betsaberuizhatem

Reading this a second time after first reading it in 2007 was still enjoyable. What I appreciated the second go wasn't just the story, but McCarthy's styling. I noticed it before, sure, and it was one of the things I liked then, but this go held a real appreciation for skill. The lack of names while still keeping characters straight is just amazing. With so many "he's" all over the page, it'd certainly be easy to become lost. While I read it it, I kept thinking about comments I've had about my own work where people want so much information on why things work they way they do. Did I have questions about McCarthy's world? Sure. I'd love to know what caused the situation the man and the boy found themselves in, but, for me, it wasn't vital. The not knowing struck me as feeling very much like the boy might have. Simply put into a world where it was how things were. Though narrated by the man, it was obvious he didn't and perhaps couldn't dwell on what had been. Also, I think it would've turned the story maudlin. While it's depressing, surely, it's not slogging through the past particularly. It deals with the now. Always, it's great to read something more than once and like it just as much.

2020-09-17 03:46