BOOK REVIEW:
This
is not an easy book to read because there are abrupt punctuations
on every other page, shifts in points of view in every other
chapter and jumps in plotlines in every other section. And
at the end of the day, you may not even find the resolution
you were hoping for. But we read that this is Pulitzer Prize-winning
American novelist Cormac McCarthy’s most accessible
work yet. While we can only imagine how mind-boggling the
acclaimed 74-year-old author’s previous works are, this
2005 novel is definitely a page-turner. If you are the sort
of reader who likes to challenge your intellectual powers,
then this is the book for you.
McCarthy’s
ninth novel tells the story is set in the earlier years of
1980s Texas, where a young Vietnam War veteran, Llewelyn Moss,
chances upon several dead men, a load of heroin and a hefty
amount of loot amounting 2.4 million dollars. He runs with
the money, and much of the story sees him trying to escape
an ex–Special Forces agent employed by a powerful cartel,
and a psychopathic murderer with no sense of mercy whatsoever.
There is also an old sheriff Bell, who is concerned about
the state of things, that there is “no country for old
men”.
There
is much bleakness in the story about how moralities and ethics
have shaped how we are leading our lives. The standoff between
the traditional good and evil has been blurred and marred
to an extent where things aren’t as simple as the good
old days anymore. This desolation is characterized by the
many chases which make up the bulk of the novel. Written mostly
in somewhat awkwardly phrased dialogues, you can imagine the
characters’ tense emotions while reading the book. It
has already been adapted into a film directed by Ethan and
Joel Coen, with a whopping eight Oscar nominations at the
80th Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.
The
one character which will grip your senses is Anton Chigurh,
the psychotic killer who is almost too scary to picture in
our minds. His devilishly violent actions are written stoutly
with force and vigor by McCarthy, and it is chilling just
to read how he finishes off his victims. Spanish actor Javier
Bardem plays Chigurh in the film adaptation, and we hear he
is a shoo-in for the Best Supporting Actor award.
The
book isn’t all brutal and nasty. Moments of sentimentality
and nostalgia are provided by the old sheriff’s italicized
chapters lamenting on the past where things were simpler and
idealistic. Besides providing breathers in this otherwise
nerve-wrecking novel, these sections are gentle touches to
a thoughtful story.
This
novel may only be 300-odd pages, but the original prose written
by McCarthy warrants repeated reading, which isn’t that
bad a thing to immerse yourself in a story aptly reflecting
the state of things now where there is “no country for
old men”.
CHOICE XCERPT:
“He looked at Chigurh. He looked at the new day paling
all about. Chigurh shot him through the forehead and then
stood watching. Watching the capillaries break up in his eyes.
The light receding. Watching his own image degrade in that
squandered world. He shoved the pistol in his belt and looked
back up the street once more. Then he picked up the bag and
slung the Uzi over his shoulder and crossed the street and
went limping on toward the hotel parking where he’d
left his vehicle.”
VERDICT:
A gripping yet thoughtful read that will leave you
impressed with the multiple perspectives presented in this
seemingly simple tale about good and evil.
Review
by John Li
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