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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Our hero wanders about the southwestern American countryside and crosses into Mexico several times, sleeps on the plains, waters the horses, and looks at the stars. But the pages and pages of tranquility are broken, suddenly and without warning, by violence and horrific sights. Probably better than "All the Pretty Horses", but certainly not easy to read.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredibly sad
Standout passages:The entire first chapter with the wolf, the conversation with the priest in the abandoned town, the conversation with the blind ex-revolutionary, the conversation with the gypsies, and the ending with the dog where Billy finally breaks down.
Standout passages:
"The road has its own reasons and no two travellers will have the same understanding of those reasons. If indeed they come to an understanding of them at all."
The second in the Border trilogy, this is my least favourite of the McCarthy books I've read so far. It also contains some of his best writing, and certain scenes will stay in my mind for a long time, as there are ten or twenty page bursts of genius. If these things seem like a contradiction, then it speaks to the fractured nature of the tale McCarthy weaves: stories within stories are laid out before the reader, and they are free to pick and choose which have a poignancy that truly resonates with them.
While Billy Parham acts as the narrative centre — and his character is, in my opinion, the highlight of this novel — themes of trust, heritage and death are also explored through the travellers he meets and the tales they tell. That may be why it took me a long time to complete. With other McCarthy novels I could barely stop reading; by the time I finished this one I had started and ended a number of other books, as every twenty pages or so during middle section I felt myself drifting.
I spoke to someone about this, and mentioned how conflicted it made me feel. "Yeah," he said. "But what about the amazing tale of the blind man? Wasn't that great?" And it was great. Every one of the dozens of stories touched on here had something intriguing in them. But there was a disjointed quality in the way these stories were interwoven that made the middle of this novel feel shaky. That may have been the point, as discovering a brutal country like 1940s Mexico as McCarthy shows it would be dangerous and unsettling. I just didn't enjoy reading it as much as the more cohesive All The Pretty Horses.
Whenever Billy Parham stayed at the forefront, The Crossing was amazing. There are some passages at the beginning told from the wolf's perspective and these felt authentic and primal, engrossing in a way that matches even the strongest sections of Blood Meridian. McCarthy utterly refuses to follow narrative conventions. Violence and death are not triggers that set off exciting chases, and are not followed by catharsis; they come quickly and brutally, with little sentiment, and are all the more devastating because of this.
The first 200 and ending 50 pages were as I have come to expect from McCarthy: brilliant. But the middle section of the book never captured me to the same degree, despite the interesting reflections on both Mexican and American society and the human experience. If I'm disappointed it's only because I had such high expectations. This book took enough risks that it feels both amazing that it's as engrossing as it is, and disappointing that it never quite fulfils its ambitious goals because of its inconsistency.
The ending was perfect, though, hence the four stars. I truly can't wait to read Cities on the Plain.
The second in the Border trilogy, this is my least favourite of the McCarthy books I've read so far. It also contains some of his best writing, and certain scenes will stay in my mind for a long time, as there are ten or twenty page bursts of genius. If these things seem like a contradiction, then it speaks to the fractured nature of the tale McCarthy weaves: stories within stories are laid out before the reader, and they are free to pick and choose which have a poignancy that truly resonates with them.
While Billy Parham acts as the narrative centre — and his character is, in my opinion, the highlight of this novel — themes of trust, heritage and death are also explored through the travellers he meets and the tales they tell. That may be why it took me a long time to complete. With other McCarthy novels I could barely stop reading; by the time I finished this one I had started and ended a number of other books, as every twenty pages or so during middle section I felt myself drifting.
I spoke to someone about this, and mentioned how conflicted it made me feel. "Yeah," he said. "But what about the amazing tale of the blind man? Wasn't that great?" And it was great. Every one of the dozens of stories touched on here had something intriguing in them. But there was a disjointed quality in the way these stories were interwoven that made the middle of this novel feel shaky. That may have been the point, as discovering a brutal country like 1940s Mexico as McCarthy shows it would be dangerous and unsettling. I just didn't enjoy reading it as much as the more cohesive All The Pretty Horses.
Whenever Billy Parham stayed at the forefront, The Crossing was amazing. There are some passages at the beginning told from the wolf's perspective and these felt authentic and primal, engrossing in a way that matches even the strongest sections of Blood Meridian. McCarthy utterly refuses to follow narrative conventions. Violence and death are not triggers that set off exciting chases, and are not followed by catharsis; they come quickly and brutally, with little sentiment, and are all the more devastating because of this.
The first 200 and ending 50 pages were as I have come to expect from McCarthy: brilliant. But the middle section of the book never captured me to the same degree, despite the interesting reflections on both Mexican and American society and the human experience. If I'm disappointed it's only because I had such high expectations. This book took enough risks that it feels both amazing that it's as engrossing as it is, and disappointing that it never quite fulfils its ambitious goals because of its inconsistency.
The ending was perfect, though, hence the four stars. I truly can't wait to read Cities on the Plain.
Lagged in the middle. Not on par with Blood Meridian of course, but really good. Made me love the desert a little bit.
After 3 cormac duds (though ntm on the passenger) this was vindicating to read. So much better than All the pretty horses, though I’m willing to chalk up some of that to my connecting/relating to Billy a lot more than ATPH’s protagonist. On my S tier of cormac books along w NCFOM and The Road (blood meridian can’t rly count it’s its own thing). God this was so good.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A wandering, wild book. It felt like there were mysteries hidden in every interaction. Exactly the mood I was looking for.
Classic Cormac. A book where characters take to the roads of Mexico and the American Southwest with questionable motives. Along the way they encounter at least a dozen archetypes (the hermit, the prima dona, the patriarch/matriarch, the senselessly violent, the headstrong adventurer, the banditos, the fool, the wealthy man, the pauper, etc.), and in each of these interactions there is an exchange of incredible depth and subtlety. These conversations leave the reader to ponder the value of every sort of lifestyle.
I think that could describe just about every McCarthy book that I have ever read. Like all the others, the crossing is masterful.
I think that could describe just about every McCarthy book that I have ever read. Like all the others, the crossing is masterful.
McCarthy is excellent at describing a world of violence and evil deeds, the U.S.-Mexico border being one of his frequent battlegrounds. The Crossing is the second book in "The Border Trilogy" but is really more of a spiritual successor to "All The Pretty Horses" rather than a sequel. It can be read completely independently.
The themes of this book continue from the first. The lawless land of Mexico is ravaged by revolution and is where the bulk of the action takes place. I enjoyed the first part of the book the most. Billy captures a she-wolf and transports her to Mexico to return her to the land she belongs. Where things are still untamed. I was surprised at how quickly this went wrong, as I had expected it to be the primary focus of the book.
McCarthy describes a world in which god is either non-existent or actively conspires against the human race. Many characters philosophize to Billy over the course of the story. The priest was one that stood out and the old blind man was another. His story of his eyes being sucked out was horrifying. His worldview that the world is shrouded in darkness for all is maybe even more so. All these characters made it seem like Billy was being watched over somehow. Like he needed to be told something, warned, and yet the path he went down was always going to happen.
Billy's second crossing into Mexico is with his brother Boyd, after he returns and finds his parents murdered and their horse's stolen. Boyd seems to be more than just a side kick in this story. In fact, by the end it seems that he is the hero. He takes on the role of a folk hero, his tale was sung before he was even born. He embodies what John Grady Cole strove to be in the first book. His story ends even more tragically. As the old hermit in the ruins of the church would have said, Billy's role was to stand witness to his story, regardless of it's truth.
In a way the last crossing mirrors the first. Billy tries to transport his dead brother's bones back to his own country, bringing them where he believes they belong. Yet it still ends in tragedy. The final scene, where Billy chases the old dog away shows just how cynical Billy has become. It took me a tip online and a couple re-reads to understand the full context of this final passage. When Billy is woken by light he steps outside to see the landscape reacting to the sudden presence of a false sun, and then the rapid disappearance of it. It is the first test of a nuclear bomb in New Mexico. The world continues to have an ever increasing capacity for horror and violence.
The themes of this book continue from the first. The lawless land of Mexico is ravaged by revolution and is where the bulk of the action takes place. I enjoyed the first part of the book the most. Billy captures a she-wolf and transports her to Mexico to return her to the land she belongs. Where things are still untamed. I was surprised at how quickly this went wrong, as I had expected it to be the primary focus of the book.
McCarthy describes a world in which god is either non-existent or actively conspires against the human race. Many characters philosophize to Billy over the course of the story. The priest was one that stood out and the old blind man was another. His story of his eyes being sucked out was horrifying. His worldview that the world is shrouded in darkness for all is maybe even more so. All these characters made it seem like Billy was being watched over somehow. Like he needed to be told something, warned, and yet the path he went down was always going to happen.
Billy's second crossing into Mexico is with his brother Boyd, after he returns and finds his parents murdered and their horse's stolen. Boyd seems to be more than just a side kick in this story. In fact, by the end it seems that he is the hero. He takes on the role of a folk hero, his tale was sung before he was even born. He embodies what John Grady Cole strove to be in the first book. His story ends even more tragically. As the old hermit in the ruins of the church would have said, Billy's role was to stand witness to his story, regardless of it's truth.
In a way the last crossing mirrors the first. Billy tries to transport his dead brother's bones back to his own country, bringing them where he believes they belong. Yet it still ends in tragedy. The final scene, where Billy chases the old dog away shows just how cynical Billy has become. It took me a tip online and a couple re-reads to understand the full context of this final passage. When Billy is woken by light he steps outside to see the landscape reacting to the sudden presence of a false sun, and then the rapid disappearance of it. It is the first test of a nuclear bomb in New Mexico. The world continues to have an ever increasing capacity for horror and violence.
I'm sure there are readers for whom Cormac McCarthy is a perfect fit, but I am not one of them, apparently. I was so disappointed with "The Crossing" that I opted to stop reading partway through.
I loved the first book in McCarthy's trilogy "All The Pretty Horses" and planned to read the following two (of which "The Crossing is the second.) In the interim, I read McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," which I detested for all the violence for violence's sake.
Like that book, "The Crossing" is filled with animal cruelty for animal cruelty's sake as a wolf gets tortured over and over again. I get the rancher hatred of wolves but I don't care to read about it. I kept skipping over paragraph after paragraph and realized I should just put the book down since I wasn't reading most of it anyway. Based on the last two experiences with his novels, McCarthy and I will part ways here.
I loved the first book in McCarthy's trilogy "All The Pretty Horses" and planned to read the following two (of which "The Crossing is the second.) In the interim, I read McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," which I detested for all the violence for violence's sake.
Like that book, "The Crossing" is filled with animal cruelty for animal cruelty's sake as a wolf gets tortured over and over again. I get the rancher hatred of wolves but I don't care to read about it. I kept skipping over paragraph after paragraph and realized I should just put the book down since I wasn't reading most of it anyway. Based on the last two experiences with his novels, McCarthy and I will part ways here.