A review by boring_samizdat
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A bleak and masterful study on grief, existence, and the nature of reality. Often dialogue heavy, swapping back and forth between the main character's sister (whose sections are all italicized, making a jarring start to the story) and different sequences in the protagonist's life, which are told on a non-linear timeline that often shifts without warning, sometimes mid-chapter or even paragraph. It really benefits from a second reading of it and the companion/sequel Stella Maris, as lots of context and sequences of events are given out slowly throughout the course.
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