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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Love love love the writing as usual with McCarthy, but this is not one of my favorite westerns by a long shot. It's supposed to subvert a typical western but basically being a retelling of settling the Western states and how brutal it was on all sides. I agree with that!
I enjoyed the jarring violence, didn't have a typical plot so it was difficult to follow, language between some characters/descriptions was contrastingly disorienting, described seemingly insignificant things and not major events
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've seen people call this book the best written book that they have read. People also call Judge Holdem one of greatest characters (antagonists?) ever. And for those reasons, I worked hard to get a copy of this book, and then created my reading list around this, just so I can enjoy it to the fullest.
Well, what a waste. Dropping this after 90 pages or so. This is just stupid. The story lacks any purpose or direction. That can still be excused if the characters are interesting, or if the writing is captivating, or if there are some thought provoking conversations. This book has are none.
The writing style sucks. Sentences run off forever, and not once does the author try to paint a good picture. People keep talking about the violence and how powerful the scenes that Cormac creates are. They are lying. There is violence, yes, but that means about as much as your little cousin describing the fights between their action figures. The author refuses to put any effort into the writing. I don't even know if he has the capability of it. It's absolutely, utterly, and solely physical description worded in the prose equivalent of the most drole monotone you have ever heard by someone who has forgotten what full stops are.
Now go ahead and say that it's on purpose, say that it is indeed Cormac's genius that he can make you feel as apathetic to the horrors as the characters and the people did at that time. Tell me that, and I'll tell you about the time I painted the greatest painting of all time, which was a squiggly black line because with its beginning and its turmoil and its end it represents the birth and the life and the death of every being that has ever lived.
Say it with me, forcing a deeper meaning upon mediocrity does not make it great. If it was a good book it would have good prose, it would have good characters, it would be able to hold you. But it does none of it. You do not need to make the reader feel bored to make them empathize with the characters, you have to make the reader feel the feelings and still keep reading.
Funny thing, this book is based on some diary entries of an old dude, Cormac dramaticised them and stuff, but I believe that Cormac forgot to make a story from them. The old dude probably just described what he did (with a flare), and Cormac also just described what he did (with more flare). No one ever thought that maybe a book is supposed to have a bit more than that. So silly, right?
I've read stories that lack a clear direction, in fact, those are some of my favourite books. But this book just refuses to tell a good story. It refuses to rouse feelings or interest. It refuses to do anything right. I don't know what Cormac has against quotes, or what he has against the art of writing. He made a historical period seem more brutal than it was, and still managed to be more boring than a history textbook. It's insane, truly.
I dropped this and started King's Salem's Lot. The introduction to that book has more love for the craft than the whole 90 pages of this that I sat through. Can't believe that people like this, but I think I won't enjoy talking to those manly men who do like it anyway.
Sorry, it's just that the top review somehow mentions that most women he has talked to abandoned the book at a scene that was too disturbing for them, when it actually was nothing but words on a page, because the author couldn't be assed to actually try and put some soul into the writing. Disgusting.
Well, what a waste. Dropping this after 90 pages or so. This is just stupid. The story lacks any purpose or direction. That can still be excused if the characters are interesting, or if the writing is captivating, or if there are some thought provoking conversations. This book has are none.
The writing style sucks. Sentences run off forever, and not once does the author try to paint a good picture. People keep talking about the violence and how powerful the scenes that Cormac creates are. They are lying. There is violence, yes, but that means about as much as your little cousin describing the fights between their action figures. The author refuses to put any effort into the writing. I don't even know if he has the capability of it. It's absolutely, utterly, and solely physical description worded in the prose equivalent of the most drole monotone you have ever heard by someone who has forgotten what full stops are.
Now go ahead and say that it's on purpose, say that it is indeed Cormac's genius that he can make you feel as apathetic to the horrors as the characters and the people did at that time. Tell me that, and I'll tell you about the time I painted the greatest painting of all time, which was a squiggly black line because with its beginning and its turmoil and its end it represents the birth and the life and the death of every being that has ever lived.
Say it with me, forcing a deeper meaning upon mediocrity does not make it great. If it was a good book it would have good prose, it would have good characters, it would be able to hold you. But it does none of it. You do not need to make the reader feel bored to make them empathize with the characters, you have to make the reader feel the feelings and still keep reading.
Funny thing, this book is based on some diary entries of an old dude, Cormac dramaticised them and stuff, but I believe that Cormac forgot to make a story from them. The old dude probably just described what he did (with a flare), and Cormac also just described what he did (with more flare). No one ever thought that maybe a book is supposed to have a bit more than that. So silly, right?
I've read stories that lack a clear direction, in fact, those are some of my favourite books. But this book just refuses to tell a good story. It refuses to rouse feelings or interest. It refuses to do anything right. I don't know what Cormac has against quotes, or what he has against the art of writing. He made a historical period seem more brutal than it was, and still managed to be more boring than a history textbook. It's insane, truly.
I dropped this and started King's Salem's Lot. The introduction to that book has more love for the craft than the whole 90 pages of this that I sat through. Can't believe that people like this, but I think I won't enjoy talking to those manly men who do like it anyway.
Sorry, it's just that the top review somehow mentions that most women he has talked to abandoned the book at a scene that was too disturbing for them, when it actually was nothing but words on a page, because the author couldn't be assed to actually try and put some soul into the writing. Disgusting.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Cultural appropriation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think that the contrast between, the violent awful imagery with the battles and even descriptions of characters is very interesting when placed beside the extremely beautiful portraits painted by McCarthy. It’s certainly not for the weak of heart, but I think it’s a necessary and fairly realistic view of what the “Wild West” was. I wish there were more books that explored it like McCarthy has.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder