# Cormac McCarthy has died (13 June 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [June 13, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448 "2023-06-13T19:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/1 "2023-06-13T19:49:48Z")
Cormac McCarthy died today at 89 years of age. A few years ago I would have guessed he was already dead, until he released two new books last fall. He was certainly not the most public figure. I’ve mentioned here a few times that he was probably my favorite writer. His writing is not always easy to get through; you have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle his books. But the payoff is magnificent. My favorite book by him changes all the time, but I’d put _Blood Meridian_, _The Crossing_, _All the Pretty Horses_, and _The Road_ in the top tier. Only slightly below that would be _No Country for Old Men_ and _The Passenger_. I was amused by the WaPo article about his death, which in an attempt to communicate what his books are like, states “The novel has a scene in which dead babies are found hanging from a tree.” Yeah, that’s a good point of reference. Another good quote from McCarthy that sums up his worldview: > There’s no such thing as life without bloodshed. I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who are afflicted with this notion are the first ones to give up their souls, their freedom. Your desire that it be that way will enslave you and make your life vacuous. Gift link: > **[Cormac McCarthy, Novelist of a Darker America, Is Dead at 89](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/books/cormac-mccarthy-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=eE1OhiTJAdpix20XMlZE2uHWcZ3kpsvhwYZsAHKG8jCTf756lXe3-dncDgLvPZ1m4k88kaDPjgPH4fjwaO7LBZEGuUK9Ny-LJXP7DexfcJG6SMhefJj0NEiCRO49m9FOJAhLS7BKM0zcbCSl93EIKeoyS-m0JQBAtuXUiY24vSKABxaR1pEKmB1de2TpShF6f5u8MhG_iAEPq-wAnCQmZ2ePGMtaJ5RXaNNv90Ohd8gg0VtUvr-G0M4TQm29nT6rjB6a_6OFLCVOYI3owqI65H2qwUtuFKI2j8gUpe-IHPpanEh0qEjYegQXS5w08a2wezanzNk-lpD8X0Rmsw&smid=url-share)** > > “All the Pretty Horses,” “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men” were among his acclaimed books that explore a bleak world of violence and outsiders. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/2 "2023-06-13T19:51:34Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > _No Country for Old Men_ I saw the movie. Did you and, if so, how did it compare? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/3 "2023-06-13T20:02:21Z")
I read “The Road”. Amazing book. I never want to read it again. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/4 "2023-06-13T20:16:42Z")
“Amazing” … … “never want to read it again” … … ⁉ Okay, you have to explain that! LOL ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/5 "2023-06-13T20:22:40Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I saw the movie. Did you and, if so, how did it compare? It was a pretty faithful retelling of the plot, and it got the tone right. The movie loses the poetry of his language, but that’s to be expected. I was very happy that it got something right (even if it was something that seemed to piss off some movie-goers): in the book, as in the movie, (MAJOR SPOILER) the death of Llewelyn Moss is not described and is handled very matter-of-factly. It emphasizes that the story wasn’t about him; it was about Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/6 "2023-06-13T20:23:28Z")
Nice obit by the OP. > [@Jasmine](#): > > “Amazing” … … “never want to read it again” … … ⁉ I 100% agree with @Alessan’s assessment of ‘The Road’. Not too difficult to understand-- it’s an amazingly well-written apocalyptic novel that is unrelenting in its bleakness and cruelty. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/7 "2023-06-13T20:24:12Z")
Thanks for the detailed answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/8 "2023-06-13T20:25:20Z")
> [@solost](#): > > it’s an amazingly well-written apocalyptic novel that is unrelenting in its bleakness and cruelty. Wow! 😳 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/9 "2023-06-13T20:56:32Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I was amused by the WaPo article about his death, which in an attempt to communicate what his books are like, states “The novel has a scene in which dead babies are found hanging from a tree.” Yeah, that’s a good point of reference. Is it inaccurate? ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/10 "2023-06-13T21:43:49Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I 100% agree with @Alessan’s assessment of ‘The Road’. > > Not too difficult to understand-- it’s an amazingly well-written apocalyptic novel that is unrelenting in its bleakness and cruelty. I never really saw the point in reading it once I knew what it was. Just seems like a variety of porn, reveling in a certain state. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/11 "2023-06-13T21:49:12Z")
There are a million accurate things you could write. Probably should narrow it down to items that capture the essence. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/12 "2023-06-13T21:59:10Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > It was a pretty faithful retelling of the plot, and it got the tone right. The movie loses the poetry of his language, but that’s to be expected. Thanks. I somehow missed that the movie was a Cormac McCarthy book. I haven’t read any of his books yet, and I’m a little trepidatious. That movie just left me feeling sad. Just, _so_ sad. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/13 "2023-06-13T22:02:35Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > There are a million accurate things you could write. Probably should narrow it down to items that capture the essence. If that is accurate, then the review has done its purpose and alerted me that I don’t want to read him. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/14 "2023-06-13T22:11:40Z")
If No Country left you sad, then Cormac McCarthy is not for you. I haven’t read that book, but the movie is kittens and butterflies compared to The Road or Blood Meridian. Undeniably depressing, but [my god that man could write.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fyhw6lwWIAAPRZ-?format=jpg&name=small) ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/15 "2023-06-13T22:18:28Z")
_Blood Meridian_ is a masterpiece. It’s one of those works that defies comparison to other novels. He’s so hopeless in his depiction of human cruelty and absurdity that his prose needs to be compelling to keep one reading. It is. The one complaint I have with McCarthy’s work is how often he had extended passages of Spanish dialogue. Not the odd phrase or comment. Multiple paragraphs. Did he expect an English reader to hire a translator? That seemed like an affectation to me. Not enough to stop me from devouring his books, however. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/16 "2023-06-13T22:27:39Z")
He also doesn’t use a lot of punctuation. He’s not an easy read. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/17 "2023-06-13T23:06:13Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > If No Country left you sad, then Cormac McCarthy is not for you Oh, I don’t mind being left sad by a book or movie, and I thought that was a good movie. I just have to be in the right mood. It’s nice to forewarned. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/18 "2023-06-13T23:11:40Z")
I’ve read quite a few of his books. I’m not sure I was able to finish Blood Meridien. It is truly one of the bleakest representations of not only humanity, but of the unrelenting misery of the Texas landscape. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/19 "2023-06-13T23:34:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > If that is accurate, then the review has done its purpose and alerted me that I don’t want to read him. It is entirely accurate, and it is not the only brutal thing in _Blood Meridian_. And it absolutely is not for everyone, which is why I liked that they used this as an example of his writing. In one sentence, they tell you what you’re in for. But I wouldn’t describe it as a variety of porn. It’s very much the opposite. The violence in _Blood Meridian_ and the apocalyptic horror in _The Road_ is not meant to titillate and provide enjoyment. It’s a brutal argument _against_ the porn of other books. Stories of post-apocalyptic survival can make it sound glorious and like an adventure. _The Road_ is great because it says nah, that’s BS. Here’s the reality. _Blood Meridian_ says no, the western cowboys and colonization of the West was not a beautiful thing. It was awful. Also, the heart of _The Road_ is not the post-apocalypse wasteland, but the love of the man for his son. It stuck with me like almost no other book. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448/20 "2023-06-13T23:34:57Z")
No Country for Old Men is my favourite book/movie combo. Both are excellent. I loved All the Pretty Horses also, must re-read it.RIP to a great writer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cormac-mccarthy-has-died-13-june-2023/985448.md?page=2)