Having read a number of McCarthy's books, as well as their reviews, I've noticed how many do not see the connections to greek tragedy, of the futility of tempting fate-which is what Anton Chigurh is-of not having to think too much over what he is writing, and somehow trying to wedge his works in with contemporary fiction.
Yeah McCarthy was not modest (to understate it) and my impression is that he didn't see himself as in dialogue (let alone competition) with his contemporaries, but with literary colossi like Melville, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare and Sophocles. (I know he had zero interest in what you might call the literature of manners, not even Proust or James.)
Enjoyed this a lot--thanks for sharing it, Tim. I think you are spot on about language itself being central to the humanistic spirit that might glow at McCarthy's core (and I think it does). The language of the story itself--the beauty at the level of the sentence, the way his salvages dictions local and archaic and shepherds words into the future. And also the language of community. The glow is there in the dialogues you highlight, and also the friendships and tenuous social bonds that feature so prominently in his work.
Suttree: hilarious. The Road: quite funny in spots. Child of God: the scene with the blacksmith ends with one of the top 3 punch lines in literary history.
Having read a number of McCarthy's books, as well as their reviews, I've noticed how many do not see the connections to greek tragedy, of the futility of tempting fate-which is what Anton Chigurh is-of not having to think too much over what he is writing, and somehow trying to wedge his works in with contemporary fiction.
Yeah McCarthy was not modest (to understate it) and my impression is that he didn't see himself as in dialogue (let alone competition) with his contemporaries, but with literary colossi like Melville, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare and Sophocles. (I know he had zero interest in what you might call the literature of manners, not even Proust or James.)
Enjoyed this a lot--thanks for sharing it, Tim. I think you are spot on about language itself being central to the humanistic spirit that might glow at McCarthy's core (and I think it does). The language of the story itself--the beauty at the level of the sentence, the way his salvages dictions local and archaic and shepherds words into the future. And also the language of community. The glow is there in the dialogues you highlight, and also the friendships and tenuous social bonds that feature so prominently in his work.
I could write (actually I have written) a whole 'mother essay about his other great humanistic quality: his humor.
I’d read that too. :)
Suttree: hilarious. The Road: quite funny in spots. Child of God: the scene with the blacksmith ends with one of the top 3 punch lines in literary history.
The ape story in Child of God. The rabbit heads in The Crossing. The kid with the pet vulture on a string.
Tim, this is great. You are a scholar, a philosopher, a jester and a Jedi Force. Sincerely, your favorite editor.