The Road (was Homer & Langley )

[Mark Kohut]

just misc. fyi......

McCarthy started Suttree before he published his first three novels....

Published fourth........lots of work and self-editing, it seems....



----- Original Message ----
From: rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com>
To: "Carvill, John" <john.carvill at sap.com>
Cc: David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>; alice wellintown 
<alicewellintown at gmail.com>; pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 10:53:23 AM
Subject: Re: The Road (was Homer & Langley )

if you get the chance read Suttree, McCarthy at his best--very grim
yes (some of the finer descriptions of being a bum, drunk and freezing
yr ass off) but tender at moments by gravesites, scary, funny (cf
watermelons), profound (there's a real witch towards the end
dispensing psychedlics)
Suttree is smart and lives by his wits on the river

its alot more balanced than the one note drone that Blood Meridian is
(not a criticism)

many of McCarthy's later works were originally screenplays so they
seem less than fleshed out novels. one is hoping this New Orleans
novel which he has been working on for awhile is a true novel

i also liked Child of God (gothic to the extrme) and Outer Dark (which
reads like a smaller version of BM, same dream-like menacing quality)

fwiw The Crossing is the best of the border trilogy books I think

rich

On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:06 AM, Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com> wrote:
> Heh. Yeah, I knew *you* wouldn't be put off by any grisliness. But I was 
>thinking of people like my wife who can't stand violent or disturbing scenes. 
>And to be fair, the ones in 'The Road' are quite nasty.
>
> Yes indeed, 'grisly' is a great word. Wasn't aware of the etymology, thanks for 
>that.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Morris [mailto:fqmorris at gmail.com]
> Sent: 16 July 2010 15:03
> To: Carvill, John
> Cc: alice wellintown; pynchon -l
> Subject: Re: The Road (was Homer & Langley )
>
> I am a big fan of Blood Meridian, so I'm not afraid of "grisly
> scenes."  So I'll take your advice and read The Road.  Hell, even
> McCarthy's lesser works are still pretty damned good.
>
> BTW, I love that word, "grisly."  I wondered about its etymology,
> thinking "gristle."  But, no.  Here's what I found:
>
> Grisly:  O.E. grislic "horrible, dreadful," from grisan "to shudder,
> fear" (cf Du. griezelen, Ger. grausen "to shudder, fear").
>
> from "Online Etymology"
> http://www.etymonline.com/index.php
>
> On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 8:31 AM, Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com> wrote:
>> Yes, it is dark, and there are a few quite grisly scenes, some of which 
>>threaten to take up unwelcome long-term residence in your head. But ultimately 
>>it does carry - at least I *think* it is intended to carry - a positive message 
>>about humanity, and the writing is really extraordinary.
>>
>> I would unhesitatingly recommend 'The Road' to pretty much anyone, except 
>>anyone with delicate sensibilities. I don't think I'll bother with the film, 
>>even if they've done it well I would expect that the film would deliver all of 
>>the horror and none (or not enough) of the beauty.
>