Cormac McCarthy

mole1985

I loved 'The Road' very haunting. I really enjoyed the recent movie 'No country for old men' and want to check the book out but i've got too many to read at the min.

rrivers

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

(some of the decisions made by Llewelyn made no sense)

What decisions did you think made no sense?

Blanche

I love reading Cormac McCarthy, but afterwards I usually have to dive into a comic book.

Outer Dark and Blood Meridien take you into incredibly dark places, yet there's nothing gratuitous.

I haven't read The Road or No Country for Old Men yet. (I'd better see the movie first. When I've read the book beforehand, I expect the adaptation to stick to the story and I like the element of surprise.)

Abookamongstthemany

rrivers wrote:

What decisions did you think made no sense?

Like why didn't he think to get in one of those trucks and get out of there instead of being chased by a truck filled with people shooting at him in the middle of the night? There would have been keys in the ignitions I would think.

And why would he even go back to give the guy water at that point? The guy had been shot and had sat there bleeding all that time. How could he have figured the guy was still alive?

And why didn't he check inside the money case to at least see what he had. And it should have tipped him off sooner that the money was bugged...how else could the guy keep finding him?

Also, why didn't he go ahead and shoot Bardem's character when he saw his shadow under the door at the hotel room? He waits and then gets shot himself. And when he does shoot him finally he only shoots the guy in the leg! He seemed too crafty and smart to keep making mistakes like this.

All the parts keep the story going but could have been written better to make more sense, imo.

acoustic guy

Just the name alone "The road' Sounds cool but i just have a hard time with Fiction. I like reading true stories.

Byrnzie

'The Road' is probably his weakest book.

Try reading 'Blood Meridian', and 'The Crossing'.

rrivers

Byrnzie wrote:

'The Road' is probably his weakest book.

Try reading 'Blood Meridian', and 'The Crossing'.

This is good to hear. I think I will take his books in order.

Byrnzie

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

Like why didn't he think to get in one of those trucks and get out of there instead of being chased by a truck filled with people shooting at him in the middle of the night? There would have been keys in the ignitions I would think.

And why would he even go back to give the guy water at that point? The guy had been shot and had sat there bleeding all that time. How could he have figured the guy was still alive?

He didn't go back to give the guy water. He went back to cover his tracks.

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

And why didn't he check inside the money case to at least see what he had. And it should have tipped him off sooner that the money was bugged...how else could the guy keep finding him?

He only found him once before he discovered the bugging device.

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

Also, why didn't he go ahead and shoot Bardem's character when he saw his shadow under the door at the hotel room? He waits and then gets shot himself. And when he does shoot him finally he only shoots the guy in the leg! He seemed too crafty and smart to keep making mistakes like this.

I agree that he could have shot him in the hotel room, but then he didn't know that it was Chuger - or however his name's spelt - just that he was a bounty hunter.
And he later shot him with a sawn off shotgun, which explains why he got hit in the leg. They're not the most accurate guns at a distance.

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

All the parts keep the story going but could have been written better to make more sense, imo.

Are you actually referring to the book here though, or are you talking about the film? Because the book is somewhat different.

Abookamongstthemany

Byrnzie wrote:

He didn't go back to give the guy water. He went back to cover his tracks.

He woke up in bed and said 'that's it' then filled up a gallon container of water and left out. I was figuring this meant the guy he left out there to die was now weighing on his conscience. He went right to the guy with the water in hand.

Byrnzie wrote:

He only found him once before he discovered the bugging device.

True but after finding him once should have been a tip off and then he should have directly looked through the money instead of waiting til he was at a new hotel. What was he going to do then? Chuger was already on his way.

Byrnzie wrote:

I agree that he could have shot him in the hotel room, but then he didn't know that it was Chuger - or however his name's spelt - just that he was a bounty hunter.
And he later shot him with a sawn off shotgun, which explains why he got hit in the leg. They're not the most accurate guns at a distance.

I know he couldn't be sure but who else would just be standing there at his door like that? I don't know how to spell the name either. He shot him after he was hit by the air pressure thing during the scene with the shadow at the door. Right? I thought he got a shot out before jumping out the window? The shot was quite low still for a target on the other side of a door directly in front of you.

Byrnzie wrote:

Are you actually referring to the book here though, or are you talking about the film? Because the book is somewhat different.

yeah, I'm referring to the adapted screenplay based on the book here.

shell bell

Viggo Mortenson will play the dad in the movie version of "the Road". Awsome book,but sad.......................

rrivers

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

He seemed too crafty and smart to keep making mistakes like this.

I didn't the impression that Moss was crafty or smart. I actually thought he was in over his head from the get go. I'm referring to the movie because I haven't read the book yet.

Byrnzie

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

yeah, I'm referring to the adapted screenplay based on the book here.

Why would you read an adapted screenplay when you can read the book instead?

Abookamongstthemany

rrivers wrote:

I didn't the impression that Moss was crafty or smart. I actually thought he was in over his head from the get go. I'm referring to the movie because I haven't read the book yet.

There were things that he did that showed smarts such as putting the case in the venting system, pushing it so far over and then getting out the other side. And when he thought something was up and told the cab driver not to drop him off. Plus the way he got away from Chuger...he was pretty sly. And also, Woody Harleson's commented on how most people would be dead if they'd come face to face with Chuger. Imo, he was portrayed to be smart enough to not make the simple mistakes he did.

And Byrnzie, I have only watched the movie. I only brought up the screenplay because I think there must have been some pretty big differences that would make the story flow a bit better in the book.

catefrances

you know what annoys me about cormac mccarthy?



this:

digame, he said, cual as lo peor: que soy pobre o que soy americano?

the vaquero shook his head. una llave de oro abre cualquier puerta, he said.

he looked at the boy. he tipped the ash from the end of the cigarette and said he wished to know his thought. wished perhaps his advice. but that no one could advise him.

tienes razon, said john grady. he looked at the vaquero. he said that when she returned he intended to speak to her with the greatest seriousness. he said that he intended to know her heart.

the vaquero looked at him. he looked towards the house. he seemed puzzled and he said that she was here. that she was here now.

como?

si. ella esta aqui.desde ayer.


when he lapses into mexican and i have no idea what the hell is being said. as good as i am i can not comprehend a language i do not speak or am unable to read.

Cropduster84

mulva9 wrote:

I've never liked a writer as much as I like him.

I've read All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, and The Road and I think those are my 3 favorite books ever. Can't wait to read more.

My personal favourites too, although check out his older material, in particular Child Of God which is a superbly well written dark piece of Southern Gothic....

Also if you like Cormac McCarthy, I recommend William Gay.

nfanel

i just finished the road. took about two days... i couldn't put it down. when i was at work i couldn't stop thinking about it or wait to get back to it. i thought it was really moving and the father/son relationship was so touching. i loved how the 'dialogue' was so simple, just like a little boy would talk.

i was literally sobbing at the end of it...a book hasn't made me do that in a while. as cliche as it is...makes you appreciate life and all the simple things.

azwyldcats

Have been singing his praises on here for years. Look up his interview in Rolling Stone several months back. Very interesting dude.

smithnic

azwyldcats wrote:

Have been singing his praises on here for years. Look up his interview in Rolling Stone several months back. Very interesting dude.

That was really cool. About him essentially living at this convent for scientists right?

azwyldcats

Right. And how he see's the world and humanity in general as broken. He has 4-5 books going at one time, alternating between them. How he drives his son to school each morning before cruising over the the Santa Fe Institute. He's the truth.

rrivers

azwyldcats wrote:

Right. And how he see's the world and humanity in general as broken. He has 4-5 books going at one time, alternating between them. How he drives his son to school each morning before cruising over the the Santa Fe Institute. He's the truth.

Are you talking about the interview in the year end issue? I bought that issue just to read the article about him. I thought it was interesting that he said he has 4-5 books going at once because he knows his time is limited because he is in his 70s.