Yes, it is beautiful.

I'm currently reading Child of God and I also recently listened to First Utterance by Comus for the first time, which I love. Reading the lyrics of this album I couldn't help but notice some similarities to Child of God.

Rape is a main theme on the album, in songs such as "Diana", "Drip Drip" and "Song to Comus". "Drip Drip" in particular also talks about necrophilia, which I found akin to the behavior shown by Lester Ballard from Child of God.

"Song to Comus", which talks about the rape of a virgin woman also has a certain lyric which reminds me of -SPOILERS AHEAD (just in case)- >!the cave where Lester has to live in after his house is burned to the ground where he also rapes and saves corpses!<: Through the forest dark and deep she follows Comus' dancing feet
He moves away the mossy stone reveals the cave Comus' home

Both works have also got a folksy feeling to them, showing the raw and cruel face of rural and nature environments; one could even argue that their style of descriptivism is sort of similar.

What do you guys think? It's probably just a coincidence, but I found it curious that both works were released only 2 years apart.

The best midlife crisis in Cormac McCarthy's works is in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Moss is divided,, has a divided mind, like the kid in BLOOD MERIDIAN according to his tarot card. Because moss tends to grow only on one side of the tree. Moss makes mistakes, rushes his shot, only wounds the antelope, finds no footprints to track it down and finish the job. Instead, in that desert, he finds temptation, gold or its equivalent cash.

Sun and shade make a difference in Moss. McCarthy followed Robert Penn Warren's interpretation of Coleridge's RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER, where the sun is macho malicious and the moon being reflected light, engenders empathy, makes Moss want to return to the gutshot Mexican and give him some water, as if that would help.

Well, Moss is having a midlife crisis, which can make men get a little crazy sometimes. No, a lot crazy sometimes. But forget NCFOM right now, and let's go back to McCarthy's own midlife crisis. That time.

We don't yet know whether McCarthy planned to cheat on his loving wife, Annie, nor if he was a serial adulterer of some sort. We don't yet know how he compartmentalized his feelings between the love of his life, Annie, and "the other woman." We know the basic timeframe, and we know what his buddy, Davenport said of it, that McCarthy was leaving his beautiful wife to run off with some teenager. At some crisis point, McCarthy and his wife must have confronted the issue.

Yet we've heard that it was Annie who typed the different early drafts of BLOOD MERIDIAN. Surely Cormac McCarthy must have been raggedly torn, conflicted, shaken if not stirred. McCarthy went West, following Jack Burden's creed:

“For West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field pines encroach. It is where you go when you get the letter saying: Flee, all is discovered. It is where you go when you look down at the blade in your hand and the blood on it. It is where you go when you are told that you are a bubble on the tide of empire. It is where you go when you hear that thar's gold in them-thar hills. It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go.”

― Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men

But McCarthy had Chamberlain's MY CONFESSION to work with, presenting many puzzles. Chamberlain hears the widespread report that the Judge has committed suicide, Yet later he rides up on a camp and there is the Judge, hale and hearty, looking just the same, not a dent in the fender. Chamberlain then muses on the mystery of just who the Judge is, "or what he is." This was the germ of the idea that McCarthy must have grasped early on.

So, McCarthy lit out for the territory. By day, he hit the libraries and maybe courthouses (that's what I would have done). He checked the census and other records, and when that ran dry, he became an avid reader of all those historical sources retrieved by John Sepich in NOTES ON BLOOD MERIDIAN. With his teenager in tow, and a map in hand, he retraced the route of Glanton's gang in Mexico and the Southwest, always on the lookout for the Judge, whose mystery whined on the leash like "some excited redbone pup."

They rode on. There were promising bits and pieces of evidence here and there, and they took to some of the same landmarks mentioned in the narrative, slept in some of the same ancient towns, trying to dream him up, the phantom Judge. They continued their wandering binge, McCarthy's "tail turned into some desert wind only he felt, his ear tuned to the strains of some distant song only he heard."

Did the hunt trump his real love for Annie and the wreck of their marriage? He must have had misgivings, "like some high lonesome keen whistling in his chest." But there was the pressing ergodic work at hand, and a teenager for sexual relief, and an opportunity to be the loved one, the teacher, the mentor--sage advice given that comes back to you and seems surprisingly sound in your own echo-chamber as something you welcome.

But time lets your recursive thinking work on you, eat at you, change you for the better. James Crumley, in THE LAST GOOD KISS, waxes poetically on this process, the recursive thinking circling, wandering in an aimless drift, when you have been in and out of so many bars that they all begin to seem like the same endless bar. And sooner or later, that teenager gets tired of that old man next to her. And a man is left alone, exiled with himself, thus in bad company, and as Crumley puts it, the lonely deserts become his home "where a man can drink in boredom and repent in violence and be forgiven for the price of a beer."

Michael Lynn Crews, in his Reading McCarthy Podcast interview, said that McCarthy was reading Flaubert's THE TEMPTATION OF SAINT ANTHONY, studying it to a marked degree, when he was writing BLOOD MERIDIAN, and I submit that McCarthy was then going through a wilderness period of his own--that during that time, the desert and the wilderness were especially on his radar, solace for his loneliness.

Many of the people in those bars prefer loneliness to company, or seem to--no place for home.

Flaubert's THE TEMPTATION OF SAINT ANTHONY, with Joseph Wood Krutch's THE VOICE OF THE DESERT, Charles Doughty's TRAVELS IN ARABIA DESERTA, James Crumley's THE LAST GOOD KISS, and Annie Dillard's FOR THE TIME BEING.

Let NO maid be a Bianca--

Pale skin, thin neck, small hands,

Gorged upon by a Slothrop.

Let NO babe be a Lolita--

Red lips, big smile, slim legs,

Gored open by a Humbert.

Let NO underage girl endure

August in Mexico,

Gutted in the evening redness.

Indirectly of course. I can’t help but feel like he’s drawing a comparison between how Americans have historically conducted themselves in foreign countries, with entitlement and wanton destruction.

Is there a little veiled Vietnam message in the story?

He obviously has gorgeous prose in the darkest moments but I’m looking for those moments when the light shines through for a moment- expecting some bangers from the Border trilogy.

Anyone know of this part of the mans life ?

Hello guys,

Which McCarthy Novel shall I wish for as my Christmas present? So far I've read: No country for old men, Suttree, The road, Blood Meridian, 1/2 of the border trilogy.

I appreciate his wide choice of words, the way he describes landscapes and how the characters grow and develop.

Please suggest me what I should read next. 😇

I got new markers and wanted to draw the kid; I still can’t decide whether to make him brunette, black-haired, or blonde.

I started to re-read The Passenger this week, and a bit of dialogue stuck out to me in Alicia's part of chapter 1. It is right towards the start of the chapter where the thalidomide kid is trying to talk her out of committing suicide.

He was pacing again. Then he stopped. What if we packed up and just skedaddled?

It wouldnt make any difference
What if we stayed?
What, another eight years of you and you pennydreadful friends?
Nine, Mathgirl.
Nine then.
Why not?
No thank you.

What is this they are talking about nine years? IIRC Alicia commits suicide in 1972, this would put nine years at either 1981 or 1982. What would happen at this time that would make it so that Alicia wouldnt have to deal with the kid and the horts anymore?

Assuming our moderator allows this poll, I’m genuinely curious about the makeup of this sub. When were you first exposed to McCarthy’s writing? I feel like it could give us all some perspective on where we came in as readers (something that unites us). Feel free to elaborate in comments, but let’s try to keep it to on McCarthy’s writing, and away from unpleasant topics. Bonus points if you are willing to share how many McCarthy texts you’ve actually read, and if you’re into repeat readings.

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Hello all! As the holidays are coming up I usually ask for books from friends and family. I’ve read all but one or two books that McCarthy has written and I would love to delve into some books written about his books. The one book I have is Books Are Made Out of Books, and I’ve dipped in and out of it and have loved it. I also plan on getting Sepich’s Notes On Blood Meridian soon. Do you all have any other recommendations for similar books? Thank you very much.

This book is wild. Just reading the back cover, I knew I was in for something crazy, but Outer Dark surpassed even my wildest expectations.

Outer Dark back cover:

"A woman bears her brother's child, a boy; he leaves the baby in the woods and tells her he died of natural causes. Discovering her brother's lie, she sets forth alone to find her son. Both brother and sister wander separately through a countryside being scourged by three terrifying and elusive strangers, headlong toward an eerie, apocalyptic resolution."

This is an extremely dark read, but I loved every word McCarthy wrote. It was fantastic.

As I mentioned in my review of All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy is probably my favourite author. Outer Dark continues to reinforce that belief.

Interestingly, as I started reading Outer Dark, a Vanity Fair article surfaced claiming that Cormac McCarthy had a 16-year-old muse late in his life. While I haven’t been able to access the full article due to subscription barriers, the excerpts and discussions I’ve encountered paint the piece as overly stylized, almost as if the author is attempting to mimic McCarthy’s own prose. This stylistic choice, combined with the extraordinary claims made, makes the story feel exaggerated, if not dubious. I’m not dismissing the possibility that some of it might be true—if it is, it’s deeply troubling—but the lack of concrete evidence and the outlandish nature of certain allegations leave me skeptical. It’s also worth noting that McCarthy is no longer alive to respond or clarify these claims. While the article has sparked debates about separating art from the artist, I believe McCarthy’s literary contributions remain vital. His works deserve to be read and analyzed, even as we remain mindful of the complexities surrounding his personal life.

Now, back to Outer Dark.

This is an amazing piece of fiction. From the very beginning, the book is relentlessly dark. Set in Appalachia, McCarthy creates an eerie, almost fantastical world that feels alive in its desolation. The brother and sister live in an isolated shack deep in the woods, and when they venture out on their separate journeys, they encounter a cast of vivid and unforgettable characters. Some of these figures are helpful, while others are downright malevolent. These secondary characters breathe so much life—and death—into the story, amplifying its intensity.

The first time Culla Holme, the brother, meets the three elusive strangers face-to-face, right after his ride on the ferry, is one of the creepiest scenes I’ve ever read. The way McCarthy describes the shadows moving in the clearing and the strangers’ unsettling mannerisms—how they move, stare, laugh, and speak—is masterful. The tension is almost unbearable.

You know they’ll return, and when they do, McCarthy doesn’t disappoint.

"Well, I see ye didn't have no trouble findin us.
I wasn't huntin ye.
You got here all right for somebody bound elsewhere.
I wasn't bound nowheres. I just seen the fire.
I like to keep a good fire. A man never knows what all might chance along. Does he?
No.
No. Anything's liable to warsh up. From nowheres nowhere bound.
Where are you bound? Holme said.
I ain't, the man said. By nothin. He looked up at Holme. We ain't hard to find. Oncet you've found us."

This scene is haunting, and when the strangers appear again—with the one-eyed baby and the tinker in the tree—the atmosphere is downright terrifying. I’m not sure if Outer Dark is officially considered a horror novel, but it’s probably the scariest book I’ve ever read.

I’m not a big horror reader. People rave about Stephen King, but I haven’t been impressed. I’ve read The Dead Zone and The Shining, and neither really did it for me. I actually prefer Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining because it improved on the source material in tone and execution. That said, I love Dan Simmons, I mostly know him as a science fiction author, however, I read Drood and loved it, though it wasn’t the horror elements that hooked me. If you have horror recommendations, I’d love to explore more.

But Outer Dark? It qualifies as horror in my book.

Religious themes also run deep in this story, coming to the forefront in the latter half. One of the most memorable scenes is when Holme meets the hog drovers. After one of their brothers dies and Holme gets blamed, a preacher shows up, declaring his guilt without any knowledge of the situation. The absurdity of this preacher, casually pronouncing judgment, is both comical and thought-provoking—a sharp critique of blind religious authority.

Rinthy Holme, Culla’s sister, has her own strange and fascinating encounters, though none are as grotesque as her brother’s.

This was an incredible read. Any Cormac McCarthy fan needs to pick up Outer Dark. Being one of his earlier works, it’s not as widely discussed as some of his other novels, but it deserves to be. It’s right up there with the rest of his literature in my opinion. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Outer Dark as a starting point for McCarthy newcomers, but for fans, it’s an absolute must-read.

“In my father’s last letter he said that the world is run by those willing to take the responsibility for the running of it. If it is life that you feel you are missing I can tell you where to find it. In the law courts, in business, in government. There is nothing occurring in the streets. Nothing but a dumbshow composed of the helpless and impotent.” ~ Suttree

Last third: Nvm this guy is the most monstrous character I've ever read, like if an Übermensch was written by de Sade and let loose beyond laws.

I had heard a lot about Blood Meridian so I wasn't expecting to be as shocked as I was by the brutality of it. I've finished the Road and No Country for Old Men but neither of them accomplish dread like Blood Meridian. The cat and mouse between the Kid and Tobin and the Judge in the desert is one of the most tense "action" scenes and the one where the eldritch nature of the Judge first shines through.

Have you discovered the perfect large, bald man to play the judge? Do you feel compelled to share erotic watermelon images? Did AI produce a dark landscape that feels to you like McCarthy’s work? Do you want to joke around and poke fun at the tendency to share these things? All of this is welcome in this thread.

For the especially silly or absurd, check out r/cormacmccirclejerk.

I thought maybe Grainnerath (Celtic for "seed of success") but it doesn't sound right and it's not any type of known name

Grenierette (French, means something like attic, derived from "keeper of the granary")... kind of approximately means "little repository/storage place". Which would make sense if Grannyrat Chambers is supposed to be Samuel Chamberlain, except that it's nonsensical as an anglo-saxon first name

Wtf kind of name is Grannyrat. Is it Welsh or something? Are you guys even curious or is it just me? Please discuss and theorize if you're inclined

Happy Thanksgiving!! 😊

Read half of the book. Just a weird dude doing creepy stuff like necrophilia, abuse, "n Word", shooting animals, rape... I know It is supposed to be disturbed and make you feel unconfortable, but honestly right now I see It very very regular and... Kind of seedy. Well just my point of view. Can you explain me why is It special for you? And please, do not be like others Who are always questioning my intelligence when I dislike McCarthy saying things like "are you 8 years old?", "go read Stephen King instead", "you just do not get it"...