Novelist Cormac McCarthy’s death on Tuesday prompted a flood of readers sharing their favorite passages, memories of reading his books, and the occasional encounter with the reclusive author. rice field.
Below are excerpts from those comments, reflecting the different ways McCarthy’s writings (often described as haunting and even devastating) have left a lasting imprint on readers. These answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Some readers shared vivid memories of discovering McCarthy’s work for the first time and their haunting impressions.
“I was a senior in college when I walked into the Borders Bookstore in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, 1992-1993. ‘All the Pretty Horses’ was recently published and was on the display table.” . I don’t know how long I stood there, rooted in the spot, reading and turning pages. I bought the book, read it, and then read everything he had written before and since.
So that was about 30 years ago. As for his writings, it was for me. It leaves an impression, it leaves a mark, it changes me in some way, so I can look back in my fifties now, where I was when I was reading his novels, and when I finished reading the novels for the first time. I can remember what I felt.
He may not be a writer for everyone. But to me, he represents what writing and storytelling can do in terms of the alchemy of how words capture, shape, and change the way we see the world. What a writer he is! ” — Milan Karol, Baltimore, MD
“I read ‘The Road’ all night long and it stuck in my head. That vision has haunted me forever.” — Diana Dubrawsky, Silver Spring, MD
“Farewell to one of the greatest players of all time. If I had to choose one book to carry in my broken shopping cart in a post-apocalyptic world, it would be Suttree. A book that gets better with each read.” is.” — Yoav Granstein, New York, NY
“I stumbled upon Cormac McCarthy’s book while pregnant with my daughter and remember vividly how ‘Blood Meridian’ had such an incredible impact on me. Maybe it’s the hormones, but it portrays horror.” However, I felt that the prose was changing in a lyrical and interesting direction.
I read The Road the week before my daughter was born. It taught me how intense and wonderful parental love can be and how it must be endured. ” — Nilima Nigam, Vancouver, British Columbia
“His books have touched me in a way few other writers have. It will be remembered forever.” — Karin Boatman, Santa Fe, NM
Some commenters wrote about meeting McCarthy in person.
“My first encounter with Cormac McCarthy was when my girlfriend made me read Child of God. , and finally fell in love with “Blood Meridian”.
He frequented my secondhand store and was so quiet and soft-spoken that I didn’t recognize him. His interests were books on science, history and philosophy. I knew who he was when he paid by credit card.
But I wish I could have kept my silence more. He wasn’t keen on speaking, except politely answering questions about the subject he was reading. ” — Richard Mullian, Scottsdale, Arizona.
“I used to see Cormac occasionally at the gallery that opened in Santa Fe. I saw him heading towards him to tell him, he made a neat little turn, and headed for the door at a pace that no one could block his exit.
I admired his work and found ‘The Road’ to be a very moving love letter to my son. I admired his ability to confront the inclusiveness of death not only in his writings but also in his life. Artists who aren’t changed by fame are rare. ” — Jerry Snyder, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Others expressed their appreciation and respect for McCarthy’s frivolous and sometimes brutal language.
“What a loss. From ‘Child of God’ to ‘The Crossing’ to ‘The Passenger’ there are so many unique and subversive productions. As noted in the sash, McCarthy’s limited use of punctuation helped make his writing even more powerful. It is often described as strange. The technologies involved have not been much discussed.
Try writing a sentence without commas or dashes after the description. You can also write your speech without quotes and note which character in the conversation said the word. Achieving that requires the clearest, most carefully constructed prose. It takes a genius, and he had it. ” — Zane Rice, Lyon, France
“I literally finished reading ‘Blood Meridian’ today, and I had an hour before I read this story. would have found a collection of raw, beautiful and cruel words, and he did so in the bloody miracle of the novel.” — Vic Williams, Reno, NV
“The first McCarthy book I read was Blood Meridian. Books are stuck in my head.
Phrases, language, vivid descriptions. The man seemed to be able to paint a landscape in his own words and did so with little effort.
One of the great American writers. He left footprints, for which he never apologized. ” — Anthony Holognis, Ellenton, FL
“He never wrote a sentence that made me wonder what the next sentence would be. And there was always the next sentence. Until now.” — Tony Bickert, Eagle River, Alaska
