What did you think?

Yes. Enjoyed it, very sad, although hopeful ending. It was the first of his I had read and I would read others.

No, but I’m really enjoying All the Pretty Horses.

They’re making a film of The Road apparently

Not yet, but it’s on my wishlist on amazon!

Yes, but I doubt it will translate well to film as knowing hollywood they will spice it up.

Sad but good book about human determination to survive.

Yes. One of the best books I have ever read, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Also don’t think it will be a good film, but might be interesting to see. I have also read Burn before reading but didn’t enjoy it nearly as much.

Yes – knocked me for six.

The Crossing is my favourite book by CM.

T’is good, if a little relentlessly depressing IMO. I have to admit to wanting to know more about what had happened to everyone, though I realise that’s not really the point of the book.

Yes, liked it a lot. I’ve read all of his books and it’s one of the best, which is saying something as he’s a consistently great writer.

The film could work I think, it’s certainly a simple enough story. So much of what makes McCarthy great, though, is in his prose. Hard to translate this to the cinema – needs a director who can capture the mood and imagery of the writing.

I’m not much of a film goer / watcher, but thought No country for old men was a fantastic film. Ironically, it’s McCarthy’s worst book, but maybe the one most suited to film.

its a damn fine book

I’ve read loads of CM since – the boarder trilogy is amazing (all the pretty horses, the crossing and cities of the plain (i think!))

avoid the film of all the pretty horses – its a load of pony!

The final paragraph in The Road is a stunning eulogy for the American landscape, and pretty much hits mythical heights.

Dunno how you convey that on film…

viggo mortenson is in the film

i think its pretty much finished

There’s a film of All the Pretty Horses? Hmm.

John Hillcoat (The Proposition) is directing The Road, so there’s some hope… The trailer looks fairly awful, but I suspect that’s to sell it to a bigger audience

I thought the problem with the film will be is the main character needs to be an everyman (IMHO), so Viggo Mortenson doesn’t really fit the bill.

I’ve read the first page, but the book’s been sat on my desk since, deserving more attention than it’s getting.

the film of all the pretty horses was directed by Billy Bob Thornton and starts Matt Damon. i think it went staright to video

Matt Damon is too old – the character in the book is 16 – and they miss out the best bits

the bit in the mexican prison – in the book its amazing and the film just ruins the whole thing

Good book. I could see it being a great film. It won’t the same, but there’s loads of potential…

if they get the right cinematographer (sp?) and don’t try and sex it up then they could pull it off. but then it might draw too many comaprisons with ‘no country for old men’.

I loved the book, though I learnt long ago to never get excited when you heard hollywood was to make a film of something.

Possibly the best book I’ve ever read.

The film is in the can, and was supposed to come out next year, but they’ve delayed it so it’s in contention (and marketable) for the Oscars next year as it’s got ‘oscar potential’. Which means sod all really.

The book is probably the most powerful piece of writing I’ve ever read. I’m not ashamed to say I wept like a baby at one point.

I will be recalibrating my expectations downwards for the film, but Mortensen is a pretty good actor (he’s done more than just LoTR you know) so I have some hope it won’t be pap.

LOL at richc

I liked it – couldn’t put it down.

Now on “Kieron Smith, Boy” by James Kelman, the man is a genius.

taa-daa

woah woah woah, I was getting interested until a few of you mentioned No Country for Old Men – now I’ve not read the book but in terms of the most rubbishest ending to a film ever it’s in my top one.

trailer here, although i’ve not watched it yet so if it’s a blue movie don’t blame me, i was misguided

I also really enjoyed the book. Any other authors you would recommend for those that enjoyed it?

I got given Suttree for Christmass, haven’t quite worked it into my schedule.

Lalalalalalalalalalalala I’m not reading ^

Currently reading it after it was recommended here, so have skipped straight to bottom to post this…

I also really enjoyed the book. Any other authors you would recommend for those that enjoyed it?

You could go to the source, which is Faulkner. Huge influence on McCarthy – something like The Sound and the Fury has that breath-taking quality that McCarthy’s books have, just stunning prose. Faulkner’s difficult, though. Only worth it if you don’t mind a bit of wrestling to get to grips with a book.

Suttree is McCarthy’s best IMHO, eth3er. Written nearly 30 years before The Road, so it’s hard to compare, but it’s written at a much more personal level – semi-autobiographical. One of the best books I’ve ever picked up.

I’ve only read No Country for Old Men after loving the film
I thought it was brilliant so if

it’s McCarthy’s worst book

then maybe I should read some more

in terms of the most rubbishest ending to a film ever it’s in my top one.

It’s faithful to the book in the way it ends and the better for it, I think. McCarthy doesn’t go for happy resolutions and many of his books end ambiguously.

If I was to ranks his novels in order I’d go for:

[*]Blood Meridian
The Crossing
Suttree
Outer Dark
All the Pretty Horses
No Country for Old Men
Cities of the Plain
The Road[/*]

Liked them all but The Road is the one that I found least affecting.

If you like this sort of thing, try watching The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada – similar kind of thing and a great film. The Road’s a great novel – incredibly moving. Suttree is possibly my favourite CM. Personally I was disappointed with the film of No Country – I reckoned it was ok but didn’t quite deserve the hype. Rest of CM’s novels are all good.

just finished the road i know the movie has had loads of delays, cant believe that certain scenes can ever make it onto the big screen, far too fuct up

the trailer seems more action than thinky , hmmmmmmmm

here it is again…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GACx8We7Vo

I’ve read it and thought it was very powerful and like a 200 page poem, brilliant however I was disappointed with the end! I had thoughts for far better endings.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada = best film i’ve seen in years

Maybe it’s just me but I thought it was incredibly poor, obviously it’s a matter of personal taste but it was like reading a spectrum adventure game:

wait (time passes)
search (you found food)
S (you go south)

Then it just dribbles out at the end, as if he just gets fed up of it and can’t be bothered to write wait, search, south again.

Some of the writing is very elegant, but the plotting, the threadbare characters, the uninpsired post-apocalyptic landscape, the repetition, all left me completely cold. And when I consider how short it is (the publishers of my edition use a large font and huge borders and it’s still pretty anorexic) and how much of the text is spent describing drinking water or eating beans…

northwind i think you are missing the point, in my mind he manages to paint a very textured if vivid story with very few words and he does it very effectively

anyway the guardian like the movie but then they didnt like inglorious basterds and i thought it was ace

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/sep/03/the-road-adaptation-cormac-mccarthy

Just bought it this lunchtime on a whim. The lady behind the counter said it was very good.

I am now very excited about the film having read the guardian review and seen the trailer online

not sure on the release date though – the review is from the venice film festival so I'm not sure how long we have to wait. I'm going to re-read the book I think before I see the film

and Northwind is missing the point – the end of the book is amazing (it certainly doesn't dribble out), I well up just thinking about it (and I'm not really a blubber)

Yes book brilliant but had an appalling ending! don't bother you'll be disappointedw ith the end which is …………