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Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited
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Expected 6 Oct 26A biography of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Cormac McCarthy, from Tracy Daugherty, the New York Times bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist biography Larry A Life.
Cormac McCarthy is hailed as one of America’s greatest novelists, oft compared to Melville and Faulkner, and his epic western Blood Meridian is widely considered a masterpiece of historical fiction. In his body of work, the nation’s story is told in incomparably vivid shades of violence, greed, and love.
Early in life, McCarthy chose to devote himself almost exclusively to his literary pursuits. Cormac A Biography movingly details what this choice cost him in his family relationships, his marriages, and his friendships. Mentally and physically restless, often solitary and yet gregarious and charming, McCarthy lived as wildly, complexly, and close to the bone as any of his characters, journeying often to remote locations, communing deeply with the natural world, and traversing intricate emotional and psychological terrain. In his novels, he reported wisdom hard-learned through harsh experience and intense observation. With precision and grace, Cormac A Biography recounts his story from poverty to riches, obscurity to worldwide acclaim, and is a must-read for both lifelong fans and new McCarthy readers alike.
Cormac McCarthy is hailed as one of America’s greatest novelists, oft compared to Melville and Faulkner, and his epic western Blood Meridian is widely considered a masterpiece of historical fiction. In his body of work, the nation’s story is told in incomparably vivid shades of violence, greed, and love.
Early in life, McCarthy chose to devote himself almost exclusively to his literary pursuits. Cormac A Biography movingly details what this choice cost him in his family relationships, his marriages, and his friendships. Mentally and physically restless, often solitary and yet gregarious and charming, McCarthy lived as wildly, complexly, and close to the bone as any of his characters, journeying often to remote locations, communing deeply with the natural world, and traversing intricate emotional and psychological terrain. In his novels, he reported wisdom hard-learned through harsh experience and intense observation. With precision and grace, Cormac A Biography recounts his story from poverty to riches, obscurity to worldwide acclaim, and is a must-read for both lifelong fans and new McCarthy readers alike.
528 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
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August 28, 2026I don’t like this book. It’s a very critical, negative view point of someone who has an extreme amount of writing talent. For example, the author criticizes Cormac McCarthy for not always being factual while the author is not always factual either. For example, the book states multiple times that McCarthy lived in Tesuque, NM. He owned several properties on Tabor Rd north of Santa Fe, which is west of the interstate while Tesuque is much further east.
There is no sense in the book of who McCarthy was as a person, just a list of facts. There is sense of his voice, the rhythm and pitch of his speech, or what his interests were.
Also the whole situation with his involvement with the Santa Fe Institute is never really explained to any satisfaction. The co-founder of the institute, Murray Gell-Mann, was involved with both Jeffrey Epstein, who owned Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, as well as Robert and convicted sex trafficker Ghislane Maxwell. Epstein had the Institute board members at his ranch for parties, and the ranch was recently investigated but no charges were ever filed.
If you want to read a good book about Cormac McCarthy, I would recommend Books Are Made Out of Books: A Guide to Cormac McCarthy's Literary Influences by Michael Lynn Crews. This book is a literary study that explores the hidden sources and precursors behind the work of Cormac McCarthy and provides much more insight into his writing.
There is no sense in the book of who McCarthy was as a person, just a list of facts. There is sense of his voice, the rhythm and pitch of his speech, or what his interests were.
Also the whole situation with his involvement with the Santa Fe Institute is never really explained to any satisfaction. The co-founder of the institute, Murray Gell-Mann, was involved with both Jeffrey Epstein, who owned Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, as well as Robert and convicted sex trafficker Ghislane Maxwell. Epstein had the Institute board members at his ranch for parties, and the ranch was recently investigated but no charges were ever filed.
If you want to read a good book about Cormac McCarthy, I would recommend Books Are Made Out of Books: A Guide to Cormac McCarthy's Literary Influences by Michael Lynn Crews. This book is a literary study that explores the hidden sources and precursors behind the work of Cormac McCarthy and provides much more insight into his writing.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
One wishes one's favorite writers were all saints and role models. I was chagrinned to learn some things about McCarthy in this grand telling but, in the end, I felt like I knew him just about as well as one can from a biography of such a complex man.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This massive biography does not at all frame McCarthy as a great man. Yes, he was certainly one of our very best writers of all time, if not the most exceptional among us. But the evidence continually shows that McCarthy used for his benefit a substantial number of people, was not exactly good (or faithful) to most of his women, and held some pretty radical political beliefs.
Please read my entire review here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/msarki/...
#CormacMcCarthy
#TracyDaugherty
#StMartinsPress
Please read my entire review here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/msarki/...
#CormacMcCarthy
#TracyDaugherty
#StMartinsPress
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
His fiction is rich with the history of America’s greed and violence, its spiritual yearnings, its stewardship of the earth’s elements, and, most consistently, its linguistic paradoxes. from Cormac McCarthy by Tracy Daugherty
Cormac McCarthy found fame late in life. I had read him before his break-out with All the Pretty Horses. His writing was so different, so brilliant. But the violence in his work can be hard to read.
Tracy Daugherty’s biography offers deep insight into the man and the writer. I felt that I need to reread McCarthy again, armed with the knowledge of how he drew from life and real people in his work.
I was impressed by McCarthy’s broad interests in science and philosophy, and dismayed by his cavalier attitude towards the women in his life and his relationship with a teenager. I understood how his childhood helped form his personality and attitudes.
Your writing is too stark…your themes too sad, too unforgiving, too blasted (…) You’re simply too damned good… quoted in Cormac McCarthy by Tracy Daugherty
His books had a limited market appeal and early novels sold poorly. He was lucky to have champions to ensure he was published and funds to live on. McCarthy knew he was good and was uncompromising about his work. It took decades for the rest of the world to catch up to him, but then he won the Pulitzer and became famous.
He charmed those who met him. He loved a good time, a good conversation. He had some wild friends. But he also avoided public appearances and interviews, moved around without a fixed abode which made it hard for his editor to find him.
Child psychologist Robert Coles saw McCarthy’s work as a chronicle of the effects of poverty. Daugherty notes how the movie The Yearling influenced his writing.
McCarthy spent his last years at the Santa Fe Institute, a think tank, and working on his final duo novels, and dealing with cancer.
McCarthy was a complicated man, and it feels like the more I learned about his life the less I knew him, as if he was just too big and too deep to grasp a hold of.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
When you’re Cormac McCarthy and you’ve written The Road, what on earth do you do next except tackle God and human consciousness? editor Jenny Jackson quoted in Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy found fame late in life. I had read him before his break-out with All the Pretty Horses. His writing was so different, so brilliant. But the violence in his work can be hard to read.
Tracy Daugherty’s biography offers deep insight into the man and the writer. I felt that I need to reread McCarthy again, armed with the knowledge of how he drew from life and real people in his work.
I was impressed by McCarthy’s broad interests in science and philosophy, and dismayed by his cavalier attitude towards the women in his life and his relationship with a teenager. I understood how his childhood helped form his personality and attitudes.
Your writing is too stark…your themes too sad, too unforgiving, too blasted (…) You’re simply too damned good… quoted in Cormac McCarthy by Tracy Daugherty
His books had a limited market appeal and early novels sold poorly. He was lucky to have champions to ensure he was published and funds to live on. McCarthy knew he was good and was uncompromising about his work. It took decades for the rest of the world to catch up to him, but then he won the Pulitzer and became famous.
He charmed those who met him. He loved a good time, a good conversation. He had some wild friends. But he also avoided public appearances and interviews, moved around without a fixed abode which made it hard for his editor to find him.
Child psychologist Robert Coles saw McCarthy’s work as a chronicle of the effects of poverty. Daugherty notes how the movie The Yearling influenced his writing.
McCarthy spent his last years at the Santa Fe Institute, a think tank, and working on his final duo novels, and dealing with cancer.
McCarthy was a complicated man, and it feels like the more I learned about his life the less I knew him, as if he was just too big and too deep to grasp a hold of.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
When you’re Cormac McCarthy and you’ve written The Road, what on earth do you do next except tackle God and human consciousness? editor Jenny Jackson quoted in Cormac McCarthy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a life Cormac led! I'd read most of his books over the years and knew a couple of things about the man, but this is truly eye-opening. Was he a good person? Kinda. Was he an awful person? At times. This thoroughly researched book gives the full depth of a very complex life, and not only about his writing but about everything he's ever done.
The parts about all of the real-life people who made it into his stories were my favorite, and even when he was mistreating wives and girlfriends it was interesting to see how Cormac handled (and mishandled) his personal life, it kept me reading.
The parts about all of the real-life people who made it into his stories were my favorite, and even when he was mistreating wives and girlfriends it was interesting to see how Cormac handled (and mishandled) his personal life, it kept me reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I opened this book having known nothing at all about Cormac McCarthy, and this biography tells the story of his life in a way that was hard to put down. It's meticulously researched but told in such a way that grabs the reader and leaves them wanting to know more. Excellent book. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this biography about an author who controlled his image, controlled his writing and those around him, controlled his interests and hobbies, a control that gave him command of the page, but one that lead to a messy legacy.
I loved biographies when I was child. Lives of people I was just starting to learn about, famous and infamous, people who should be emulated, and even those we should learn from their mistakes. I didn't know that people are not happy with the truth, and that if the legend is better, well print the legend. For every tales of cherry trees, there are are stories about enslaved people's teeth, every log cabin birth maybe hiding something more. People are complicated. History is just as complicated. Sometimes the truth gets in the way. People like to defend their friends, their benefactors. Behavior unacceptable is well ignored. Or omitted. That is the different between memoirs and biographies. Memoirs are the truth that wants to be, biography is the cold hard facts of reality. Images might not stand up to this scrutiny. And when the biographer is as good as this one, a lot of truths are going to rear their head. Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited by Tracy Daugherty is a biography of the iconoclastic author, a man who thought the writing was worth the pain of others, that the stories were worth being cruel, a man who crafted a back story just as he would restore his classic cars, telling stories that still have power, but sound and feel different.
Charles Joseph McCarthy, Jr, was born in Providence Rhode Island, but grew up and was deeply influenced by the Tennessee landscape he moved to. McCarthy had two burdens, the high expectations of his father, a verbally and physically abusive man, according to McCarthy. The other was sharing the name with a famous ventriloquist dummy, Charlie McCarthy, the sidekick and voice of Edgar Bergen. McCarthy was called blockhead and dummy quite a bit, something that stayed with him growing up. His aunts were Scotch Irish, so the nickname Cormac came from them, and stayed with McCarthy his whole life. McCarthy was a decent student, smart, but lazy in a way, loving cars, women and people who lived life. Not conquered life, not succeeded in life, but lived it. McCarthy wanted to be a writer, something he felt, and others did also that he was good at. Even at the expense of wives and children, who he abandoned to create his works. Success took years, not until the eighties did mass appeal come to him, though others had debated his skill and techniques for years, with foundations passing on grants to keep him writing. When success came it was sudden, quick, and something got tired of quickly. A balance he kept throughout the rest of his life.
This is the third biography by Daugherty I have read, and a book that has left me with a lot of mixed feelings. No reflection on Daugherty at all. The book is really well done, a lot of beautifully written passages, an amazing amount of research. With a lot of revelations, many which I did not like. For a person who seemed so rugged and independent McCarthy had not problem taking money from his parents, even with the complicated relationship he had with his father. Leaving a wife and child to write seems a little rough. Serially leaving wives to do so, seems much worse. Daugherty is a very good writer, able to capture not just moments, but actions and thoughts of his subject, mostly in a bad light. Daugherty looks at the writing, points out where the writing went wrong, even in many places where McCarthy went wrong. A lot of painful revelations, some really, really bad.
There have been a few books that have changed my mind on things. I don't know the last biography that did. This one I think has. A book I enjoyed for the skill that Daugherty brings to it, maybe not the subject. A book that I will be thinking quite a lot about.
I loved biographies when I was child. Lives of people I was just starting to learn about, famous and infamous, people who should be emulated, and even those we should learn from their mistakes. I didn't know that people are not happy with the truth, and that if the legend is better, well print the legend. For every tales of cherry trees, there are are stories about enslaved people's teeth, every log cabin birth maybe hiding something more. People are complicated. History is just as complicated. Sometimes the truth gets in the way. People like to defend their friends, their benefactors. Behavior unacceptable is well ignored. Or omitted. That is the different between memoirs and biographies. Memoirs are the truth that wants to be, biography is the cold hard facts of reality. Images might not stand up to this scrutiny. And when the biographer is as good as this one, a lot of truths are going to rear their head. Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited by Tracy Daugherty is a biography of the iconoclastic author, a man who thought the writing was worth the pain of others, that the stories were worth being cruel, a man who crafted a back story just as he would restore his classic cars, telling stories that still have power, but sound and feel different.
Charles Joseph McCarthy, Jr, was born in Providence Rhode Island, but grew up and was deeply influenced by the Tennessee landscape he moved to. McCarthy had two burdens, the high expectations of his father, a verbally and physically abusive man, according to McCarthy. The other was sharing the name with a famous ventriloquist dummy, Charlie McCarthy, the sidekick and voice of Edgar Bergen. McCarthy was called blockhead and dummy quite a bit, something that stayed with him growing up. His aunts were Scotch Irish, so the nickname Cormac came from them, and stayed with McCarthy his whole life. McCarthy was a decent student, smart, but lazy in a way, loving cars, women and people who lived life. Not conquered life, not succeeded in life, but lived it. McCarthy wanted to be a writer, something he felt, and others did also that he was good at. Even at the expense of wives and children, who he abandoned to create his works. Success took years, not until the eighties did mass appeal come to him, though others had debated his skill and techniques for years, with foundations passing on grants to keep him writing. When success came it was sudden, quick, and something got tired of quickly. A balance he kept throughout the rest of his life.
This is the third biography by Daugherty I have read, and a book that has left me with a lot of mixed feelings. No reflection on Daugherty at all. The book is really well done, a lot of beautifully written passages, an amazing amount of research. With a lot of revelations, many which I did not like. For a person who seemed so rugged and independent McCarthy had not problem taking money from his parents, even with the complicated relationship he had with his father. Leaving a wife and child to write seems a little rough. Serially leaving wives to do so, seems much worse. Daugherty is a very good writer, able to capture not just moments, but actions and thoughts of his subject, mostly in a bad light. Daugherty looks at the writing, points out where the writing went wrong, even in many places where McCarthy went wrong. A lot of painful revelations, some really, really bad.
There have been a few books that have changed my mind on things. I don't know the last biography that did. This one I think has. A book I enjoyed for the skill that Daugherty brings to it, maybe not the subject. A book that I will be thinking quite a lot about.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Первая биография Кормака по "горячим следам". В случае Доэрти эти следы не всегда очень горячи, поскольку подавляющая часть материала взята из открытых источников и, по сути, для искушенного маккартихэда, потратившего чуть больше среднего на изучение жизни Кормака, в общих красках не представляет ничего нового — особо развеселило присутствие в тексте части об Августе, взятой из печально известной статьи Винченцо Барни. Но, справедливости ради, здесь же огромное количество находок, особенно из первой половины жизни писателя — знали ли вы, что друзья писателя пророчески шутили о том, что если Маккарти уедет из Ноксвилла, то с чьей-то женой?
Для первой биографии Маккарти, которая, в общем-то, даже могла быть написана при его жизни, книга Доэрти идеально держит тон — местами от текста тянет скорбью, особенно в середине и конце, на переломных моментах карьеры, от выборов и их последствий — не только для Кормака, но и его окружения.
Опять же, к чести Доэрти, он не ставит свою книгу особняком и открыто упоминает скорую авторизованную биографию Маккарти, которая будет написана Лоуренсом Гонзалесом (факт, который вполне вероятно также взят из такой же свежей потрясающей статьи Александра Сорондо), редактором Харри Крюза во времена Playboy. Получается, оценивая все плюсы и минусы, остается ощущение хорошей компиляции, книги слухов после факт-чекинга, с вкраплением авторских, порой утомительных, отступлений и мастерской работы с доступными архивами. То есть, хм, прямо говоря, здесь нет практически ничего из того, что осталось в закрытых архивах автора, не говоря о загадочном неизданном романе, который Деннис Маккарти, брат Кормака, собирался отдать на редактирование студентам — похоже, новость появилась уже после сдачи биографии издателю.
Безусловно, не каждому биографу по силам подступиться к такой закрытой глыбе как Маккарти ради неожиданных эксклюзивов или исповедей родных, особенно учитывая, что Аманда Урбан желала, чтобы за биографию КМ взялся Уолтер Айзексон. Поэтому, в целом, я остался доволен, будто прочитал какой-то ауттейк Кормака, на время забыл о том, что его уже нет среди живых, а потом закончил последнюю главу и меня накрыла печаль утраты. Эти эмоции стоят благодарностей, ведь истории тоже зачастую состоят из пере-пере-пересказов.
Для первой биографии Маккарти, которая, в общем-то, даже могла быть написана при его жизни, книга Доэрти идеально держит тон — местами от текста тянет скорбью, особенно в середине и конце, на переломных моментах карьеры, от выборов и их последствий — не только для Кормака, но и его окружения.
Опять же, к чести Доэрти, он не ставит свою книгу особняком и открыто упоминает скорую авторизованную биографию Маккарти, которая будет написана Лоуренсом Гонзалесом (факт, который вполне вероятно также взят из такой же свежей потрясающей статьи Александра Сорондо), редактором Харри Крюза во времена Playboy. Получается, оценивая все плюсы и минусы, остается ощущение хорошей компиляции, книги слухов после факт-чекинга, с вкраплением авторских, порой утомительных, отступлений и мастерской работы с доступными архивами. То есть, хм, прямо говоря, здесь нет практически ничего из того, что осталось в закрытых архивах автора, не говоря о загадочном неизданном романе, который Деннис Маккарти, брат Кормака, собирался отдать на редактирование студентам — похоже, новость появилась уже после сдачи биографии издателю.
Безусловно, не каждому биографу по силам подступиться к такой закрытой глыбе как Маккарти ради неожиданных эксклюзивов или исповедей родных, особенно учитывая, что Аманда Урбан желала, чтобы за биографию КМ взялся Уолтер Айзексон. Поэтому, в целом, я остался доволен, будто прочитал какой-то ауттейк Кормака, на время забыл о том, что его уже нет среди живых, а потом закончил последнюю главу и меня накрыла печаль утраты. Эти эмоции стоят благодарностей, ведь истории тоже зачастую состоят из пере-пере-пересказов.
September 30, 2026
Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited is a rather in depth examination of Cormac.
Tracy Daugherty does a great job of delving into Cormacs life, family, friends, partners, books and influences. By doing so the reader gets a more layered insight of Cormac. The author tells us what book/writing projects he (Cormac) is working on, what friend/acquaintances are around, his whereabouts and depiction of living conditions. Also giving the reader understanding about the time period through stories about the towns or happenings in the world at that time.
The book covers 1933 to 2023. Includes childhood memories, his relationship with his family, schooling, jobs, friendships and relationships. Also his writing and publishing ups and downs. For the most part the author takes a neutral view on Cormacs life choices and decisions, presenting them rather then commenting on them.
I went into reading this with almost no knowledge of Cormac, having only heard his name from peoples top books you must read. I couldn't have told you what books he wrote, only that what he wrote was on the heavy/darker side. I now know a lot about this reclusive man. I learned about the relationships he avoided in life and the ones he frequented. I found out about his opinions on literature and writers. I got to smirk at the irony of a writer having communication difficulties. I enjoyed the insight into the publishing side of things.
Quickly who this book is not for, if you prefer Auto-biographies, this is not. (that would be very short indeed, "First name Cormac. Last name McCarthy. Job done" is how i imagine that would of gone). Also if you are looking for some hot takes on Cormac controversies, this book puts forth information from records and interviews, it doesn't seek to scandalize (my opinion, others may read it differently).
Who would i recommend read this book? If you like Biographies, if you like reading about authors, how they write and their struggles with it. If you would like a glimpse into how publishing has changed since the 60's. Or if you, like me, wanted to learn about the legacy that is Cormac McCarthy, this book is for you.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Tracy Daugherty does a great job of delving into Cormacs life, family, friends, partners, books and influences. By doing so the reader gets a more layered insight of Cormac. The author tells us what book/writing projects he (Cormac) is working on, what friend/acquaintances are around, his whereabouts and depiction of living conditions. Also giving the reader understanding about the time period through stories about the towns or happenings in the world at that time.
The book covers 1933 to 2023. Includes childhood memories, his relationship with his family, schooling, jobs, friendships and relationships. Also his writing and publishing ups and downs. For the most part the author takes a neutral view on Cormacs life choices and decisions, presenting them rather then commenting on them.
I went into reading this with almost no knowledge of Cormac, having only heard his name from peoples top books you must read. I couldn't have told you what books he wrote, only that what he wrote was on the heavy/darker side. I now know a lot about this reclusive man. I learned about the relationships he avoided in life and the ones he frequented. I found out about his opinions on literature and writers. I got to smirk at the irony of a writer having communication difficulties. I enjoyed the insight into the publishing side of things.
Quickly who this book is not for, if you prefer Auto-biographies, this is not. (that would be very short indeed, "First name Cormac. Last name McCarthy. Job done" is how i imagine that would of gone). Also if you are looking for some hot takes on Cormac controversies, this book puts forth information from records and interviews, it doesn't seek to scandalize (my opinion, others may read it differently).
Who would i recommend read this book? If you like Biographies, if you like reading about authors, how they write and their struggles with it. If you would like a glimpse into how publishing has changed since the 60's. Or if you, like me, wanted to learn about the legacy that is Cormac McCarthy, this book is for you.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As someone who enjoys learning about the lives behind the books, I found this biography of Cormac McCarthy both fascinating and surprisingly emotional. Rather than simply focusing on his literary achievements, it paints a portrait of a complicated, driven man whose dedication to his craft exacted a high personal cost.
The book follows McCarthy's journey from years of poverty and obscurity to becoming one of the most celebrated American writers of his generation. His successes, struggles, relationships, and sacrifices are all explored in a way that makes him feel far more than just a literary icon.
I especially appreciated how the biography doesn't shy away from the consequences of his choices throughout his life. It examines not only the impact those decisions had on McCarthy himself but also on the people closest to him. There is a sense of grief woven throughout parts of the narrative, particularly as it reflects on his later years and legacy.
The writing is accessible and thoughtfully organized, making it a great starting point for readers who want to better understand the man behind his novels.
Insightful, moving, and thoroughly engaging, this biography gave me a deeper appreciation for both McCarthy's work and the complicated life that shaped it.
Thank you so much St. Martin's Press, Tracy Daugherty, and NetGalley for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤
The book follows McCarthy's journey from years of poverty and obscurity to becoming one of the most celebrated American writers of his generation. His successes, struggles, relationships, and sacrifices are all explored in a way that makes him feel far more than just a literary icon.
I especially appreciated how the biography doesn't shy away from the consequences of his choices throughout his life. It examines not only the impact those decisions had on McCarthy himself but also on the people closest to him. There is a sense of grief woven throughout parts of the narrative, particularly as it reflects on his later years and legacy.
The writing is accessible and thoughtfully organized, making it a great starting point for readers who want to better understand the man behind his novels.
Insightful, moving, and thoroughly engaging, this biography gave me a deeper appreciation for both McCarthy's work and the complicated life that shaped it.
Thank you so much St. Martin's Press, Tracy Daugherty, and NetGalley for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Publishes Oct 6th!
I think that this biography is PERFECT for those who are more familar with McCarthy's work than I was. I felt like I was wading in a sea of references to places and characters that I haven't met yet and a lot of the biography was lost on me. I recognize this is a me issue, rather than the biographer who worked on this. For those familar with his works this will be really insightful read as to what inspired McCarthy and what drove his writing.
For a quick note on the way the biography was organized- it is not really linear and with the added "fun facts" and references to place, setting, people, and characters in his books I was completely lost as to I didn't even finish. I don't know who was the main editor on this, but the way it was structured felt disorganized and haphazard as a reader.
That being said, I think McCarthy is an interesting literary figure and having read only All the Pretty Horses and The Road, I think I have some homework to do (like read his other works) before I repick this biography up again. I gave it 2/3 stars because really I think the fault is mine here- however disorganized this biography appears to be.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC!
I think that this biography is PERFECT for those who are more familar with McCarthy's work than I was. I felt like I was wading in a sea of references to places and characters that I haven't met yet and a lot of the biography was lost on me. I recognize this is a me issue, rather than the biographer who worked on this. For those familar with his works this will be really insightful read as to what inspired McCarthy and what drove his writing.
For a quick note on the way the biography was organized- it is not really linear and with the added "fun facts" and references to place, setting, people, and characters in his books I was completely lost as to I didn't even finish. I don't know who was the main editor on this, but the way it was structured felt disorganized and haphazard as a reader.
That being said, I think McCarthy is an interesting literary figure and having read only All the Pretty Horses and The Road, I think I have some homework to do (like read his other works) before I repick this biography up again. I gave it 2/3 stars because really I think the fault is mine here- however disorganized this biography appears to be.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Tracy Daugherty put in the work to humanize an intensely reclusive man. Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited is unafraid to display the man’s flaws (to put it mildly) alongside his greatness. I was worried about how Daugherty would handle the Augusta Britt story, if at all, but the biographer has a steady hand in using her letters as one of many primary sources. Daugherty illuminates their “relationship” while disputing some of her claims about her supposed influence on McCarthy’s books.
There is much more material than the Britt story that is worth reading, though. To hear about Cormac’s upbringing, his relative poverty in his early career, his literary failures alongside his successes, his movement away from a creator of literature to a student of science, is quite fascinating. There are many legends to untangle. Daugherty builds on the acknowledged work of scholars like Dianne Luce with new interviews of many people who knew McCarthy in every period of his life.
This book is just about everything I would have wanted in a Cormac McCarthy biography. I would recommend it.
There is much more material than the Britt story that is worth reading, though. To hear about Cormac’s upbringing, his relative poverty in his early career, his literary failures alongside his successes, his movement away from a creator of literature to a student of science, is quite fascinating. There are many legends to untangle. Daugherty builds on the acknowledged work of scholars like Dianne Luce with new interviews of many people who knew McCarthy in every period of his life.
This book is just about everything I would have wanted in a Cormac McCarthy biography. I would recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This really opened my eyes about Cormac McCarthy. There were a lot of things I didn't know and a lot of things I thought I knew but were wrong. I had always thought Cormac and his father stopped speaking after the publication of Suttree, but that wasn't true. It was true that their relationship was strained, but the letters between them after the book came out shows they weren't really all that mad with each other. The most revealing part was the story of how Cormac's first book was miraculously published after the people at Random House found his manuscript in their slush pile and liked it. And of course the book goes into the Vanity Fair magazine story about Augusta Britt. It's true Cormac and Augusta had an affair while she was still a minor, but some of the things she said in that interview are likely untrue. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I think many of us are aware of Cormac McCarthy for his written works, however I had no clue about the life behind the making of the legend. This book goes in-depth into his literary accomplishments, but also delves into all the sacrifices he made when writing, and honestly, failures, in his personal and familial life. He allowed writing to consume him to such a point that he lost focus on interpersonal relationships. So while making himself a literary genious, he had great losses personally. I recommend this autobiography as there is so much I hadn't considered that people might face with literary fame and accolades. Tracy Daughtery does a masterful job in bringing a full view of this great man.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After reading Daugherty's opus on Larry McMurtry I knew this one would be an absolute banger, and if you're a big fan of Cormac McCarthy, even more so. There's historical/geographical information that really plays into the kind of writing Cormac did, not to mention it as being the foundation upon which he created most of his memorable characters. This one's a deep dive, folks, and, as McCarthy was a very private person, making up stories about his own life as he saw fit to fit the narrative, Daugherty magically extracts facts from what seems to be fiction, essentially drawing blood from stone. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reading Tracy Daugherty’s biography of Cormac McCarthy gave me a deeper appreciation for both McCarthy as a writer and the complexities of him as a person. Daugherty’s biography had me more deeply understanding how McCarthy’s experiences and relationships influenced his writing. I found the book thoughtful and sometimes challenging, but ultimately rewarding because it gave me a better understanding of the man behind some of the most powerful American literature. This biography made me want to return to McCarthy’s novels and read them with a greater awareness of where his ideas and voice came from.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, Cormac McCarthy. by Tracy Daugherty, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Cormac McCarthy is an American writer, I do not think I have read any of his books though. This was a very interesting read, I will have to check out Cormac McCarthy books.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A fantastic and well-researched man-behind-the-myth biography. Quick read, too, despite being long and comprehensive in scope. Looking forward to hand-selling this at my bookstore.
Did Not Finish
September 5, 2026Expired on netgalley…
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