RIP Cormac McCarthy

[Bateshorn 9927]

13 minutes ago, demos said:

I read Blood Meridian, and I’m still not entirely sure what I read, though I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t reread it.

You absolutely should. It’s so much better on second read.  
 

Here’s a picture I took at dawn outside Marathon.  I think of BM each time I look at it:

 

[Sawbonz 27548]

On 6/13/2023 at 5:41 PM, Goredho said:

in costumes attic

None of you fuckers (including me) know what this means without deep digging. And no it’s not a costume from an attic 

 

There is a word or phrase like that in damn near every paragraph 

 

 

Reminds me of a story about Joyce. A woman came up to him complaining it took her 2 years to read Ulysses. He responded I should hope so it took me 7 years to write!

 

 

 

 

[nbmishoid 949]

22 minutes ago, demos said:

I read Blood Meridian, and I’m still not entirely sure what I read, though I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t reread it.

Wrong.  Re-read it in a year or so.  Then listen to an e book version.  Then you will have a better idea of what you read, and a better appreciation of what writing can be.  

[Seger78 258]

4 hours ago, ztejas said:

 really thick and unorthodox. 

You sound like my urologist 

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11669]

I read The Road and was driving to work a day or two later, made a sudden turn into the grocery store, and bought a bunch of canned goods. 

[Sawbonz 27548]

15 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

You absolutely should. It’s so much better on second read.  
 

Here’s a picture I took at dawn outside Marathon.  I think of BM each time I look at it:

 

The evening redness in the west? You could write a thesis just on that subtitle 

 

edit just saw you took the pic at dawn. Still works

Edited June 14, 2023 by Sawbonz

[troph 24788]

4 minutes ago, BehoId, The Underminer! said:

I read The Road and was driving to work a day or two later, made a sudden turn into the grocery store, and bought a bunch of canned goods. 

The grocery cart ride and the can of coke passages in the grocery store scene put sacrifice, long suffering, and meaning in a vignette that drove it home in a way I’ve never experience before or after reading those passages. Just brilliance.

[Goredho 17401]

2 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

None of you fuckers (including me) know what this means without deep digging. And no it’s not a costume from an attic 

 

There is a word or phrase like that in damn near every paragraph 

 

 

Reminds me of a story about Joyce. A woman came up to him complaining it took her 2 years to read Ulysses. He responded I should hope so it took me 7 years to write!

 

 

 

 

Yeah, Blood Meridian has stylings and phrasing  from the period it came from.  It’s McCarthy’s prose, but he’s intentionally using such outdated phrases to help establish a setting and bring the reader into the period where it takes place.  Compare some of McCarthy’s passages posted here from Blood Meridian to this description of the historical Judge Holden from Samuel Chamberlain’s autobiography that was penned sometime immediately prior to the civil war:

The second in command, now left in charge of the camp, was a man of gigantic size called "Judge" Holden of Texas. Who or what he was no one knew but a cooler blooded villain never went unhung; he stood six feet six in his moccasins, had a large fleshy frame, a dull tallow colored face destitute of hair and all expression. His desires was blood and women, and terrible stories were circulated in camp of horrid crimes committed by him when bearing another name, in the Cherokee nation and Texas; and before we left Fronteras a little girl of ten years was found in the chapperal, foully violated and murdered. The mark of a huge hand on her little throat pointed him out as the ravisher as no other man had such a hand, but though all suspected, no one charged him with the crime.

Holden was by far the best educated man in northern Mexico; he conversed with all in their own language, spoke in several Indian lingos, at a fandango would take the Harp or the Guitar from the hands of the musicians and charm all with his wonderful performance and out-waltz any poblana of the ball. He was “plum center” with a rifle or revolver, a daring horseman, acquainted with the nature of all the strange plants and their botanical names, great in geology and mineralogy, in short another Admirable Crichton, and with all an arrant coward.

Not but that he possessed enough courage to fight Indians and Mexicans or anyone else where he had the advantage in strength, skill, and weapons. But where the combat would be equal, he would avoid it if possible. I hated him at first sight and he knew it, yet nothing could be more gentle and kind than his deportment towards me: He would often seek conversation with me and speak of Massachusetts and to my astonishment I found he knew more about Boston than I did.

McCarthy really took the time to immerse himself into and understand what he was writing about.  I grew up on the border in a town present in both No Country for Old Men and the Border Trilogy, and… he fucking nailed it.  From the descriptions of the land and geography to the way locals not only talk but THINK.  I couldn’t believe someone, even a generational talent of a writer like CM, could have captured the places those stories took place in and the people that inhabit them without living there their entire life.

[Ben Tobin 374]

Same with The Appalachian area, though he did spend time as a kid there

Edited June 14, 2023 by Ben Tobin

[futureman 22457]

11 minutes ago, Ben Tobin said:

Same with The Appalachian area, though he did spend time as a kid there

he grew up there didn't he?

[Ben Tobin 374]

I know his family moved there for his dad’s job but not sure his ages while there. Probably junior and high school at least 

[Kennythetiger 9380]

5 hours ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

However BM is the greatest book ever written.  

You want to think something, why don’t you think that roof back up on the barn over there?  

[dcbc 14480]

12 hours ago, C-Man said:

I think "The Last Picture Show" is my favorite book of all time but "Strange Peaches" was awesome and "The Gay Place" might even be better than that. I was covering sports for The Daily Texan while taking Graham's class and met Shrake and Gary Cartwright at some UT journalism cocktail reception one night. I have a signed copy of Strange Peaches somewhere in my house. They were a fun duo.

Strange Peaches was my favorite until 11.22.63.  I guess I really like reading about that era of Dallas.   I enjoyed the Gay Place, but not really knowing much about LBJ or Giant at that point in my life, it didn't register as high for me.  Strange Peaches was OOP for a long time, but may have had another run in the last decade or so.  Really cool that you got to meet him and got that autographed copy.

[mchookem 16330]

31 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Strange Peaches was my favorite until 11.22.63.  I guess I really like reading about that era of Dallas.   I enjoyed the Gay Place, but not really knowing much about LBJ or Giant at that point in my life, it didn't register as high for me.  Strange Peaches was OOP for a long time, but may have had another run in the last decade or so.  Really cool that you got to meet him and got that autographed copy.

not to sidetrack too much as I've really enjoyed this thread... but I mentioned another favorite of mine, James Ellroy, and my favorite of his is American Tabloid which you may enjoy as well, especially if you like noire. it's one of my top five books, i reread it about every 7-8 years. 

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

James Ellroy is a crazy person and American Tabloid is one of the best American novels ever written. I feel like writers aren’t as insane as they used to be which is a shame because crazy people make the best art. Although McCarthy was in no way a crazy person and he could write his god damn ass off. In conclusion, America is a land of contrasts. 

[WBT 20564]

4 hours ago, Ben Tobin said:

Same with The Appalachian area, though he did spend time as a kid there

The New Orleans scenes in The Passenger made me wish I could have visited in 1980.

He was amazing at evoking time and place.

[C-Man 27222]

2 hours ago, dcbc said:

Strange Peaches was my favorite until 11.22.63.  I guess I really like reading about that era of Dallas.   I enjoyed the Gay Place, but not really knowing much about LBJ or Giant at that point in my life, it didn't register as high for me.  Strange Peaches was OOP for a long time, but may have had another run in the last decade or so.  Really cool that you got to meet him and got that autographed copy.

I might need to dust it back off and give it another re-read. It's been 25 years since I last read it probably. I moved to Dallas in 1998, so it might be fun to revisit since I've lived here for the last 25 years.

[futureman 22457]

5 hours ago, Ben Tobin said:

I know his family moved there for his dad’s job but not sure his ages while there. Probably junior and high school at least 

wikipedia says he lived in knoxville from age 4 to about 30 or so

[G650 14254]

18 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

Unless you have read something like Ulysses, don’t start with Blood Meridian. 

I would honestly use Faulkner as more of a reference in terms of idiosyncrasies and general aesthetics. McCarthy had a very similar style early on to Faulkner, aided by having his editor.

[Bateshorn 9927]

23 minutes ago, G650 said:

I would honestly use Faulkner as more of a reference in terms of idiosyncrasies and general aesthetics. McCarthy had a very similar style early on to Faulkner, aided by having his editor.

I always felt McCarthy was a more engaging writer to read than Faulkner. The trick with Blood Meridian is to stick with it.  It has an engaging narrative that will pull you along, but it takes a bit to arrive.  Glanton is an underrated character in the book.  People spend so much time focusing on the Judge and eventually his antagonistic relationship over the Kid with Tobin, that they miss the more traditional bandits on the run storyline of the Glanton Gang that powers the book. 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Bateshorn

[G650 14254]

4 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

I always felt McCarthy was a more engaging writer to read than Faulkner. The trick with Blood Meridian is to stick with it.  It has an engaging narrative that will pull you along, but it takes a bit to arrive.  Glanton is an underrated character in the book.  People spend so much time focusing on the Judge and eventually his antagonistic relationship over the Kid with Tobin, that they miss the more traditional bandits on the run storyline of the Glanton Gang that powers the book. 

In some ways yes. To me As I Lay Dying is still the peak American novel, but I understand others preferring McCarthy. Funny enough given the recent conversation of this thread, I think this because McCarthy is more accessible than Faulkner.

[nbmishoid 949]

Many reviewers have considered Faulkner as McCarthy’s model, or some such.  McC’s power to move the story along is a big difference, to me.  

[HonkeyVape 107]

This thread has me wanting to dust off some books, but who has the time? I really should read BM again, but also I haven't read The Road in much longer and Stella Maris which I don't think I've even unboxed.

Also, Cormac McCarthy might have been lowkey crazy to the guy who said writers aren't as crazy as they used to be-- he was just so reclusive we don't really know, but most sane men don't marry 3 times lol

[G650 14254]

1 hour ago, nbmishoid said:

McC’s power to move the story along is a big difference, to me.  

That's kind of what I was alluding to, Faulkner didn't really do a "story" in the sense that most people would consider today. McCarthy was much more of a conventional narrative guy.

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

6 hours ago, HonkeyVape said:

 

Also, Cormac McCarthy might have been lowkey crazy to the guy who said writers aren't as crazy as they used to be-- he was just so reclusive we don't really know, but most sane men don't marry 3 times lol

That’s true, HonkeyVape. 

[ohchaucer 1443]

This.  Some things are to be eased into.  McCarthy is one of those things.  ATPH was my entry point, and it was a perfect one.

Exact same. Border trilogy is amazing and beautiful. Blood Meridien is life altering. The Road is, too, but it’s also more narrative one the surface.

I’m an English major dork, but, without exaggerating this point, I switched to English my freshman year entirely because I encountered and then devoured McCarthy.

[UncleSonny 6572]

On 6/14/2023 at 7:09 PM, Kennythetiger said:

You want to think something, why don’t you think that roof back up on the barn over there?  

I’ve been thinking a lot about McMurtry over the last few days. Lost them both within about two years of each other. 

Their prose was so different from one another even when to subjects somewhat overlapped. Neither seemed to have much time or patience for the NY literary scene though. I believe they both skipped their Pulitzer ceremony. 

[mchookem 16330]

1 hour ago, ohchaucer said:

Exact same. Border trilogy is amazing and beautiful. Blood Meridien is life altering. The Road is, too, but it’s also more narrative one the surface.

I’m an English major dork, but, without exaggerating this point, I switched to English my freshman year entirely because I encountered and then devoured McCarthy.

user name checks out 

[dcbc 14480]

1 hour ago, UncleSonny said:

I’ve been thinking a lot about McMurtry over the last few days. Lost them both within about two years of each other. 

Their prose was so different from one another even when to subjects somewhat overlapped. Neither seemed to have much time or patience for the NY literary scene though. I believe they both skipped their Pulitzer ceremony. 

Since we brought it up with All the Pretty Horses, reading Horseman Pass By in Dr. Graham's Sw. Lit. class, followed by AtPH made for a bangin' first semester of my senior year.

[ohchaucer 1443]

So true. “Horseman, Pass By” is one of my all time favorite book titles. Followed closely by “Some Can Whistle” and “Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow”

You could do worse than just spending a month hopping amongst Larry McMurtry, William Goldman, and Cormac McCarthy.

All great American voices that in my mind have a weird through-line to one another.

As a totally guilty aside, “Anything for Billy” by McMurtry is one of my all time favorite books, (almost at the same literary level as “The Once and Future King” by TH White) but just so good and simple. Almost E. B. White good and simple. And just sorta perfect.

Cormac was obviously later than THW and EBW, but he was a contemporary influence on Goldman and McMurtry. I love to think their work was so great because of his literary pioneering, directly or indirectly.

[HonkeyVape 107]

Jerome Charyn’s description of “Suttree,” in The Times’s 1979 review, could well be about any of McCarthy’s novels. “The book comes at us like a horrifying flood. The language licks, batters, wounds — a poetic, troubled rush of debris,” Charyn wrote. “It is personal and tough, without that boring neatness and desire for resolution that you can get in any well-made novel. Cormac McCarthy has little mercy to spare, for his characters or himself. … ‘Suttree’ is like a good, long scream in the ear.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/books/cormac-mccarthy-best-books.html?

[tomahawk dunk 336]

https://www.businessinsider.com/cormac-mccarthy-final-conversation-science-physics-fathers-sons-the-road-2023-6

 

[Goredho 17401]

Art of Manliness just re-released a podcast they had about Cormac McCarthy and specifically "The Road".  I don't know shit about who runs this podcast and if they are generally worth a shit, but the podcast description sounds interesting enough.  I'll be listening on a drive today.

Note: Cormac McCarthy died last week at the age of 89. To commemorate his passing, we’re rebroadcasting one of my favorite episodes about one of my favorite books: The Road. Please enjoy.

Once a year, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It’s a cathartic annual ritual for me. What is it about this novel that has such an impact on my soul and those of other readers? Who is the man who wrote it, and what was he trying to do with this story of a father and son struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic landscape?

For answers to these questions, I decided to talk to a foremost expert on McCarthy’s work, as well as the literature of the American West in general. His name is Steven Frye and he’s a professor of English, a novelist in his own right, and the author and editor of several books about the reclusive, philosophical author, including Understanding Cormac McCarthy. We begin our conversation with some background on McCarthy and a discussion of his distinctive style and themes, and why he avoids the limelight and prefers to hang out with scientists over fellow artists. We then dive into The Road, and Steve unpacks what inspired it, as well as the authors and books that influenced it. We then dig into the big themes of The Road, and how it can be read as a biblical allegory that wrestles with the existence of God. We delve into the tension which exists between the father and son in the book, and what it means to “carry the fire.” We end our conversation with why reading The Road makes you feel both depressed and hopeful at the same time.

A spoiler alert here: If you haven’t read The Road yet, we do reveal some of the plot points in this discussion. Also, why haven’t you read The Road yet?

https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/reading/podcast-760-cormac-mccarthy-the-road-and-carrying-the-fire/

[LCHorn 2620]

I don’t recall feeling hopeful after reading the road, just depressed and glad I would never need to read it again.  

[G650 14254]

1 hour ago, Goredho said:

Art of Manliness just re-released a podcast they had about Cormac McCarthy and specifically "The Road".  I don't know shit about who runs this podcast and if they are generally worth a shit, but the podcast description sounds interesting enough.  I'll be listening on a drive today.

Note: Cormac McCarthy died last week at the age of 89. To commemorate his passing, we’re rebroadcasting one of my favorite episodes about one of my favorite books: The Road. Please enjoy.

Once a year, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It’s a cathartic annual ritual for me. What is it about this novel that has such an impact on my soul and those of other readers? Who is the man who wrote it, and what was he trying to do with this story of a father and son struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic landscape?

For answers to these questions, I decided to talk to a foremost expert on McCarthy’s work, as well as the literature of the American West in general. His name is Steven Frye and he’s a professor of English, a novelist in his own right, and the author and editor of several books about the reclusive, philosophical author, including Understanding Cormac McCarthy. We begin our conversation with some background on McCarthy and a discussion of his distinctive style and themes, and why he avoids the limelight and prefers to hang out with scientists over fellow artists. We then dive into The Road, and Steve unpacks what inspired it, as well as the authors and books that influenced it. We then dig into the big themes of The Road, and how it can be read as a biblical allegory that wrestles with the existence of God. We delve into the tension which exists between the father and son in the book, and what it means to “carry the fire.” We end our conversation with why reading The Road makes you feel both depressed and hopeful at the same time.

A spoiler alert here: If you haven’t read The Road yet, we do reveal some of the plot points in this discussion. Also, why haven’t you read The Road yet?

https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/reading/podcast-760-cormac-mccarthy-the-road-and-carrying-the-fire/

 

Wow I didn't know Art of Manliness was still around.