Thursday, January 08, 2009

All the Pretty Horses


Yet another cultural post, this time a book review.

Having read The Road by Cormac McCarthy during the summer, I was a little unsure as to whether I would enjoy or even finish this book before I started reading it. However, having been assured that it was worth the effort, I took the plunge. The story is of a young man travelling from Texas to Mexico with a friend on a horse when horses were apparently a more normal mode of transport (1948 I just discovered thanks to google). The story is beautifully written although there were more than a few moments when I found myself wishing that my Spanish was good enough to understand the odd conversation that is thrown in untranslated.
This was a really good book and I can see that it was made into a film in 2000 as many of his others books have (No Country for Old Men being an obvious example) and I am also dismayed to see that The Road will be released in 2009 with Viggo Mortensen starring. I guess a Danish actor is fairly appropriate given the miserable nature of the story and the similar leanings of Scandinavian cinema.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:03 pm

    Give , she would enjoy the challenge if not the miserable storyline.
    m

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  2. Anonymous12:04 pm

    Well, that will teach me to remember to read my comments.
    E is the obvious reader, with T as back up.
    m

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  3. Anonymous3:34 pm

    I thought it was excellent! I have the other two books in that trilogy if you want them "The Crossing" and "cities of the plains". All have too much Spanish though.
    Great stories revealing a lot about relations between the US and Mexico. I love his relationships with horses and how he will never lie to them and how, he believes horses have two brains.
    Wrm

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  4. Anonymous10:27 pm

    ok I may give this book a go! I have just recommended 'What came before he shot her' by Elizabeth George to my book group.

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