Literary Award Winners Fiction Book Club discussion
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All the Pretty Horses
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All the Pretty Horses - Through Part III
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Tamara
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rated it 5 stars
Apr 18, 2014 08:07PM
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I am impressed with the ability of McCarthy to portray relationships indirectly. He never names feelings or says very much about the bond between characters, but we become very aware of them. He gives us characters that are stereotypically lone cowboys. They say little. They express little emotionally. They appear rather tough. Yet, he is able to show us a tender side of them in such subtle ways.
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I just finished Part II and OMG what a cliffhanger! I am so excited to read on and find out what happens in Part III.
Me too, the subtle way he communicates so much was the thing I liked about this book.
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WOW! So much action! After Chapter 2 I was confused as to why Rawlins and John Grady were getting arrested. At first I thought it was because he was sleeping with the little mistress and the master found out and was PISSED. Obviously, we find out in Chapter 3 that it's from the whole brouhaha with Blevins from before! CRAZY SAUCE. Well, Rawlins did foreshadow it in Chapter 1. I am just so thankful that they both got out of there. I'm a bit sad that the duo appears to be breaking up. :( And, I wonder if the aunt paid for them to be released because the little mistress is pregnant?! That's all I can think of now. MUST READ ON!
Hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am. I am shocked that I am enjoying it so much because the other two books I've read by McCarthy I didn't like very much at all. Maybe I just needed a book club. Or maybe I just really like Cowboys.
Irene wrote: "I am impressed with the ability of McCarthy to portray relationships indirectly. He never names feelings or says very much about the bond between characters, but we become very aware of them. He ..."I love that as well. His writing is very clean and dry, almost like the setting of the book. There’s some charm about that, with a few direct words he is able to drew me into the story.
I just started II part. I'm near the part I've read to, when I picked up the book 2 years ago. I enjoy it this time much more, however I do not think it's exceptional. That makes me a bit wonder why it was his breakthrough novel, not mentioning the awards, but I guess if Goldfinch can win Pulitzer ATPH deserve all the awards there are... It’s just the third of the book so maybe with the end of it, I’d be able to answer those questions.
Im in Laura Jean, if your offer still stands
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As for this being his breakthrough, perhaps because it is so quintessentially about a good old American boy... Not sure.
The first part of the book I had a hard time following what was going on. I found it to be jumpy in parts and had a hard time following what was going on. I found myself rereading pages and paragraphs to figure out what exactly happened. I found some of the descriptions of saddling horses and the landscape to be a bit much. I was more interested in the jail part of the story, so I did enjoy the last half of the book way more.I just don't think I am that into western/cowboy stories. I really enjoyed The Road but for me this book was just ok.
I really enjoy the book from the jail part. It's almost like a different book, plot driven, quick, very intense. However I'm still quite on the fence with this book, as a whole. And it's not the fact that it's western/cowboy story. I've read "The Son" this year, by Philip Mayer and loved it. I gave it "only" 4 stars bcs I didn't like the least "cowboy-ish" part of the book.
One third left, I'm curious what I'll think at the end.
Laura Jean wrote: "Such a lively conversation! Hooray! I haven't reached quite all the way through Part III yet, and some of you are finished already!FYI, I purchased the kindle version of "Quiklet for All the Pret..."
If you still have a digital copy available, I'd surely appreciate getting one. Thanks and please?! Rick
