Cormac McCarthy: trailblazer or gore-monger?

I'm with you, Jacque! He can make anything--from the tenuous relationship of a father and son to the mass slaughter of indigenous peoples--poetic and insightful.

DF, The Crossing is part of McCarthy's "Border Trilogy," but it looks like you've already read "All the Pretty Horses"--the first book in the series. "Cities of the Plain" is the last book of the series.

Unfortunately, I was kinda bored by "All the Pretty Horses" when I tried reading it in college. Maybe it's because I was already overloaded by required reading. I should try that one again. : )

This comment is neither insightful nor helpful. Calling McCarthy overrated is a silly attempt to keep people from reading these haunting, lovely books. Read Suttree for a glimpse of his genius at creating a world that is every bit as ugly and brutal as Blood Meridian without all the gore. He can do it all.

I've never read Suttree, MKW, but I will now--thanks to your description. : )

Btw, "db25" needs to back up his/her "overrated" comment, which comes off as petty and inept to those of us who are already familiar with McCarthy's genius.

He's an absolute virtuoso of wordsmithing, but like all authors he just isn't for everyone. He doesn't write women characters well, seldom writes them at all, and at least in Blood Meridien his characters are representational and not rounded human beings with emotions, sexuality, and passion. There are descriptions in that book that are some of the greatest writing in the English language, on a par with Shakespeare at times, yet the overall feeling I got from the book was a man who couldn't find the humanity in his story, and is an extremely cynical guy. I've read about his actual life and he seems fairly self-absorbed, sacrificing anything to be able to write the way he wants, which is admirable, but also not a person able to focus his astonishing writing powers on the human condition, which is what someone with such ability could do the most good with. Nevertheless, he has his audience, and I don't begrudge him it, he just seems to gravitate toward violence and away from passion when he could have both, but chooses not to.

Shaun, have you read "The Road"? That book is a stunning example of McCarthy focusing his powers on the human condition. His portrayal of the father-son relationship in that book is one of the most touching things I've ever read. Also, I didn't read Blood Meridian that way at all--felt like the lead characters were very real and fleshed out, though I think he does write them unconventionally and with a good helping of metaphor. : )