No Man's Land | No Country for Old Men (Vintage International)

One hell of a book | No Country for Old Men (Vintage International) | Cormac McCarthy

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	• No Country for Old Men (Vintage International) Cormac McCarthy Vintage, 2007 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 431 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Great Read Despite Its Problems

I like the book about as much as the movie, and the book features more scenes and dialogue. I also like how the book ties up the confusing aspects of the movie. The ending of both is still a little odd, however (somebody I know said that Sherriff Bell has Alzheimer's and that his dreams are based on actual memories of his, and I think the last part is true, but the book doesn't indicate that he has Alzheimer's).
The book is fast-paced and intriguing. The way it was written is sometimes distracting, though. The poor grammar and punctuation sometimes takes the reader out of the story. Further, when two characters are conversing, it can be hard to follow who is saying what. At the same time, the book is more of a fast read because of what McCarthy has done. Still, he could have at least made the characters sound a little less like rednecks.
On the plus side, the scenes with Chigurh are fascinating. He's a bit wordy at times and not as menacing in the book as he is in the movie, but I applaud McCarthy for creating such a complex and disturbing character.
I agree with other reviewers that it's a shame how Moss is treated in the end, and it would be interesting to read the manuscript in full. I wonder if a 600-page version of the book will ever be released. I'm pretty sure that a decent number of people would buy it.
All in all, the book is a great read. It's very detailed, dramatic, and hard to put down. It's not perfect (I can understand why some people prefer the movie), but it's still worth picking up.

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No Man's Land

It wasn't a country for old men or anybody else, for that matter, if you happened to be in the wrong place at the right time and saw too much - or dared to take that which seemed up for grabs in unique opportunity. Cormac McCarthy has done a superb job in taking us inside the bloody, ruthless and savage world of the drug dealers, tapping the black mindset that goes with protecting the flow of the territorial drug lord mega money. Revenue Unlimited, tax free, moving fluidly in the dark, belonging to or contributing to no society, McCarthy reinforces the realization that this is the biggest business of all; the CEO's of this particular world don't need corporate agreements or Philadelphia lawyers to protect their interests.

Therefore, the story is not just about a Texas lawman vs. the criminal element; it's a war zone declared; but shadowy and iconoclastic; untouchable because there are no boundaries, no rules to play by; and because the days are numbered anyway, hair trigger reflexes take the place of judgment. It's a worthless yet supreme powered underworld that is changing the shape and face of the rest of the country, which is now "no place for old men." The action chapters of the tale have a life of their own. One almost wants to dodge the flying glass, grimly visualizing the blood pooling under lifeless bodies - and is given sudden pause as one considers the headlines of today that offer a similar and foreboding future for the Border states.

Then, without warning, that part of the blood story subsides, and we are serenely brought down to the separated musings of Sheriff Bell; a calm normalcy returns like the incoming tide and the seagulls; the relief is intense and almost tangible. A sane, sensible, honest man hopelessly entangled as he doggedly performs his job while wading in a web of madness that is also highly evolved and cunning; offering soft observances of a world he no longer understands, and is afraid of - but not for himself. It's almost as though a soothing hand has been placed on the fevered forehead - such is the change of the mood and the mindset. There are several of these departure chapters interspersed - and each of them has the same "release" effect on the reader. They are something steady to hold on to; to grasp.

Cormack McCarthy is a storyteller of the Border for the "Now" - and of unusual methods - including the lack of punctuation, which is a style, not an omission.

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One hell of a book

I loved the movie and finally took it upon myself to seek out the source material, which I have to say is a superb read. The book clocks in at just over 300 pages and it's a really quick read. Still, the book's length and ease to get through don't take away from its power. The book is written so well that as I was reading it, I could easily imagine the Coen Brothers having absolutely no problems with adapting the book for the screen. It literally reads like a detail for detail description of the movie, of course with extra little scenes and lines of dialogue. Every passage is vividly described and its very easy to translate McCarthy's words into corresponding images. His writing tends to be sparse but easy to follow. Truth be told, I've never read an author who not once uses quotation marks to denote dialogue. Still, the characters voices are each their own and their actions and outcomes make perfect sense. Even though the movie leaves very little out from the book, the book manages to make certain story details clearer than how they may have been presented in the film itself. The character of Sheriff Bell is probably one of the most honest voices I have ever heard (or in this case, read) in a novel. I know a lot of people don't fully get the title of this work but its with this character in particular that you understand not just the title but the general attitude and pessimism of people sick of an ever changing world where things seem to be getting a whole lot worse than a whole lot better. Great read and I guess as good a place as any to start with Cormac McCarthy's work.

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Well written with disturbingly unique character

I did the unspeakable, I watched the movie (most of it) first. Unfortunately I was therefore recalling all of the images that had been provided for me. Although I do think it made it easier for me to follow the story line since a lot of situations were left for you to figure out on your own. I recommend this to read but not for the faint of heart nor for children. The movie is also very watered down in comparison to the book.

Lost Me

I recently read McCarthy's "The Road", which I enjoyed quite a bit. I thought it was a powerful and important novel, one that I won't forget. I didn't feel the same about "No Country for Old Men". I thought that several characters in this novel were one-dimensional and forgettable. Sure, the story had some intense moments that got my heart pumping quickly, but the story seemed to drag -- at least for me. I ended up skimming the last thirty or so pages.

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In No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy simultaneously strips down the American crime novel and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning?s headlines.