960 reviews for:

Stella Maris

Cormac McCarthy

3.87 AVERAGE

kdawn999's review against another edition

2.0

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In this coda to The Passenger, we get a few story details which enable an alternate reading of the companion book. As written, however, Stella Maris can’t stand on its own. The entire book is written in dialogue—a transcript of the young patient and her latest psychiatrist in which he, the psychiatrist, digs for his patient’s salacious revelations of incestuous desire. Like in The Passenger, I find this animating focus problematic and, what’s worse, shallow. For all the pretentious prattle in the dialogue, nothing quite hits home. We don’t learn much emotionally about love, madness, or the nature of reality. No matter an author’s linguistic verve, I have a hard time investing in a book without heart.

melancholilt's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

caryse's review against another edition

1.75

mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

corwyng's review against another edition

3.5

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 For a book made up exclusively of dialogue with no action, just conversation, this was surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, as it's Cormac McCarthy) and solidly engaging. McCarthy's philosophies of life are certainly more nihilistic than my own, but he's still quite thought-provoking all the same (which is impressive, as I generally consider nihilists to be dull and insufferable). 

andreealavinia's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

sheparmy's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kamneggs's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

__guychapman's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

alpheus's review against another edition

5.0

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I think I enjoyed this one more than The Passenger. I will probably need to reread both in a few months to fully appreciate them.

reo_hi's review against another edition

5.0

dark reflective sad medium-paced