Bradley's review
Cities of the Plain (Border Trilogy, Vol 3)
by Cormac McCarthy
Apparently there's a movie version of No Country for Old Men about to be released, with some decent actors. I couldn't get through any of the border trilogy, but that was years ago. I liked No Country and The Road —which were both admittedly fairly accessible— but maybe I should try again.
Bradley's review
Cities of the Plain (Border Trilogy, Vol 3) by Cormac McCarthy
Bradley's review
rating:
bookshelves:
fictioncontemporary
Why was I surprised when Cities of the Plain did everything I hoped it to do and rounded out the trilogy to make it probably in my top five of all time? The first two thirds of this novel has so little overt action that the last bit knifes you in the gut. Of the six or seven long philosophical dialogs which occur in the trilogy, the best by far is the last in the epilogue. And dialog in general in this novel makes you smile because finally you know these characters so well and seeing them interact so intimately is very rewarding. There are a few casual references to the earlier novels in the memories of both Billy and John Grady which give it the congealment needed, and unlike the ending of The Road this novel ends exactly as it should, bringing the types and fates of the two characters into perspective and rough harmony.
Apparently there's a movie version of No Country for Old Men about to be released, with some decent actors. I couldn't get through any of the border trilogy, but that was years ago. I liked No Country and The Road —which were both admittedly fairly accessible— but maybe I should try again.