radioisasoundsalvation's review
4.0
Ok, so this is certainly not the sort of subject matter that non sociopaths should be excited about... but the prose is! McCarthy blew me away with The Road, but this cemented him as one of my favourite modern authors. Good God, how does someone come up with a character more sickening than Anton from No Country For Old Men? Well, McCarthy does it with Lester Ballard; he creates a complete monster with no remorse or empathy. The community is made nervous within a few acts of violence, and the temperature of the novel stays at chilling (and not because of the described snow). I think what I love about McCarthy is he makes you do so much of the work; no one really gets upset about what Ballard does in this novel, yet the reader is sickened, as if the clinically cold descriptions of the acts dehumanize the victim as badly as Ballard does, making the reader react on their behalf. This was one of the few books that made me want to leave sticky notes throughout, because of the delicate phrasings left throughout the horror of Ballard and his mindless quest of destruction and self preservation.
owleyedjoe's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
abdul's review
3.0
More impressed by his use of language and his perfectly crafted sentences than what transpired in the novel.
jordand90's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
marahasenstaub's review
dark
sad
tense
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? Yes
0.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
bdonbanks's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
josieeeeec's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
This was a quick read and what I consider to be Cormac McCarthy’s poorest novel. It was vile and grotesque as most of his work is. I adore his books and his ability to paint villains to life, but this left a sour taste in my mouth and I feel like I need to be dowsed in Holy water now that I’m done reading it.
paths_of_pages's review
5.0
“Were there darker provinces of night he would have found them.”
It feels a bit strange to rave about a book that is this twisted and disturbing, but Cormac McCarthy is a true master at depicting the darkest sides of human nature with the most beautiful of poetry and captivating methods of storytelling. This book contains many moments that are incredibly hard to read due to the level of sheer repulsion they stir within us. However, in true McCarthy form, this book is one that contains the gift of the sublime that can also be found in that same literature.
“Ballard watched this ballet tilt and swirl and churn mud up through the snow and watched the lovely blood welter there in its holograph of battle, spray burst from a ruptured lung, the dark heart’s blood, pinwheel and pirouette, until shots rang and all was done.”
specificwonderland's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beautiful writing around revolting subject matter.