No Country for Old Men, Book Review Example

The novel, No Country for old Men was written by American author Cormac McCarthy. The book’s story is written in the locality of the United States of America in the Mexican border in around 1980. The story in the novel concerns an illicit drug deal that was going on in the desert of Texas. Cormac McCarthy drew his novel title from the poem ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ written by W. B. Yeats. When this book was adopted in the movie No Country for Old Men, the movie won four Academic awards that included the best picture awards. Just like any French cooking, all American crime fiction depend on a restricted number of ingredients.

In this novel, Cormac selected an interesting figure in Texas that is the central figure in this book. The old Texas served as old men, medical advisers, and even lonely heart advisers. Cormac’s novel admirers find themselves in a dilemma of how to perceive the book. This is because at first the author did not bend its genre but later straightens is back. After the critical and triumphs, Mc Carty finds himself so much trussed something that appears like a wonder to him. Cormac work of art was highly welcomed by western people who viewed the artistic work of McCarthy as an elevation of art from an amusement form to a high-art form. He was wise when he led his writing hand be detached from the wrist.

However, he decided on having some nasty fun and writing like alive author, peeling the misty, grand German speculation that blocked his last two instalments of his trilogy. At this time when the novel was published, there was a wrong mandatory drug deal that was going on resulting to the drop of the flag in this race. Thus, the devil took control of the desert in the Western jurisdiction of Texas Sheriff Bell. Cormac acted like a watchdog that dozes until the criminals push to bite, something he did without having to break the skin.

The novel concentrated on three men even though it had initially focused on Llewelyn Moses who was a welder and a Vietnam expert who was a drug dealer in the name of hunting antelopes. Investigating one living survivor and a briefcase having more than one million dollars. Not immune to a pool of money, and his post in military seem to have not helped him much.

Also, tailing Moss; Sheriff Bell, a county lawman whose paternal concerns stretches to upright and fugitive citizens. Thus, McCarthy brands Moss and Chihurh’s to a cat and mouse game that is a gripping battle between the clever and the pitiless. Moss understands on how to live by his wits. Besides, he has the love of his wife which keep him on track. Towards the end of the book, a prosecutor and sheriff admit that they know nothing regarding the identity of Mammon.

Moss’s attempt to elude and overcome the killers stalking him turn him into a gripping action narrative with minute’s detail of moving through the hard terrain by motor, foot and hoof. The story is very cinematic in nature with a slow but complex characters ranging from good, bad and those with mixed characters. McCarthy’s theme that run beneath the action is voiced by Carla Jean who was Mosse’s young wife. There are a lot of guns in this novel. Thus a writer need to present in detail a novel presented in a gun-loving state in a gun-loving country. McCarthy is familiar with the guns right from use and they add the deadly film that surround him.

However, McCarthy is aware, and amongst the parts that make Chigurh a frightening antagonist is that through the reckoning of McCarthy. He appears to be the right person of the times who has less concern for other people. But Bell had the last word who advocates for a more decent, and caring time has a whiff of cranky-old ma-ism to it. He took a quality portion of his lifetime fighting for the well-being of the people and was seen fighting on one frontline whose sense of defeat feels like a bloody land he has fought to protect.

The book motivates discussion and reading groups will definitely have strong response to it with many wondering why McCarthy set the story in 1980. Actually he set the story in 1980 because this was the time when Ronald Reagan after blitzkrieg television ad campaign, ousted Jimmy Carter. For the very first time, Republicans gained control of the senate. At times the author might have chosen this time because of what took place. In the New Mexican penitentiary riots, black children in Atlanta were killed, many people like John Lennon, ex-congressman Allard and Michael Haberstam were shot dead. The firing of a marijuana boat off the coast of Florida made headlines showing a violent country that was getting out of control. Thus, McCarthy artistic work shows a study of a continuous burning American rage and the extent to which rage has become in America.

Prose of the book

McCarthy tried hard to avoid use of quotation marks in his writing. For instance, he does not use ‘em anywhere in the book No Country for old men. Thus, this makes him the first writer who left out quotation marks in his writing. The book is written in such a way that the readers are guided in knowing who is speaking.

On the use of colons and semi-colons, McCarthy has minimized the use of colons and has showed his simple writing strategy. In this book, McCarthy believes strongly in capitals, periods, as well as occasional commas. He learned this technique in college in an English class where he had worked to simplify the 18^th century essays. McCarthy’s writing is thus aimed at simplifying his writing and not making is harder for the readers.

Absence of apostrophes and quotation marks that is extended throughout the whole book drives some readers up a tree. To understand this style of writing, you need to be an experienced professional editor. Thus this style is hard for ordinary people, more so, the unfair short sentences. McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men is clearly a taut, and emphasizes its drama through downplaying it. Events are presented in a very straight forward manner, orderly and low-key way. This technique build on a much more impact as opposed to other writers who aim at creating tension.