If you haven’t read Cormac McCarthy, that needs to change. His prose simply has no equal. The man was an actual, honest-to-god, national treasure. He was so formative for me as an author, and I’m just gutted by his death.
Be warned: if you’re going to attempt to read one of his books, you need to make sure that you have the time and space to give it proper attention. His work is heavy, like a slab of lead, and you need to be sure to give yourself extra time to digest things. But it’s so, so rewarding.
Read The Road in high school and Blood Meridian in college. When I finished those books, I was a different person from when I started them.
Thank you so much for this guide! Hearing of his passing hurts and I hope his fans, friends, and family alike can find solace in the great works he has made. God knows this has finally convinced me to give Blood Meridian a try.
Blood Meridian is stunning, but seriously–if you’re not in a good mental place, absolutely do not read it. It’s…well, ‘dark’ really doesn’t even begin to describe it.
I was reading it on an island in Thailand and I had to put it down for another time. It was bumming me out. Read it twice since, back in America.
Thank you for this caveat. Depression is trying to kick me in the arse right now, so I’ll save it on a To Read list for another time.
Yeah, this one has a lot of existential dread about death and the human condition. It’s BLEAK. So if you’re struggling with depression, strong avoid.
Get better, friend. I’m sorry you’re having a tough time with things. FWIW, I struggle as well with the same thing.
Can’t read the article as it is behind a paywall but I just started reading his books. I just read No Country for Old Men and am currently reading The Road. He has a unique writing style, at least compared to what I usually read. Any suggestions for my next read?
Blood Meridian.
Does opening this in a private window or another browser enable you to read it?
I tried two browsers and then private in both. I am about to head to work I’ll probably have time to try there.
Here is an archive.is link. You can use this website to get around paywalls.
I think you’re primed for the Border Trilogy. All the Pretty Horses is a wonderful book and The Crossing is considered one of his best. If you’re feeling like reading something more Faulknerian, his earlier work would be great. Child of God is a shortish read and it definitely leaves an impact on the reader, Outer Dark also being in that same vein.
Thanks for the suggestions. Will add them to my list.
Of course, and if you really like his stuff, I would follow his adage, “Books are made out of other books”, and start reading McCarthys inspirations. Melville, Faulkner, and Flannery O’Connor among many others.
Fuck, I was reading this like “Was? He’s still alive, right? Right?” This is terrible news.
I had read The Road in high school and it did a number on me. It was so bleak and unforgiving, but also full of heart and was written in a way I had never experienced before. Honestly, most of it probably went way over my head. Years later I read Blood Meridian and Child of God and realized that I was reading what I still consider to be masterpieces of English writing.
If you haven’t given McCarthy a shot yet, I implore you to check his work out. He may genuinely have been the greatest American author of all time.
I read The Road and it just didn’t click with me, I finished it feeling like it was just “ok.” I think part of the problem was how much it had been hyped up by other readers and how famous it was and I went into it expecting to be changed when I came out, though I wasn’t. I’ll give McCarthy another try though, I have both No County for Old Men and Blood Meridian sitting on my bookshelf and I’ll get to them eventually.
The Road was definitely an outlier of his, but one that I still think is a good book. You’re right though, I feel like it got overhyped a bit, but I hope that doesn’t shadow his other work for you. No Country and Blood Meridian are both juggernauts and incredible pieces of fiction. If you haven’t seen the movie adaptation of No Country either I highly recommend it.
