/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.6983281]

Hey /lit/, /sci/ here


Sorry to bring this book up again (I'm fairly sure this is your ITAOTS), but can someone explain why this is praised so highly? Haven't used these terms in a while so excuse me if I use the wrong vocab.

The imagery and prose of the book is really amazing. He beautifully describes the desolate landscape that reflects the madness.

The story was just a little meh. I get he's trying to communicate this ancient and evil thing that's inside man (personified by the Judge), but it seemed a bit lacking.

If you loved the book, please tell me why you rank it so highly.

Thanks for the replies.

[Anonymous No.6983295]

>>6983281
It's highly regarded because McCarthy has a way with words that disguises how vapid and insubstantial his ideas ultimately are.

[The cats No.6983301]

Infinite Jest is our epic meme.

>If you loved the book, please tell me why you rank it so highly.
>The imagery and prose of the book is really amazing. He beautifully describes the desolate landscape that reflects the madness.

>The story was just a little meh
>reading for plot

[Anonymous No.6983319]

>>6983295

Hush.

[Anonymous No.6983322]

Some of the themes are a lot more subtle, I noticed a lot of emphasis on hospitality for instance. It's not the kind of book you will fully appreciate after one reading, and you don't have any excuse not to re-read such a short book.

[Anonymous No.6983367]

>>6983322
This. Re-read and pay attention to the relationships between key characters, like Judge Holden and the ex-priest.

[Anonymous No.6983381]

>>6983295
That's kind of what I'm thinking. It's beautifully written, but there's not much under there unless I'm missing something.

>>6983301
:(

>>6983322
>>6983367

I'll give it a re-read i guess. Care to explain more what you got?

[Anonymous No.6983591]

>>6983301
Why are there so many shitty namefags suddenly?

[Anonymous No.6983597]

>>6983381
First of all there aren't very many well-written westerns. McCarthy's treatment of the West in the violence inherent is considered sublime by many. His treatment of violence in the pros please games with you like in Clockwork Orange where it desensitizes you to the actions and makes you pay more attention to what the main characters are actually saying. He also plays a lot of games with teams particularly Gnostic themes. The judge aside from being an incredibly scary character possibly one of the scariest antagonist in literature is also fascinating in that he is seeking all knowledge in the world and systematically destroying it. McCarthy plays little games throughout for instance the boys to men meet at the end of the book are the same boys whose father's story was told by the judge in his story about the man on the road in the wilderness. As another anon cynically pointed out the pros is somewhat simple so the fact that he does all of this nuanced literary gamesmanship with pros that could come from Hemingway is fascinating. As far as the story being meh, it is a true story and one that I find pretty interesting and an indictment of the American dream that he discusses in later novels which again are interspersed with violence. I also like the shoot out scenes

[Anonymous No.6983603]

>>6983597
The editing my Android just did is atrocious, my apologies

[Anonymous No.6983614]

>>6983603
No worries. I can see the clockwork orange connection. What do mean about the Gnostic themes? The Judge was a little bit too unreal for my tastes, but I can see how he could be revered.

[Anonymous No.6983623]

First and foremost, in literature, "imagery and prose" or the aesthetics of the language, is inherently linked to meaning.

It's no coincidence that you and many of us find McCarthy's language beautiful; it's because he understands us and how we view the world. He's able to put obscure thoughts and feelings which no one had previously expressed into words. This is a form of philosophy and in my humble opinion is as true and important a meaning as you will find, as it related directly to the unspoken human experience.

The story is of more of a canvas he uses to highlight his characters, the landscape, and the message they express. Especially when reading modern and post-modern lit, don't get caught up in the plot as it is not the point of the writing.

[Anonymous No.6983652]

>>6983623
So it's an exercise in beauty? Kind of like an art film?

[Anonymous No.6983681]

>>6983652
I think rather than comparing it specifically to an art film, it's better to compare it to art in general. Yes it's an exercise in beauty, but that's not to say it's trivial or meaningless.

We find things to be beautiful for important reasons. If you explore these reasons I think you will reach a greater understanding of both the book and the human condition.

[Anonymous No.6983713]

>>6983281
>I read for plot

[Anonymous No.6983736]

I get where you're coming from. A lot of it is "they rode on through [some flowers you have to look up now]". It really is beautifully written, but it might be one of the most difficult books for me to finish, not because of the violence or anything but I'd be into a paragraph and I'd realize I hadn't been comprehending the whole time because he's so easy to get lost in. That, with the fact that the plot doesn't go anywhere, makes it incredibly frustrating to read.
I wasn't ready for it when I read it though.

[Anonymous No.6984179]

>>6983281
>why this is praised so highly
>The imagery and prose of the book is really amazing. He beautifully describes the desolate landscape that reflects the madness.
As expected from someone from /sci/

[Anonymous No.6984194]

>>6983597
Maybe I'm just being a filthy surface-leveler as my readings on Gnosticism are, I admit, perfunctory for the moment, but is the Judge supposed to be akin to the Demiurge concept/entity/thing?