Operation Superhuman Reader: Cormac McCarthy

I'm in a Cormac McCarthy class, and yes, I do remember my negative McCarthy experience from last summer, but I'm ready to give him another shot. We'll be covering all of his books and reading about six of them. I'm optimistic that my opinion will improve.

The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The plot for this book was hard to follow, and by the time I finished it I realized that the book was about the land and not the characters; thus McCarthy's priority was not making narrative sense. I found myself stunned by the beauty of his prose at parts. McCarthy describes the land with breathtaking detail--that was the most enjoyable aspect of this book for me. While not my favorite book I've ever read, I am gaining a deeper respect for McCarthy and his work.

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Child of God by Cormac McCarthy


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don't even know how to rate this book because the narrative itself is so disturbing but the themes thought-provoking and the prose quite skilled. "Child of God" is about a necrophiliac but it's more about the possibility of seeing someone so degraded not only as human but as a child of God. This book made me think and reexamine how I look at people and situations. "Child of God" pleads the questions, What is humanity?, Who "qualifies" as human?, and What's the line between human and animal? I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending that just anyone read this, because it's intense and deals with icky and uncomfortable subjects, but if you're looking for a more thought-provoking read--and if you can stomach some of the content--then this could a book you might want to look into. Again, I give this review with some hesitation. You've been warned.

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Next in my McCarthy assignments: Blood Meridian.