Cormac McCarthy

The Orchard Keeper

Outer Dark

Child of God

Suttree

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Or the Evening Redness in the West

Blood Meridian

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

After the death of his grandfather in 1949, John Grady Cole's mother decides to sell their Texas ranch. This leaves sixteen-year-old John Grady, who cherishes the rustic cowboy lifestyle, with no choice but to leave Texas. He and his buddy, Rawlins, decide to be migrant cowboys in Mexico, and they are joined by a younger, headstrong boy named Jimmy Blevins. Their journey into Mexico is not without challenges; Blevins loses his horse and weapon during a lightning storm and their failed attempt to retrieve these possessions results in them being pursued by a posse.

Despite their rocky start, John Grady and Rawlins manage to find work at a sprawling ranch owned by Don Hector. John Grady's skills with horses earn him a promotion to be in charge of breeding the ranch's horses. However, his growing attraction to Don Hector's beautiful daughter, Alejandra, jeopardizes his newfound success. Ignoring warnings from Alejandra's manipulative great-aunt Alfonsa, John Grady embarks on a clandestine affair with Alejandra. Their secret relationship is discovered, leading to John Grady and Rawlins being handed over to the corrupt police captain of Encantada. They are wrongfully implicated as co-conspirators with Blevins, who had returned to the town to reclaim his belongings and ended up killing a local.

John Grady and Rawlins are sent to jail in Saltillo, where they become targets of constant violence. Their refusal to align with Perez, a powerful inmate, leads to them being attacked. Although they survive, they are severely wounded and end up in the infirmary. In a surprising turn of events, they are released from prison, thanks to a bribe from Alfonsa. Back at the ranch, John Grady tries to rekindle his romance with Alejandra. Despite spending a day together, Alejandra decides not to abandon her family for him. Heartbroken yet determined, John Grady returns to Encantada to retrieve his horses. Although he is gravely injured during the chase, he manages to escape back to Texas, where he finds his father dead and the ranch sold. Having lost his home and family, and feeling estranged from his friend Rawlins, the novel concludes with John Grady riding off into the sunset.

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 3

Cities of the Plain

A Play in Five Acts

The Stonemason

The Gardener's Son

The Border Trilogy, Book 2

The Crossing

The narrative begins by introducing us to Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who reflects on the wickedness he perceives in the changing world after having encountered a ruthless murderer. Simultaneously, we're introduced to Llewellyn Moss, a Vietnam veteran hunting in the desolate landscapes of Southwest Texas. Moss inadvertently stumbles upon a drug deal gone awry and impulsively decides to pocket a suitcase containing over $2 million. Upon returning to the scene to aid a surviving victim, he finds the man dead and quickly becomes a target of the drug cartel, forcing him into hiding and moving his wife, Carla Jean, to her mother's house in Odessa.

The narrative then shifts to an unnamed man, Anton Chigurh, a sadistic hitman with a signature bolt weapon who flips coins to decide his victims' fate. Having learned of the botched drug deal, Chigurh ruthlessly kills two men and sets out on a mission to find Moss. Meanwhile, Sheriff Bell, being aware of Moss's situation, takes it upon himself to ensure their safety. Despite Moss's attempts to evade Chigurh using a transponder hidden in the money case, he gets injured in a shootout and narrowly escapes to Mexico, where he meets another hitman, Carson Wells. Wells proposes to help Moss in exchange for the money, but Moss declines his offer.

In the aftermath of the shootout, Chigurh, who has also sustained injuries, finds the transponder but not the money in Moss's hotel room. He then ambushes and kills Wells. Moss, having reconsidered Wells's offer, calls him but ends up talking to Chigurh who demands the money in exchange for sparing Carla Jean. Refusing to relent, Moss vows to hunt down Chigurh. Meanwhile, Chigurh begins tracking Carla Jean while Moss is killed by two other hitmen. Chigurh manages to retrieve the money and returns it to an undisclosed businessman. Upon returning home, Carla Jean is confronted and killed by Chigurh, who insists on fulfilling his promise to Moss. A guilt-ridden Sheriff Bell, who had previously abandoned his squad during World War II, decides to retire after being unable to identify Chigurh or stop the cycle of violence and death.

No Country for Old Men

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A man and his child trek towards the southern sea in hopes of finding a hospitable environment for survival. The planet has been devastated by a catastrophic event that occurred shortly before the child was born, which resulted in the annihilation of human civilization and the planet's life-sustaining ecosystems. As a result, the child has never witnessed natural life or celestial bodies, and both he and his father must wear masks to shield themselves from the omnipresent ash particles that linger in the air from the disaster.

The duo shares a profound love and sense of duty to each other, as survival depends on their relentless journey down the road as they scavenge for necessary resources from the remnants of the world that once was. Along their journey through the bleak and frigid landscape, they encounter the full range of human behaviors, some heartening and others deeply disturbing. They strive to keep alive the memories and values of a time long gone, in a world where the past and future have been wiped out in a singular cataclysmic event.

Their story begins with them navigating through mountainous terrain, their possessions carried in a shopping cart which includes basics such as food, survival tools, and a few toys for distraction. As they attempt to eke out a living from the left overs of civilization, other survivors have descended into utter savagery, resorting to cannibalism in a world devoid of agriculture, animals, and modern technology. The pair constantly remain on guard against such vicious marauders, with the father keeping the final two bullets in his gun for their own use if necessary. Despite the constant fear and hunger, they stumble upon caches of provisions left behind by those who once hoped for a future, offering temporary respite. The son's quick maturity comes with a strong conscience, and his empathetic and compassionate nature remains untouched despite the harsh realities of their world. 

Ultimately, they reach the coast but the relentless journey has taken a toll on the father's health. He breaks his promise to his son by dying, leaving him alone in the world. He reassures his son before dying that he will find goodness even in his absence. After spending three days mourning his father's death, the boy is approached by a stranger, who offers him a place in his family. After a thorough interrogation regarding their ethics, the boy decides to join them, marking a new chapter in his survival journey.

Cormac McCarthy Books in Order (16 Book Series)

The Orchard Keeper

Outer Dark

Child of God

Suttree

Blood Meridian

Or the Evening Redness in the West

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

Cities of the Plain

The Border Trilogy, Book 3

The Stonemason

A Play in Five Acts

The Gardener's Son

The Crossing

The Border Trilogy, Book 2

No Country for Old Men

The Road

The Sunset Limited

The Counselor

A Screenplay

The Passenger

The Passenger, Book 1

Stella Maris

The Passenger, Book 2

What To Read Next

Cormac McCarthy Books in Order (16 Book Series)

The Orchard Keeper

Outer Dark

Child of God

Suttree

Blood Meridian

Or the Evening Redness in the West

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

Cities of the Plain

The Border Trilogy, Book 3

The Stonemason

A Play in Five Acts

The Gardener's Son

The Crossing

The Border Trilogy, Book 2

No Country for Old Men

The Road

The Sunset Limited

The Counselor

A Screenplay

The Passenger

The Passenger, Book 1

Stella Maris

The Passenger, Book 2

What To Read Next

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