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Summary: Poetic prose and a grand story for the ages
Review: Mid-twentieth century, in a place simply "out there," at a time when the American frontier faces invasions from highways and Ford trucks, two cowboys barely eighteen ride south across the border in an idyllic journey through the breathtaking landscape, described poetically by an author whose eye for the primal disposition of nature is superceded only by the sheer beauty of his writing. By happenstance, the young men are joined by a boy even younger than they, and as they ride further into the cruelly civilized world that the main character, John Grady Cole, has so often seen in his dreams, the pain of an unforgiving reality strikes at the boys' hearts as they, before our eyes, transform into men against a backdrop of innocence, maturity, and above all, a love borne from the grandest of circumstances. John Grady Cole soon finds himself struggling to survive in a setting that has transformed from serene and scenic to tumultuous and brutal, "a place where dreams are paid for in blood."
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Summary: It is a must read......
Review: If you're not into reading other languages and you can't speak Spanish then All the Pretty Horses is not for you. In the novel the author does not use the same writing techniques that we use in English. Instead he is more cultured and uses a Spanish style of writing. The book is about a young man named John Grady Cole. He travels down to Mexico to this hacienda and falls in love with the owner's daughter. He now must suffer all things that love can bring. The story is one of romance and adventure. The character is sent to a Mexican prison for killing someone in self-defense. This is just one of the many adventures that he encounters. The author has written many novels with this sort of cultured writing style. Overall the book was intriguing and exciting. It took you on a cowboy ride to Mexico and back. If you like reading about a young boy's life and like to read of love and action then this is the book for you.
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Summary: An OK book with distracting grammar
Review: I love to read, and I usually enjoy my summer reading assignments. However, I found All the Pretty Horses very hard to get into. The first few chapters are very slow, and frankly, quite boring. The rest of the book is dizzyingly action-packed. There is also a lot of dialogue in Spanish, which makes some of the story hard to follow if you don't speak Spanish. McCarthy also has some grammatical eccentricities that I found very distracting. The book begins with pronouns that lack antecedents, completely lacks quotation marks (not even dashes a la Steinbeck), and has the longest run on sentences I have ever seen.
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Summary: A great introduction
Review: This was my introduction to Cormac McCarthy and I must say that I was very, very impressed. This is the story of two young cowboys (circa the early 1950s) who head off on horseback into Mexico from there homes in southern Texas. It is, however, no joy ride. The rich, vibrant tapestry of the landscapes painted by McCarthy form the backdrop to the tale as the two make there way south with no real goal other than to experience what comes there way. My only quibble with the novel is the especially young ages of the two... 16 and 17. Their ability to handle extraordinarily difficult situations with a maturity far exceeding their age is a bit of a stretch. Outside of that, highly recommended.
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Summary: A literary masterpiece AND a great cowboy novel
Review: McCarthy writes like cowboys think. He describes scenery, women, and horses through the eyes of grizzled young riders in the Texas dust. His landscapes are remarkable -- dry, dusty, steaming, other times lush, but always hot. His characters are truly wonderful, 1950s cowpokes and members of the Mexican aristocracy lost in time, not yet used to the world of the automobile, unaffected by the Baby Boom and the economic surge post-WWII. John Grady Cole, a 16-year-old horse handler on the run from his mother's affairs and his father's illness, is what we all want to be: noble, wise, rugged. His pal Rawlins is a hilarious sidekick, though more than that. He lacks Cole's early wisdom, but enjoys life more and makes fateful decisions on instinct alone. Cole's romance with the beautiful Alejandra is masterfully handled, though the awful cover of this movie tie-in would tell you otherwise. Find your favorite chair, turn off the phone, and curl up with this gem.
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Summary: the best =)
Review: I never expected to find deeper meaning, and i certianly never expected even a decent read based on the movie. but i was very surprised, and it is definitely my favorite book i've read. worth the time and money.
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Summary: Master of modern fiction
Review: McCarthy is a skilled and talented linguist who knows just how to pull a reader into the world of the novel, enveloping them in a richness of language that is truly amazing. I admit, I haven't even finished this book yet, but I am so impressed by the writing that I couldn't wait. I have read two of McCarthy's other novels, Suttree and Child of God, and both demonstrated McCarthy's ability to create a vivid fictional world and characters, embuing them with such deep humanity. However, I've found that All the Pretty Horses so much wider and encompassing than the other two. Perhaps it is because the characters are young, touched with an idealism that had long escaped the characters in the other novels, they are more accessible and easier to understand. I've found this book impossible to put down, and would recommend it to anyone interested in a book that really draws the reader in...I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
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Summary: McCarthy's Use of Theme
Review: In Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses the most important part happens to be theme. This is a story about sticking to the cowboy code no matter what obstacles get in your way. The protagonist John Grady Cole faces many challenges to keep him from his goal. All he wants is to be a cowboy. But since the cattle industry in America is down, he rides into Mexico to pursue his dream. There he finds the girl of his dreams. However the girls father refuses there relationship which could ruin her reputation. The father sends Grady to jail. Every struggle that Grady faces he survives with deep passion. His only will to live is to see his lover and ride with the horses. He endures torture and pain, but he never once breaks his cowboy code. He is true to his lifestyle. He lives in a mystical Western world where everything is perfect, and he can ride his horse all day. Not even a stubborn bronco could stop Grady's hopes and dreams. He refuses to bow to the fate of the world. But works harder to achieve his ambitions. McCarthy inspires the reader to never give up their dreams because of minor obstacles. The only defect of this novel is the often use of Spanish. I, even taking Spanish, had trouble understanding the dialogue. The story is long and slow but the bigger picture is inspiring. Is there any such thing as fate? Can we let it get us down? McCarthy shows the reader that fate has no power over our lives. Our hearts control the paths that we take. I would definetely recommend this book to anyone who wants to challenge the fate of life.
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Summary: Skip the movie
Review: The book conveys a sense of personality and depth that actors never could. And Penelope Cruz's insufferable preening does nothing for the character she attempts to portray. You will find the book steamier, more seductive and far more believable than the film.
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Summary: No Habla Espanol!!!
Review: I found I had a hard time reading this book. Yes, while it's true the "cinematography" is great, if you don't speak Spanish you miss out on alot of dialogue! I have the other 2 books in the trilogy and I'm not even sure I'll read them. There are much better books out there if you have limited time for reading.
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