Rating: 
Summary: Getting closer to the Great American Novel
Review: As the literary child of Herman Melville, Cormac McCarthy sends his characters off for their own taste of "truth" in their beautiful, violent, and life-affirming quests in the great Southwest--the last bastion of the archetypal American West. The three novels that comprise The Border Trilogy come as close to anything since *Moby-Dick* or *Huck Finn* to being the Great American Novel. Each in its own way presents a chapter on the American's search--even need--for meaning in life. Although not all characters truly come to that understanding--John Grady Cole, in his unstoppable desire to save anything small, frail, innocent, or weak cannot in the end save himself from the dangers of his search. Billy P. nevers really comes to the realization of his truth, but it is through him that we as readers (best exemplified as the woman in the closing sentences) come to an understanding of McCarthy's view of truth. Although *Cities of the Plain* is not the exciting and ambitious novel that *All the Pretty Horses* is nor is it the touching and relevant story that *The Crossing* is, it is a beautifully satisfying culmination to the search. It, by itself, may not be a particularly solid and worthwhile novel in the American canon, but taken with its two brothers, the trio stands head and shoulders above anything else written in the last fifty years. McCarthy deftly manipulates his readers with his lyrical prose, juxtaposition of bloody death and life-affirming action, doubt and certainty, love and loss. A thoughful reader is easily taken to the red sands of the desert by McCarthy's spell-binding imagery; the symbolism is at once obvious and hidden. The novel(s) are well worth the time and energy. They are getting very close to the epitome of what America has come to expect from its great writers.
Rating:
Summary: beauty and dignity in desolate situations
Review: I have always believed that the genius of Cormac McCarthy lies in his ability to transform the ugliest of people and situations into objects of art by his hauntingly beautiful narrative. The Cities of the Plains is no exception. While not as adventurous as the first two novels of the trilogy, this story draws you in from the opening paragraph and never lets you go. I caught myself stopping several times just to catch my breath and marvel at the sheer brilliance of the prose. The maestro's story of the padrino was particularly poignant and moving. McCarthy continues to be the leading voice of serious literature in this country.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling story, but.......
Review: The story was first rate, and I found myself very involved with the characters. But, CM's lack of quotation marks and use of run-on sentences drove me to distraction! A story that should have been a beautiful and lyrical read was continually interrupted because I had to go back to the beginning of a dialogue to figure out who said what. Ditto for the run-on sentences - he would start a sentence talking about one thing, and end it on a completely different subject. If I had the book with me right now, I would cite examples. I will only recommend this book to very patient readers, and I will tell them to persevere... because, buried in that grammatical mess is a wonderful story. Everbody else should wait for the movie. If Hollywood stays true to the story, it will be a winner!
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff, if Extreme
Review: Okay, so it's a little crunchy and difficult in spots, like eating wild game with the shotgun pellets still in it, it's still wonderful. Forget the obvious, 'boys-2-men' plot, ignore the occasional too-purple description, and savor the atmospheric power. It doesn't get any more evocative than this. Lyrically, it's an Everest of a book, hard and cold and high and lonely and very beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Life Stripped of Comfort, Love Without Hope
Review: This novel broke my heart. It gave me much greater insight into my dad, who is dead now. I had a hard time coming to terms with my dad when he was alive. This story illuminated lots of male-ness that is often inaccessible to me. The book overstated some things (I hope!). But it essentially rings true. Readers who liked this, but want more accessible writing should read "Red Sky at Morning" by Bradford which covers some of the same ground geographically, emotionally, and philosophically. This growing up is a hard way to go. And at the end, maybe leaves you betrayed and alone. I'm more generous & gentle with the destitute now.
Rating:
Summary: SHEER GENIUS
Review: Last night I easily decided to skip work and stayed home to finish journeying what I think is the ultimate American masterpiece. I read plenty of American literature (Faulkner, O'Connor, Hawthorne, Poe, Twain, Stowe, etc) and nothing tops Cormac McCarthy. After finishing the journey with John Grady Cole, I broke down crying for hours and I never experienced feeling that way in my 30 years of reading. The power and beauty of Cormac's writing will haunt you forever. He paints millions of images in painfully beautiful words that will stay with you as long as you live! Trust me..
Rating: 
Summary: What a snoozer!
Review: It was all I could do to finish it!
Rating:
Summary: Three Scenes to include in a movie version of A.T.P.H.
Review: When making a book into a movie, many changes have to be made. There are three vital scenes in Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses which must be included in the movie to achieve the same effect. The scenes which the movie could not exist without involve courage, emotion, and comedy: three things that make movies great. The most important scene involving courage is John Grady Cole jamming the red-hot gun barrel into his wound. The movie could not succeed without this inspiring episode. In this scene, John Grady builds a scalding hot fire and puts his gun right in the hottest part of the fire, the coals. Only after the barrel of the gun glows red-hot does he drive it into the bullet wound in his leg. He then displays even more courage by ramming it into the exit wound on the other side of his leg. All the guys will love this gory scene. The most meaningful emotional scene is where Alejandra tells John Grady that she cannot go with him and disassociate with her family. John Grady tells her how much he loves her and asks her to come with him, but Alejandra will not aquiesce. Alejandra possesses strong bonds with her family, and she can never go against their will, no mat5ter what happens. As these two lovers part forever, never to see each other again, the strong emotions surpass any other emotions in the book. This final love scene must be included in the movie version if any females are to watch the movie. Finally, the funniest part of the book ocurs when the three travelers, John Grady, Rawlins, and Blevins, drink too much. Blevins is so drunk that he falls off his horse. When asked if he can ride, Blevins replies, "Does a bear **** in the woods? **** yes I can ride! I was ridin' when I fell off!" These three scenes I have mentioned are constitutive to make a movie about All the Pretty Horses. These vivid, emotional scenes draw crowds of men and women, young and old. A movie about this book cannot be made unless it includes the rudiments of courage, emotion, and comedy.
Rating:
Summary: What? No quotation marks? What does all this Spanish say?
Review: This book is a very well-written book. There is lots of imagry and symbolism. The book was fairly easy to read unless you can't understand spanish. There was a Spanish conversation about every ten pages. Also, the author never uses quotation marks, which makes it difficult to figure out who's talking. Another thing, he uses too many pronouns, which makes it unclear who is talking or who is being talked about. If you read it a second time, You would pick up 98% of the stuff you missed the first time.
A very good book on the whole.
It teaches lessons about growing up. This is a "coming-of-age novel" and very good for teenagers or anyone else to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Gritty novel - soon to be a major motion picture
Review: A film based on this book is in the works. The Miramax-Columbia film has an all-star cast: Mike Nichols (producer), Billy Bob Thornton(director),Ted Tally (screenplay), and Matt Damon (lead role).
I will be very interested to find out how the work will be transferred to the silver screen. I hope the film-makers will have the good sense to:
- keep the buddies as presented in the book: Grady and sidekick Lacey Rawlins has a touching relationship and their dialogs are funny as is in the book;
- change the ending: it is far too philosophical, gritty, and bleak for today's film market.
The writing style takes a little getting-used-to, but I too find the book hard to put down once I got going. I did find some of the starkly gritty passages hard to stomach, but this is a book that leaves you thinking.
Can't say I particularly like the theme though, which seems to me to be this: Pretty things (women, horses) are dangerous and their possession will only lead you to trouble.
|
