gayadorno's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
fionab_16's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
itsmarkyall's review against another edition
5.0
McCarthy can write so beautifully and so bleakly.
Review after 2nd read: It doesn’t matter how many times I read THE CROSSING it always devastates me when Billy finally buries the bones.
Review after 2nd read: It doesn’t matter how many times I read THE CROSSING it always devastates me when Billy finally buries the bones.
automedion44's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kennedya100's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is the kind of book you have to reread to understand fully. Without a doubt one of the most difficult novels I’ve encountered this far. Also, a Spanish dictionary is necessary if you haven’t taken a year or so of the language. That being said, this book has beautiful descriptions of the countryside, a moving picture of man’s relationship to nature and animals, and quite a lot of philosophical musings to wade through. Deserves to be a classic in borderland literature.
ugmug's review against another edition
5.0
Haunting and engrossing western. Like other McCarthy works, characters ring true and every word has a purpose. A worthy follow-up to All the Pretty Horses.
raoulgonzo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jmooremyers's review against another edition
4.0
wish I knew more than a few words of Spanish -- some scenes are predominantly en Espanol
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
3.0
As a reader I love spending time inside Cormac McCarthy's head, but as a human being I tend to find the experiences I've had with his novels both shocking and disturbing, and The Crossing was no different. I mean that in the most wonderful way. The Crossing begins the story of Billy and Boyd Parham who set out to capture a she-wolf that has been slaughtering cattle in the New Mexico ranchlands wherein they reside, but it quickly turns into a tale of heartache and loss - loss of innocence, loss of family, loss of self. At first I took 'the crossing' to mean the border into Mexico, where Billy wants to take the wolf and set her free, but upon reading the novel I realize that the crossing is a much deeper metaphor for those borders we cross in our minds and souls when we make those big decisions that have lasting consequences on our lives. My usual words for McCarthy novels stand true for this one, too - stark and beautiful - and this book stands as one of his best. Once again, however, McCarthy got a little too Spanish-heavy in his prose through a lot of the novel and, to a reader like myself who speaks no Spanish, the book suffers for it. Though I was able to figure a lot of it out for myself, it still stopped the rhythm of the read, and as a reader I can't abide that. Maybe it's just me, but I like to be swept away on a journey when I read, and it's hard to make headway if you keep running into rocks.