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All the Pretty Horses
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
All the Pretty Horses, the first novel of the Border Trilogy, published in 1992, was an international bestseller, winning both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It tells the tale of John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself the last bewildered survivor of generations of Texas ranchers, cut off from the only life he ever imagined. With two companions, he sets off for Mexico on a sometimes idyllic, sometimes comic journey to a place where dreams are paid for in blood. In 2012 Picador celebrated its 40th anniversary. During that time we have published many prize-winning and bestselling authors including Bret Easton Ellis and Cormac McCarthy, Alice Sebold and Helen Fielding, Graham Swift and Alan Hollinghurst. Years later, Picador continue to bring readers the very best contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry from across the globe. Discover more at picador.com/40
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review
Shaaaannnn
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Mehso-so

I tried so hard to like this book. Some of it was fun to read but most of it was difficult for me to get through. I‘m shocked at the amount of good reviews I‘ve read about this book. Maybe I just don‘t relate to it; not that McCarthy has made this book about anything a woman can relate to. Idk- sorry!

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Shaaaannnn
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Been reading this one for a minute now. It isn‘t that I don‘t like it, but I think his writing style/cadence bores me a little. Which is wild because people seemingly love it. Also, I learned a new word: Polysyndeton. Which is what McCarthy‘s writing style is. Anyways, these cowboys are pretty funny and I am liking them.

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Morr_Books
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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If anyone wants to join the book club discussion of All the Pretty Horses next week (IJTP's final book club discussion of 2023), please RSVP at (so you get the Zoom link): https://meetu.ps/e/Mnp65/zxXbQ/i

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TheSpineView
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Eggs 💚🐎🤎 6mo
57 likes2 comments
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mjtwo
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

28-30 Aug 23 (audiobook)
McCarthy‘s prose is sparse but beautiful. And the narration was well matched.
This was certainly a great book but I did not love it as I do The Road. I expected the brutality and harshness. My main criticism is that I found the age of the boys difficult to believe. Perhaps that comes from having my own, rather pampered (almost) 15 year old. Maybe it was just a different time and place.
Still enjoyable.

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Texreader
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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ChrisBohjalian
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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I could not pick a favorite novel by #CormacMcCarthy. But these had more post-it notes and underlined passages than my copies of other books he wrote. So, I will go with these. RIP, Cormac. Thank you for persevering…

53 likes1 stack add
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SamAnne
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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AmyG 😢 9mo
Hooked_on_books End of an era, for sure 9mo
dabbe 🖤😢🖤 9mo
TheSpineView 😢 9mo
68 likes4 comments
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Readergrrl
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NatalieR
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

Cormac McCarthy is one of those writers I‘ve always heard great things, but just didn‘t think the settings of his books would fit my taste. I figured it was finally time to find out. I didn‘t know what to expect. I simply read the description and started listening. I loved this book and McCarthy‘s storytelling. All The Pretty Horses is a beautiful piece of work. 🐎🤎

Full review https://abookandadog.com

Gissy I should try that first book in this trilogy. 11mo
Bookzombie I read this earlier this year and loved it too. It wasn‘t my first McCarthy though. I haven‘t tried him on audio. 11mo
NatalieR @Gissy If you decide to give it a try, I hope you enjoy it. 11mo
NatalieR @Bookzombie Audio was great! I loved the narrator‘s voice. I can also envision myself getting absorbed in a physical copy. 11mo
82 likes4 comments
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Bookzombie
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

January Reviews

My husband has a list of books he is always nudging me to pick up so he was pleased that I finally got to this one. I saw the movie years ago, but I was completely sucked into the story and loved it. #Bookspin #husbandslist

Also, the start of a trilogy so now #SeriesLove2023 as I want to read the other two books as well.

Reggie Awww Penelope Cruz was in the movie. 14mo
Bookzombie @Reggie Yes. We are going to rewatch it soon. It‘s one of the better book to movie adaptations. 14mo
TheSpineView This was a good book!💙📘 14mo
Bookzombie @TheSpineView Yes, it was! 🙂 14mo
42 likes4 comments
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Therewillbebooks
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Episode 114 "Some of the Ugly Horses" is out now! We discuss the difficulties inherent in reading out loud, the difficulties inherent in reading Cormac McCarthy, serious literature and many other bookish things. Tune in and enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Vpp6yh7yyxZ8oxnoeVZJQ?si=FoNJd1KPTDmvfz-wlM7bd...

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TheNeverendingTBR
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Mehso-so

I found the characters to be rather dull and uninteresting in this one.

As for the plot, it was rather plain and straightforward but i guess some stories are.

Amazing descriptions of the landscapes which surround the characters; i can almost feel the breeze of the plains.

I did like this book, i found it wonderfully atmospheric; it's just not the best one of his I've read.

thepenguinminister If you like him, I‘d definitely recommend “The Road” 2y
64 likes1 comment
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Minervasbutler
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

This tale of two young friends who set off to Mexico to be cowboys is less bleak and more approachable than some of McCarthy's other novels, though it's hardly a chucklefest. Beautifully written with some unforgettable moments.

60 likes1 stack add
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TheSpineView
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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#MoviesInMay @Klou
Prompt: Marlin Brando

Klou Brilliant! Thanks for joining in this month! 3y
TheSpineView @Klou 👍😊😘 3y
58 likes2 comments
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DrLReads
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Mehso-so

McCarthy‘s writing oscillates between stark and poetic, which can be incredibly effective, but I found this book a bit of a slog and just too depressing at times...

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TheSpineView
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

This book was beautifully written. However some of the subject matter was difficult to read. The characters were awesome and the plot was good though disturbing at times. My favorite part was the descriptive prose. 4⭐

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this_teacher_reads
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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31 likes1 stack add
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this_teacher_reads
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Starting my first book by Cormac McCarthy! 📖

DGRachel I love his writing. Enjoy! 4y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Haven‘t read this one, but I LOVE his style. 4y
bernadette I have this in my TBR pile. His writing style is so beautiful. 4y
this_teacher_reads Finished today, and I loved it! Can‘t wait to read more of his books! 4y
41 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Butterfinger
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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1. I have read many good books in June. At this moment, I think my favorite is All the Pretty Horses.

2. #BookSpinBingo and finish #jennyis30 bingo.

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

Care to play @hes7 @Blueberry @charl08

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Butterfinger
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

Wild horses are the same as young men - wild, stubborn, and independent. I didn't appreciate this novel the first time I read, but now it may be one of my favorites. I love John Grady Cole, Rawlins, an Blevins. So many sad moments, but without those sad moments in life, are young men and wild horses ever truly trained?

#PopSugar20 western

I hope The Crossing is just as well written.

51 likes1 stack add
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Trace
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Pickpick

Haven‘t read McCarthy in four years. Will be reading a lot more soon.

DGRachel I still need to read this trilogy. I own it, but haven‘t picked it up. 4y
8 likes1 comment
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Natusik
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy

Really enjoyed it

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CrowCAH
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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#ItsASmallWorld Day 30: #Coco
#Disney #Epcot

In Epcot, at Mexico, they perform some sings from Coco.

The tagged book takes place in Mexico. I tried reading it before, but was disappointed in the beginning pages when it wasn‘t really about horses.

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OwenBanner
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Here's one of those lines from All The Pretty Horses that strikes you with its eloquence after a few paragraphs of bare prose. The bare prose doesn't bother me. It suits the story and is an experience in itself. Not even a quotation mark to let you know someone's speaking. You're supposed to just stay in the rhythm of the story like a cowboy in a saddle and then you come to one of these poetic breaks like stopping at a pond to dismount,

OwenBanner listen to the birds and dip your face in the water. 4y
16 likes2 comments
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OwenBanner
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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My brother in law is a big McCarthy fan. This is his all-time favorite. It's my first McCarthy novel, and I'm enjoying the tension between the sparseness of the language and his occasional flourishes of poetic prose.

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bernadette
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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An impulse buy. Lost Children Archive had the characters hear the first line of The Road again and again every time the mom's phone connected to the car's sound system and it reminded me what a beautiful stylist McCarthy is so I picked up this one to enjoy more of his prose. I've read The Road and Blood Meridian and loved the writing in both but I hope this one is not so bleak.

BarbaraBB I didn‘t like this one much but I did love The Road and the continuous repeat if its first sentence in 4y
4 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Dyslexicon13
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Smrloomis Years ago I planned to read this trilogy but when I read this first one I just couldn‘t get past how bleak it was! 5y
Dyslexicon13 @Smrloomis I love bleak. I‘m almost through with The Crossing and it is a bit more bleak than All The Pretty Horses. 5y
Smrloomis @Dyslexicon13 I see - then you are the perfect reader for this. I‘ve only read this and the Road and that was it for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
7 likes3 comments
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Daisey
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

It took me a while to adjust to McCarthy‘s writing style, and for that reason I‘m glad to have been able to immerse myself instead of reading a few pages at a time. This story has a truly stark and western feel to me. The description of the setting and the travel through it is really what made the book for me. As for the plot, it seemed a quest with no real destination.

#DeweysReadathon #ReverseReadathon

#1001books #Reading1001 #TBRTakedown

DGRachel I love McCarthy, but this one is still on my TBR. One of these days I‘ll get to it... 5y
59 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Daisey
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real. The events that cause them can never be forgotten, can they?”

#1001books #quote

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Daisey
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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It‘s taken me a bit to get used to the punctuation (or lack thereof) and style of this book, but I‘m enjoying it now. It absolutely conveys a feeling of the setting. Also, late night reading calls for ice cream.

#readathon #DeweysReadathon #ReverseReadathon

#1001books #Reading1001 #TBRTakedown August 2019

JazzFeathers Odd style choices on the part of authors are always hard at the beginning. But there is always a pay off when there is a reason for it. 5y
Liz_M I can think of few occasions that don't call for ice cream. 😁 5y
Daisey @JazzFeathers I think I may need to read about McCarthy to understand it a bit more. As it was, the lack of punctuation seemed to fit the stark setting. (edited) 5y
Daisey @Liz_M True! 🍨 5y
62 likes4 comments
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Jari-chan
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Bookish Song Nr. 1: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X

When I first heard this song I thought of this guy from Black Mirror (Have you seen this shirtless guy riding a horse?), but when I started to listen closely suddenly I saw three horses making their way through the desert. On their backs three boys on their way to find their freedom.

#music #musicandbooks

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Jari-chan
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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June Wrap Up
Read: 31
Audio Books: 1

Adding just some of my favourites of this month. Tagged “All the Pretty Horses“ because it got a 5 star rating, just as Pessoa did.

#JuneStats #JuneWrapUp

wanderinglynn Great reading month! 🙌🏻 5y
Jari-chan Thank you! :) 5y
DebinHawaii Excellent month! 📚📚🏆📚📚 5y
See All 6 Comments
Jari-chan @DebinHawaii Thank you! :) 5y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Holy moly 31! Great job! 💖📖💖 5y
Jari-chan @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego The summer months are calm at work and I get a lot of days off - more time to read 😁 That'll change in autumn again, sadly. 5y
9 likes6 comments
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CrowCAH
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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#WanderingJune #DownInMexico
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kahp_kmOFzQ

This book takes place at the Texas/Mexico border, with the protagonist feeling the lure of Mexico calling to him to step foot there.

I tried reading this, but couldn‘t get into it. Probably the wrong time for me to read it.

Joanne1 I‘ve tried Cormac McCarthy too and just couldn‘t finish. I‘ve concluded he‘s not for me and moved on. (edited) 5y
BarbaraBB I felt the same as well. Just not for me. 5y
Cinfhen ThTs a shame ~ I‘ve always been curious about Cormac McCarthy. I‘m still planning on reading 5y
68 likes3 comments
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heidisreads
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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I keep this quote in my planner - just sharing in case other people might need it, too.

17 likes1 stack add
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kimba7
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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I've determined that I can't follow along enough with fiction audiobooks. I went for a long walk today and listened to the beginning of All the Pretty Horses. But my mind wanders and then when I come back to the plot I have no idea what's going on. Non-fiction audio is fine though. The narrator's voice for this one was fabulous and such a good fit for the story.

In South San Jose there's this great trail that passes a horse ranch, it's so nice.

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Mandoul
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Yay for Fopp's 2 for £5 deal and for a rainy day off, which forces me to sit inside drinking coffee 😂

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Severnmeadows
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Dark and cold and no wind and a thin gray reef beginning along the eastern rim of the world. He walked out on the prairie and stood holding his hat like some supplicant to the darkness over them all and he stood there for a long time. As he turned to go he heard the train. He stopped and waited for it. He could feel it under his feet...
I agree with the Guardian - for me one of the best books of my life.

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📖💖 5y
Slajaunie Welcome to Litsy! 📖📚💚 5y
Severnmeadows Thankyou @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @Slajaunie! I‘m really enjoying it 😊 5y
15 likes3 comments
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davidhasalife
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Pickpick

I never warmed to McCarthy, and I now realise it was because I hadn‘t read this—the master key to his work

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Creme_de_la_them
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Pickpick

I admire McCarthy‘s ability to build cadence and rhythm that reflects the rolling plains of Texas and Mexico.

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Martyn_J_Pass
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Bailedbailed

I LOVE Cormac MaCarthy but this one really falls short of the legend. The description and dialogue is wonderful but the story is just dull, uninteresting and lacks any kind of depth. I‘m going to chalk this up as just a one-off but I was really disappointed not to enjoy it like I‘ve enjoyed his other stuff.
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#writersofinstagram #writing #writer #authorsofinstagram #author #authorlife #book #bookstagram #bookshelves #bookquotes #scifi #scifi

8 likes1 stack add
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AshleyHoss820
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

At first, I wasn‘t sure about this book. But then I relaxed and got used to the author‘s voice and I started to get lost in the book as well. This book doesn‘t go at all like you think it will. John Grady Cole And his friend, Rawlins, run away from Texas to Mexico. John Grady knows horses but he‘s just learning about life and he‘ll learn some deadly hard truths. 148/1,001 #1001Books #RoryGilmoreChallenge

Graywacke It‘s just nice to see this title pop up. His most enjoyable book, I think. 5y
AshleyHoss820 @Graywacke 😊😊😊This is my first McCarthy, and I enjoyed it! I‘ve heard good things about The Road and Blood Meridian is on the 1,001 List! 😄 5y
Graywacke @AshleyHoss820 I‘m a big fan of him, but don‘t normally recommend him because he can be such an messed up writer. Both are good, but in different ways. With all the dystopian literature out there, The Road is almost conventional. Blood Meridian is not. 😄 But is a masterpiece in its own way. Hope you get to try try them. (edited) 5y
See All 7 Comments
AshleyHoss820 @Graywacke I‘m definitely going to finish the trilogy! I‘m the same way with Toni Morrison! I adore her but she wrecks you, so I don‘t usually recommend her! 😊 5y
Graywacke @AshleyHoss820 they‘re not so different. But I recommend Morrison to anyone. 🙂 The trilogy is good. Enjoy. 5y
Liz_M McCarthy is always excellent, even when also disturbing. 😁 5y
AshleyHoss820 @Liz_M True! I‘m looking forward to Blood Meridian! 5y
70 likes7 comments
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TaciturnWhenReading
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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I didn‘t know much about this book before I started reading other than it‘s considered one of the western “classics” and a National Book Award Winner. I‘m nearly finished now but it‘s not at all what I expected. And I‘m on the fence...

In short: When circumstances prompt a 16(!) year old Texan cowboy and his friend to build a new life in 1950s Mexico, hardships and heartbreak abound.

37 likes1 stack add
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acmoore456
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
Pickpick

Gorgeous.

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jclopp
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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Spent a beach day getting back into reading :-)

kelsotoes I definitely need to read more McCarthy! I loved The Road. 6y
jclopp @kelsotoes the road was amazing 6y
5 likes2 comments
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deathmetalcardigan
All the Pretty Horses | Cormac McCarthy
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she smiled and in her eyes was the sadness he'd first seen the night she came to his room and he knew that while he was contained in that sadness he was not the whole of it.

RaimeyGallant Lovely. 6y
deathmetalcardigan Thank you! (And thanks to Cormac McCarthy.) 6y
18 likes2 stack adds2 comments