Cormac McCarthy

**Maxwell1416** · August 12th, 2009

I'm a fan of Stephen's books, obviously, most particularly The Dark Tower series and The Stand, which I've read so many times that I just don't think I'll be able to make the trip again. Well maybe someday.

Anyway, I was just wondering if Stephen has read any of Cormac McCarthy's books (I'm sure he has) and what he thinks of McCarthy's style. And for those of you who've never read Cormac McCarthy, I would highly recommend it. His writing style and stories are like being in Roland's fallen world. Kind of disjointed and there's no definite lock on what age the story takes place, you have to find that out for yourself. Blood Meridian being the type of world that Roland might've had to keep law and order in if his world hadn't moved on. I think the Judge and his band of scalp hunters would've been a fair match for a gunslinger.

On another point, I went to see the latest Harry Potter and it went was pretty good. And while watching it, I thought to myself: They've got to make a movie out of the Dark Tower series. I know it's been discussed here before, but I just wanted to comment on it. If the movie was done by somebody who really cared about the story, and with Stephen as consultant or advisor or whatever you wanna call it...they could really do a bang-up job.

I would love to see Roland on the big screen, just like Stephen describes Clint Eastwood on the big screen in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

I still have my original copy of The Gunslinger. It's a paperback published in 1989. And I can still remember being in the bookstore and seeing this book and reading the first sentence for the first time. And I remember thinking to myself: Where did they get gunslingers in a Stephen King book. Of course from there I was hooked and bought the book and read it and the following one. But I think the third book wasn't out at the time and I had to wait. I can remember waiting through the nineties for each successive volume. I think there was a gap of five years between books three and four. Or maybe it was two and three, I just can't remember it all that well.

Readers coming to the Dark Tower series now are lucky, there is no wait. You just go to the book store and lay out your cash for all seven volumes and lock yourself away for the next three or four months. I envy those reading the Gunslinger for the first time. I wish I could have that moment back. That first sentence for the first time. And then the desert...

**Natjen26** · August 12th, 2009

Now you made me want to read McCarthy more desperate. I just bought 'No country for old men' and 'The road'.

And I too would love to see The Dark Tower adapted. It wouldn't be better than the books, impossible to do so. But like the graphic novels, it's another means to enjoy his writing.
And nothing is impossible, if Lord Of The Rings can be a masterpiece on pellicule when handled by the right mind and the right budget, who knows what the future holds.

And I was lucky to be in that generation that had all seven volumes within access immediately. I can't imagine how it felt like back then.

**Srbo** · August 12th, 2009

Here is Steve`s wish list for 2009, and there is his opinion about Mr McCarthy...one sentence says it all.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20253149,00.html

**BlueCeleste** · August 12th, 2009

Love Cormac McCarthy! King does read his books, I started reading McCarthy based on his suggestion in On Writting.

**michal** · August 13th, 2009

Originally Posted by Maxwell1416

I'm a fan of Stephen's books, obviously,
Readers coming to the Dark Tower series now are lucky, there is no wait. You just go to the book store and lay out your cash for all seven volumes and lock yourself away for the next three or four months. I envy those reading the Gunslinger for the first time. I wish I could have that moment back. That first sentence for the first time. And then the desert...

I, for one, enjoyed the waiting...

Made the fun last longer and the each book tasted so much better because I had to wait for it.

**fredo** · August 13th, 2009

Read "The Stand", "The Road", and "Cell" back to back. You'll start stocking the pantry and hoarding water.

**Matthew.Degnan** · August 14th, 2009

I've rwad a lot of Cormac's.. Absolutely love The Road, It might be the best novel I've read... (sorry Steve

)

**ihavepromisestokeep** · August 14th, 2009

Originally Posted by fredo

Read "The Stand", "The Road", and "Cell" back to back. You'll start stocking the pantry and hoarding water.

Don't forget Swan Song.

**doowopgirl** · August 17th, 2009

I love Cormac Mcarthy books. It just that the prose is so beautiful you can smell the horses and feel the heat from the sun. Never mind that nothin good happens to anyone. I loved No Country it was the first time a movie lokked like it did in my head after I read the book

**bopropadop** · August 17th, 2009

I recently (about two months ago) read The Road. Interesting story about this particular book. It's a "chain read" that a co-worker started. When one person finishes the book, he/she hands it on to another and so on. I was the fourth in this chain and handed it off to the fifth. At last check, it was on reader #8. If it survices to reader #100, I wonder what shape it will be in...

Great book. Maybe one of the best pieces of American literature I've personally read. Right up there with Steinbeck IMHO.