by a fourteen-year-old girl who hires Rooster Cogburn (the role that gave John Wayne his only Oscar) to avenge her father's murder. It is really, really good, in an understated Carson McCullers kind of way.

Angus Jung wrote:It's not accurate to call Cormac McCarthy a "Western writer;" he was born in Tennessee...

i think he was born in providence, rhode island and then moved to tennessee as a child. just sayin' is all.

same wrote:

Angus Jung wrote:It's not accurate to call Cormac McCarthy a "Western writer;" he was born in Tennessee...

i think he was born in providence, rhode island and then moved to tennessee as a child. just sayin' is all.

Actually, he was born in Chicago but raised in Oakland.

He then went on to become the MLB all time stolen bases leader.

same wrote:whoops. how do i search exclusively in the title?

You don't, but that's not the issue. A simple search on "cormac AND mccarthy" (title and message text) produced a mere five results with this thread being at the top of the list.

He's now writer in residence at some kind of science institute in New Mexico.

Oh, wait, here we go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormac_McCarthy

I am in the middle of 'All the Pretty Horses' right now and I think it's some pretty fucking incredible writing. I know jackshit about the West (geography, history, flora&fauna etc...) but his imagery and descriptions are quite good and puts you right in the middle of it. His characters seem real and developed especially for this time period (post war 1940's). Definitely not crap.

same wrote:whoops. how do i search exclusively in the title?

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:You don't, but that's not the issue. A simple search on "cormac AND mccarthy" (title and message text) produced a mere five results with this thread being at the top of the list.

The name "Cormac" is utterly unique. It is the world's simplest search.

I'm just sayin'.