A modern-day Western of John Grady Cole, who sets off over the border into Mexico on an idyllic, sometimes comic, adventure to a place where dreams are paid for in blood. Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction.
What's Bookie?
- Free delivery in Germany.
- Find your perfect next read.
- Track to motivate you to read more.
- Connect with people like you.
All the Pretty Horses
A modern-day Western of John Grady Cole, who sets off over the border into Mexico on an idyllic, sometimes comic, adventure to a place where dreams are paid for in blood. Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction.
Popular Reviews(1)
Reviewed by George Patrick HaneOh, I hate it when this happens: I finish a book, look at the reviews, and realize everyone seems to love it for the exact reasons I don't. [b:All the Pretty Horses|469571|All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1)|Cormac McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1706386113l/469571._SY75_.jpg|1907621] is probably McCarthy’s most accessible work, the one that catapulted him into the mainstream…and it shows. At its core, it is a generic coming-of-age story about a young guy leaving America with his friend to face the "old," the "real" Wild West in Mexico. Throw in some bonfire scenes, a lot of horses, some more violence, plenty of untranslated Spanish dialogue, and some heartwarming romance elements, and you get the picture. So if you find profound beauty in wild horses galloping through a vast landscape, you will love this book. I really don't. More than once, it reminded me of the intro to Kanye West’s "Bound 2" video…that's how schmaltzy and clichéd the imagery gets in parts. I am highly interested in McCarthy’s broader philosophical views and hoped this book would complement my insight into his Gesamtkunstwerk. Instead, in my opinion, it only weakens his oeuvre. All the classic themes (death, evil, fate…) are technically there, but they are presented in such a flat and dull way. Even language-wise, it doesn't play in the same league as [b:Blood Meridian|394535|Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West|Cormac McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1701688704l/394535._SY75_.jpg|1065465] or [b:Sutree|133297781|Sutree|Cormac McCarthy|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-1b903c9eac1b2ba789662c08a0ae41e6.png|1196119]. More often it reads like a movie script. [b:All the Pretty Horses|469571|All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1)|Cormac McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1706386113l/469571._SY75_.jpg|1907621] is definitely McCarthyism for beginners. A McCarthy Light to Go. Brokeback mountain but unfortunately without the fumbling.