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A review by ajnel
The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A coming-of-age novel, set in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee during the interwar period. It follows a young boy named John Wesley Rattner, who is grappling with the death of his father and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Rattner encounters a reclusive hermit named Uncle Ather Ownby, who lives in a decaying orchard, and Marion Sylder, a charismatic bootlegger with a troubled past. As Rattner navigates his way through these complex relationships, he uncovers the secrets of his father's death and the dark side of the mountain community.
This first novel by McCartney, provides a glimpse into the complex relationships between men and especially that of surrogate "fathers". The signature lack of punctuation and perfectly flowing prose, coupled with McCarthy's deep understanding of the era and the environment, puts the novel up there as one of the greatest era pieces ever written. Beautiful, visceral and understated.
This first novel by McCartney, provides a glimpse into the complex relationships between men and especially that of surrogate "fathers". The signature lack of punctuation and perfectly flowing prose, coupled with McCarthy's deep understanding of the era and the environment, puts the novel up there as one of the greatest era pieces ever written. Beautiful, visceral and understated.