Seeing the movie before reading the book is something I avoid if I'm at all interested in the subject matter. One is going to alter my view of the other, and I'd rather my book reading experience be untainted by images of what the characters look like or sound like. In the case of "No Country for Old Men" I saw the movie before even taking an interest in Cormac Mc McCarthy, but after reading the book I was surprised at how little it mattered.

The movie is essentially the book minus a scene or two. The dialogue at times is identical. What this results in is a book that I most likely will never have to reread since I can watch the movie and get virtually the same experience.

In some cases the movie actually improved upon a scene by adding additional atmosphere, or with a subtle tweak to the dialogue.

Making a noir western is not most likely what he set out to do, but that's the best way I can describe the story. People fall into criminal endeavors, make mistakes, and deal with evil men they're in no way prepared to handle. It's like a hillbilly Raymond Chandler story.

One aspect of McCarthy's books that I've noticed in both that I've read is the presence of a character that seeks to emulate god through acts of senseless cruelty. Anton Chigurh, the ruthless hitman from "No Country for Old Men" has a lot in common with Judge from "Blood Meridian". They're both creepy characters, and I'm curious to see if this theme plays out in any of his other books.

The book has good, Spartan prose and an ear for rural dialogue that's unmatched by most contemporary authors. It's a good read, but if you have a DVD player, there's an easier way to approach the material.