RIP, Cormac McCarthy

Very sad news today in the literary world.

Noted author Cormac McCarthy has died. He was 89 years old, and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of natural causes.

To be fair, his last two books, published late last year, felt like he was seriously ruminating on the end of life. It felt almost as if he knew he was writing his last books, and that he was reflecting and asking questions examining the meaning of life. In light of today's news, it feels even more like that now than ever before.

McCarthy was considered one of the true luminaries of modern American literature. Some considered him arguably the greatest living American author. Some of his best known works are "Blood Meridian," "Suttree," "No Country For Old Men," and "The Road," for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007. 

Also, he was one of my favorite authors, although I will admit to getting into his works rather late, shortly after "The Road" was released and my then girlfriend lent me the book. It is a grim read, to be sure. In fact, most of McCarthy's works are dark and often violent. Even extremely violent.

Yet, he was known as one of the greatest contemporary American authors for a reason. It saddens me that he is gone, although I am appreciative to have gotten as much as I got from his rich writing. I really enjoyed reading those last two books of his, and am adding my own reviews of those works below, in memory of the late, great Texan writer.

A professor from my alma mater explained something of the nature of what made McCarthy's writing so gripping and great:

"McCarthy was, if not our greatest novelist, certainly our greatest stylist," says J.T. Barbarese, a professor of English and writing at Rutgers University. "The obsession not only with the origins of evil, but also history. And those two themes intersect again and again and again in McCarthy's writing."

RIP, Cormac McCarthy.

Book Review: "The Passenger" By Cormac McCarthy,  Thursday, December 29, 2022:

https://charbor74.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-passenger-by-cormac-mccarthy.html

Book Review: Stella Maris By Cormac McCarthy  Saturday, December 31, 2022:

https://charbor74.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-stella-maris-by-cormac.html

Cormac McCarthy, American novelist of the stark and dark, dies at 89 by Wade Goodwyn, June 13, 20233:

Heard on All Things Considered 

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/13/598425063/cormac-mccarthy-dies-obituary