Initial Impressions: Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy - December 2022

[Tom, "Big Daddy"]

Comments on this board should be written with the assumption that not all readers have finished the book. Please take care not to reveal information that might lessen other readers’ enjoyment.

This is the fourth reading of Suttree by this group. Those of you who were not around in 2012, 2017 or 2019 may want to check out the discussions that we had in the past about this popular work. Here's the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Cheryl Carroll]

Do y'all recommend I tackle this on Kindle, or with a hardcopy?

[Franky]

CHERYL wrote: "Do y'all recommend I tackle this on Kindle, or with a hardcopy?"

I think that a hard copy is better just because of McCarthy's style of prose.

[Cheryl Carroll]

Franky wrote: I think that a hard copy is better just because of McCarthy's style of prose."

Thanks, Franky. I'll probably be doing a lot of highlighting and cross-referencing!

[Tom, "Big Daddy"]

I prefer Kindle because you can drill down on words you don't understand, highlight passages that you like and even make notes, totally without feeling guilty for defacing a book.

I often enjoy audiobooks but I do not recommend them for anything by McCarthy.

[Diane, "Miss Scarlett"]

I read this a while back so won't reread, but it's one of my favorite McCarthy novels. Cheryl, I'm with Tom on not using audio, but you will need a good dictionary if you read a hard copy. Kindle has the advantage of instant lookup for words, but then again, McCarthy makes up words of his own. Either way, it's a great book.

[Sue]

I'm hoping to get to this one. I've owned it for awhile. I'm working hard on completing all my challenges so I probably won't be able to get to it until the last week of Dec.

[Cathrine ☯️]

The fourth reading? Is that a record in SLT?
Never read McCarthy. I don't know. I need me some goodness and light after the one I just finished and I'm thinking I probably won't find it in this one.

[Lori]

This is one I want to read but not sure if I will get to it. We shall see.

Catherine, I think the other 4th read was The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter back in 2020 when I nominated it. I remember Diane commenting that it would be the most read if it won which it did.

[Sara]

Like Diane, I have read this fairly recently and won't read it again right now, but highly recommend it. It is my favorite McCarthy so far, and I am a big fan in general.

[Sue]

I'm starting on this within a couple of days. I hope there are others reading this.

[Cathrine ☯️]

Like with Faulkner, I love the idea of reading McCarthy with The Trail but I don't see fitting this in. I have yet to read him. But I'll follow along in case inspiration or opportunity strikes.

[Lori]

I feel the same with this one. I'd like to read more McCarthy before his new one in January but just can't see that I have time for it. I will be lingering on the tbr until the time is right.

I hope you enjoy it, Sue.

[Laura, "The Tall Woman"]

December is a hard month to really devote reading time for a McCarthy. But I’m all in for the January and February Cormac reads. I love reading him with a group. Usually much to discuss. . I’m slowly working through the audio for the Taylor Brown book. I’ve never read one of his I didn’t like.

[Diane, "Miss Scarlett"]

I have a hard time with anything in December except short stories or very light reads. It was my favorite McCarthy so far too, so even if you can't get to it this month, it's a good one.

[Laura, "The Tall Woman"]

I’ll definitely get to it but I like to space my Cormac readings. I’m there with you Diane, December is a little bit of a different reading experience.

[Sara]

All my reading suffers in December, but this year is particularly difficult. I hope those who have not read this will put it on their reading lists for next year. A really great book, IMHO.

[Cheryl Carroll]

I had the holidays in mind when I nominated the shorter reads, like Welty's The Ponder Heart. But we all just love reading so much, we forget that life gets in the way! I'm starting with WINGWALKERS, and then will finish SUTTREE before our Jan / Feb McCarthy reads.

[Sue]

I think I'm going to start on other reads that will complete some of my challenges instead since no one has started on this one.

[Tom, "Big Daddy"]

Sue wrote: "I think I'm going to start on other reads that will complete some of my challenges instead since no one has started on this one."

We'll offer plenty of opportunities to read Cormac McCarthy starting next month as we will be reading both of his new books.

[Terry]

Sutree is a book I may read a bit later in the month.