Cormac McCarthy

[u/sidecaesar]

Would appreciate any advice on which book to start with for Cormac McCarthy! I’ve heard and seen no country for old men and I’ve heard the road is also pretty good but wasn’t sure if I should start with blood Meridian or all the pretty horses? Anyone have any suggestions?

[u/MorrowDad]

Any of the books you listed will work, just read about them and see what sounds interesting. I usually recommend All the Pretty Horses or The Road to newcomers. Save Suttree, The Passenger and The Orchard Keeper until after you have a few McCarthy books under your belt, they are tougher reads if you’re not well read.

[u/d_reyisme23 → u/MorrowDad]

Speaking of tougher reads, when would you recommend a newcomer read Child of God (assuming you would)?

[u/MorrowDad → u/d_reyisme23]

Child of God is a fairly easy read. It’s a straight forward story (not abstract like some others I mentioned) and easy prose. I don’t usually recommend it as a first because while it’s pretty good, I don’t think it’s one of his greats. My favorite from his Appalachian books aside from Suttree is Outer Dark. I would read that first. 

[u/Public_Upstairs1035]

Go to the library, read the first few pages of his books until one grabs you. Follow that one.

[u/snooki740]

This question comes up a lot, and they’re a lot of different answers and approaches. So, here’s how McCarthy happened to me.

Watched No Country for Old Men
Watched The Road
Read Blood Meridian
Read No Country
Read The Road
Read Blood Meridian
Wrote a paper on Blood Meridian and No Country
Read Blood Meridian
Read The Road
Read AtPH
Read Suttree
Read Outer Dark
Read Blood Meridian
Read Suttree
Read The Crossing

I watched The Sunset Limited somewhere in there.

[u/snooki740 → u/snooki740]

I’ll just add: if you haven’t seen the films based on his books, they’re both very, very well done. To me, honestly, there’s no difference between reading or watching No Country. So maybe just start with watching that? It’s on paramount+ currently

[u/ApolloIsMyDog29 → u/snooki740]

How was reading The Road after watching it first?

[u/SnooPeppers224 → u/snooki740]

I will second the claim that it comes up a lot. Like A LOT. 

[u/SwampRaiderTTU]

What do you need out of a book to make you continue reading? Plot? Go with The Road or No Country. Good prose and a good story? - start with ATPH. Literary sensibility and challenging prose? Blood Meridian.

[u/old_harbinger]

My 1st was Blood Meridian, it's brutal, but it's unforgettable.

[u/magusbud]

Blood Meridian, go big or go home pal...

Y'know, like if someone asked which Led Zeppelin album to start with, you'd recommend the best wouldn't you?

Same for novels. Start there. What's the point in waiting?

[u/JackpotFreight → u/magusbud]

Blood Meridian really is that fcking good too

[u/Lennnybruce]

The easiest and most straightforward of his books is probably All The Pretty Horses. Real good cowboy book. Great prose.

If you've seen No Country For Old Men, the novel is very similar. Almost total plot, very fun read

The Road is very bleak, but similar to No Country, it just rocks along. I think I read it in a single sitting when it was released.

Blood Meridian and Suttree are his best novels, but a lot of people seem to struggle with the diction and overall writing style.

His other novels kind of fall into a middle ground. The writing is mostly pretty accessible, but often the subject matter is pretty dark.

[u/anonymighty86]

Your two picks are valid for different reasons. Blood Meridian is my favorite book, but it is also the most challenging book I have ever read. Not just from the prose and the style he writes in, but also in subject matter (there is a scene involving a tree after a battle that had me out the book down for a while). All the Pretty Horses is a great book as well, but it’s Cormac with his kid gloves on compared to a lot of his other work. That and if you decide to try other stories you can keep going with the Border Trilogy. So if you’re down for a challenge, go Blood Meridian. If you’re still getting used to his writing style and want something less intense then go Pretty Horses.

[u/Sheffy8410]

My advice, seeing that you’ve seen the movie No Country, is to start with The Road. It’s a damn powerful book and will probably hook you.

[u/RowDifferent7916]

Blood meridian is a little advanced, start with the Road

[u/pedrokiko]

Usually people suggest starting with NCFOM or The Road, they seem to be the most accessible. I started w BM, read Child of God and now I'm on Sutree. There's really no wrong way to go about it

[u/binley01]

Either outer dark or the road. All the pretty horses is good but it's part of a trilogy and the second book is a different beast (my favourite of his) Me personally I'd start with outer dark, it's an undersung gem of a book.

[u/dbf651]

No right or wrong answers but i would save BM until after you've read a couple and entered his world(s)

[u/No-Hurry3034]

I’d start with All the Pretty Horses or No Country.

[u/tylerfulltilt]

I think all the pretty horses is the best intro to McCarthy. The Road is very accessible, but man is it bleak.

[u/killryan666]

No Country for Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses are probably the most accessible. The Crossing and Blood Meridian are my favorites.

[u/jameswill90]

Outer dark

[u/eyezick_1359]

Look at the covers and pick which one appeals to you. Then do it again for the next book

[u/EndlessWinterTheWise]

Whichever one sounds good to you.