No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Every time someone saw this book or heard I was reading it, I heard, “man, I love that book/movie!”
I had never seen the movie but the book came highly recommended, of course, so I gave it a try.
Let’s just say I appreciate its merits but I didn’t enjoy this book.
“No Country For Old Men” is a rough, tough tumble through south Texas and the dangers of drug cartels and one very very bad man. The bad guys are incredibly bad, the bystanders get hurt, and the good guys are always running a step behind.
The storytelling is unique–McCarthy changes spellings and drops dialogue punctuation to both bring out the local accent and force you to be totally immersed in his book or be forced to reread a few times to catch the story.
It is definitely deftly written, and each character feels like they have been carefully placed and then set in motion.
It is enjoyable if you like the barren sweep of a desert, but if you prefer a lush forest, look somewhere else. This is a book with hard cold lessons to teach and no time for relaxation. While it was good, it wasn’t for me.
M.E. Kinkade 