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From:Cormac Mccarthy , Vintage ,
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1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
A compelling story that sacrifices some of its insight, in favor of action and adventure, 2008-11-11
I really enjoyed this novel, although it's probably more highly praised than it deserves to be. You can tell its serious literature because of the general lack of punctuation and unconventional composition. McCarthy's writing style is likely to be off-putting to some, but there is a lot to like about this novel. While novels that are branded (rightly or wrongly) as works of serious literature generally have something to say, they often don't have a story to tell. This is something that I really appreciate about McCarthy as an author. There are issues and themes that he clearly wants to explore in his fiction, but he builds his novels (at least the one's I've read) on the foundation of a compelling story.
Ultimately, the theme of this novel reminded me a lot of No Country for Old Men. From my perspective, both novels are essentially about how the world (or at least the Country) is changing and how futile it can be for one man to resist it. In All the Pretty Horses, John Grady Cole romanticizes the cowboy era, a way of life that is fading away, like the setting sun. He stubbornly refuses to compromise his world view, speaking plainly and honestly, doing what he feels is right no matter what the cost, and standing up for what he believes in. Needless to say, this kind of integrity comes with a price and Cole, and his companions suffer greatly for these choices.
McCarthy's prose is at times stark, at times gorgeously realized. Descriptions of the harsh land and vivid sunsets are, at times, quite astonishing. But it is the dialogue in this novel that is especially sharp and insightful. McCarthy draws obvious contrasts between the straight-forward words of John Grady Cole and characters who engage him in philosophical discussions, speaking with eloquence and manipulating language. Some of the best dialogue occurs between Cole and the great aunt of the girl he loves. These passages are worth reading again and again.
I do have a few complaints though. One definite shortcoming is the romance in the story. The character of Alejandra is superficial at best and the entire romance feels a little too contrived. My other complaint might sound strange but I found the action in the final pages of the novel, while compelling, actually held the novel back a little. In the end, the action takes over the final pages of the novel and reflection on the larger issues and themes become secondary. While the pages turn quickly as Cole engages in shootouts and a race across the Mexican badlands, the strength of this novel comes in subtler forms; in the dialogue and ruminations about fate and religion. It's as if the novel abruptly switches gears. While on some level I enjoyed the pacing at the end, I was left with a sense that much of the story's potential had been sacrificed.
McCarthy is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. All the Pretty Horses is not a perfect novel, and perhaps not worthy of all the aclaim it has received, but its well worth reading. 4 1/2 stars.
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
 A Masterpiece, 2008-10-26
McCarthy is a great writer, and this a great American novel. The novel is conventionally plotted and very readable. Like "The Road", it is a book that one can love; it does not require the effort that the novels of writers like Pynchon or Dellilo do, nor does it tax the reader's patience. Reader-friendly fiction is a good thing, and the novel's accessability makes it no less literary or substantial.
McCarthy's prose is breathtaking. His descriptions of the landscape, his dialogue (including dialogue between the American hero and a variety of Mexican characters) is flawless, and every now and again McCarthy will deliver lines with the force of a shot to the solar plexus. Literary critics compare him to Faulkner, though sometimes he sounds like Hemingway. It is amazing that McCarthy could be compared to two such different writers. But he does have elements of both, and is a great stylist in his own right. I must say that McCarthy moves me in a way that Faulkner never did.
The protagonist, John Grady Cole, and his sidekick Rawlins are two very appealing characters. Cole's Mexican lover and her family are also complex and ultimately very appealing characters. These may well be the most lovable characters in McCarthy's fiction. This is part of what makes this book so appealing.
McCarthy is a Pulitzer-prize and even Nobel-prize caliber writer because he struggles with ultimate themes. The book is more than a coming of age novel, though for that genre I think it is much better than "The Catcher in the Rye", "A Separate Peace", or "Rule of the Bone." I see the youth of the protagonist as a good device for placing the individual in his proper context vis a vis nature and human society. The individual is small and insignificant compared to nature, and even humanity seems dwarfed in McCarthy's view. Cole struggles to meet his basic needs -- love, craft, survival -- in the face of a hostile world and alien culture.
Most striking is Cole's desire to do the right thing. Ethics seems almost quixotic and comic in the face of the sheer ruthlessness of the natural and man-made forces arrayed against the individual. Cole's decision to go back to his tormentors and reclaim his property is remarkably foolish and self-destructive, but somehow necessary and appealing. In a nice touch at the end of the novel, Cole goes to an American judge for judgment and validation. Ultimately, he's his own harshest critic.
Given Cole's appeal, I find the book to be ultimately positive and humanist in outlook, though perhaps Mr. McCarthy would snicker at this sentiment.
This book is a masterpiece.
 The word And, 2008-10-20
I agree with mr. niceguy. What is with McCarthy and his excess use of word 'and'? Admittedly, the word 'and' is very important in the English language, however, excessive use of this word is outrageously ignorant, not to mention very distracting? You hear 'and'quite a bit in everyday speech, I admit. But no one really use 'and' like a gazillion times in one sentence, like McCarthy attempts in all of his books, not just in 'All the Pretty Horses'. The first McCarthy's book that I read is 'The Road'and I have to say, it wasn't a bad read, although not very original. Nevertheless, I read on to his other books and it was uncanny how much he tries to be Hemingway, except he does not use the apostrophe for a word like 'didn't' (he writes didnt, how about a good typewriter huh?) nor does he use the quotation marks, just to be original I guess. But hardly, this guy is a hack. I love Hemingway and I appreciate his use of the word 'and' in his writing. This guy is no Hemingway. He just tries too hard to be the great Hemingway and he uses a lot more 'and' than he should. Anyone who reads and loves this guy, I'm sorry to say, is just not willing to admit that, deep down, this guy is untalented, unoriginal, and a hack of Hemingway at best. I would puke, yes puke, if they are stupid enough to award him the Nobel Prize. Well, they did give him the Pulitzer for a book about nothing more than a man, a boy, and a shopping cart with one bad wheel, " The Road" I admit is not a bad read, but for crying out loud, not something deserving of a Pulitzer Prize?
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
A beautiful masterpiece of Western literature, 2008-09-21
Sometime in the 1940s, John Grady Cole and Lacey Rawlins, two Texan teens, head off to Mexico on horseback. Their journey is one of laughter and horror, as these two boys are forced to grow up fast and hard.
That's about the best I can give you for a plot summary. It's amazing that "All the Pretty Horses" runs just over 300 pages. It feels more epic in nature. It IS epic, I suppose; just a short one. McCarthy's prose is as rich and vibrant as ever, though it's a bit more restrained here than in other of his works--I can see why this book is among his more commercially successful novels. Indeed, it's an odd companion to his other great Western piece, "Blood Meridian" (which is arguably a superior book; but then, that's like asking which gold medal shines brighter--there's just no reason to contrast two great literary works). Perhaps this makes "All the Pretty Horses" a good starting point for those interested in reading McCarthy's novels (I also recommend "No Country For Old Men," as it is even leaner and than "Horses"). That's not to say, though, that "All the Pretty Horses" doesn't stand up to the rest of McCarthy's catalogue--it does, admirably so. Cole is an interesting and engaging protagonist, and the way McCarthy switches from humorous scenes to tragic ones reflects the patterns of daily life. "Horses" is an amazing, enriching novel, and Cormac McCarthy is without a doubt one of the best writers/storytellers out there today. They don't call his novels "classics" for nothing.
a raw yet elegant coming of age story; hablas espagnol?, 2008-09-08
'All the Pretty Horses' is a very well written saga of a teenage boy from Texas, circa 1940s, wandering off down to Mexico with his buddy. Both guys are horsemen. Their Mexican adventure turns sour very quickly and they are then thrust into a mix of love, death and everything in between. The author's prose and characterizations are perfect. The only reason I don't give this book five stars is because I found the heavy use of Spanish dialogue to be very distracting. Although oftentimes one can get the gist of what was being said, too many times I was left puzzled. Yes, the use of Spanish did add quite a bit to the feel of the story. I think it would have been helpful if the author supplied translations (in footnotes, for example).
Bottom line: quite an amazing story, .. and I don't even like horses. Recommended.
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