Tiffany K. (tiffanyak) - , reviewed on 4/19/2014 + 215 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This is a book that I had an extremely hard time rating and evaluating. I should begin by saying that the story told here is absolutely riveting. In fact, the movie followed it very closely, so if you saw that, you have a fairly good idea of what I mean. Yet, it is far more powerful and compelling in novel form. So, why the difficulty? Well, Cormac McCarthy's writing style is extremely difficult to read, especially if you are not used to it. This was the first book I have read by him as an author, and while I did get far more used to the writing as I continued with the book, it was extremely frustrating at the start. I hope nobody misunderstands me. It's not so different as to be unreadable, by any means. He just uses little punctuation other than periods, including no quote marks and often no indication of who is talking other than via tracking it out yourself. In many ways, this forces you to slow down as you read and think about what you are reading, even as the writing itself pretends to be simple even while pulling you into a complex narrative. Once I adjusted to the style used for the writing, I was able to enjoy the book far more freely.

I should also note, the violence in the movie did not come from out of nowhere. In the book, it is also very straightforward and in your face, with no apologies made or punches pulled. To be fair, it is also not done just for the sake of violence or overly focused on or expanded upon. The violence is to drive the narrative or contribute to characterization. Yet, it must be mentioned that, just like the movie, this is not a story for the faint of heart. But, if a gritty narrative with powerful development is up your alley, this is definitely a worthy choice.

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