I had never read Cormac McCarthy before picking up “All The Pretty Horses”. Though I have an M.A. in Literature and thus have gotten through some rather challenging-to-read books, I found myself a bit put off at first by McCarthy’s unique writing style. I was reading this book for fun, after all, and here I was having to “work” to read it. Plus, I don’t like to notice style that seems to call too much attention to itself, as I initially felt this book was doing.

Fortunately, I don’t give up easily when it comes to novels, and it was not long before my mental faculties adapted to McCarthy’s much-discussed disregard for punctuation, traditional grammar, etc. Soon I was simply flowing along, absorbing the amazing and abundant gifts of what had now come to seem an entirely natural, appropriate and deeply enriching use of language. My recommendation, therefore, is to give yourself and the novel a chance, even if it seems to make your brain ache a tich at first.

Once you do settle in, you will find a fantastic, page-turner of a story alive with unforgettable characters. Action, adventure, romance, tragedy — it’s all there, centered around the character of young John Grady Cole — whom all men will want to be and all women will want to be with. Okay, I guess there will be some out there who don’t feel that way, but you would indeed be hard pressed to find a more appealing character than this wise, courageous, capable, noble and romantic young cowboy.

One thing that I don’t think is emphasized enough in many discussions of this book is its terrific sense of humor, which sparkles all the more brightly for the bleakness that often surrounds it. The dialogue between Rawlins and John Grady, and the deadpan things that come out of the mouth of Blevins are often hilarious gems. The use of language and inflection of the characters’ voices is also a treat — you can hear their accents perfectly, envision the way they move, sound and even smell.

I think I’ve read this book four or five times now, and although I know what is going to happen, it is a rich and much-savored delight every time.

I will say that I did not enjoy the other two books in the trilogy nearly as much. I couldn’t bear to see what he does with John Grady’s future. All the Pretty Horses is not a happy ending, by any means, but it’s a pretty gentle one in the world of McCarthy.

As for the movie, I expected it would be disappointing and it was indeed painful to watch. Sort of like the difference between standing in front of Niagara Falls vs. looking at a faded, black and white snapshot of Niagara Falls. No way to capture the magnitude and all-encompassing power of the one in the other.

One last comment: Some have suggested that women might not like this book, that it is rather a masculine tale with too much violence and too much of a “guy’s point of view”. Nonsense. Love it, love it, love it, even the violence, which is necessary and important to the fabric of the story. Don’t be put off, ladies: There’s a handsome young cowboy in this book just waiting to sweep you off your feet! I promise that you will wish you were that girl in the lake, and if John Grady’s heartbreak doesn’t break your heart in the most exquisite way, well, then you don’t like romance much. Guy’s book indeed! : )