Understanding Cormac McCarthy

by Steven Frye

Named by Harold Bloom as one of the most significant American novelists of our time, Cormac McCarthy has been honored with the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award for All the Pretty Horses, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Pulitzer Prize for The Road, and the coveted MacArthur Fellowship. Steven Frye offers a comprehensive treatment of McCarthy's fiction to date, dealing with the author's aesthetic and thematic concerns, his philosophical and religious influences, and his participation in Western literary traditions. Frye provides extensive readings of each novel, charting the trajectory of McCarthy's development as a writer who invigorates literary culture both past and present through a blend of participation, influence, and aesthetic transformation. Understanding Cormac McCarthy explores the early works of the Tennessee period in the context of the "romance" genre, the southern gothic and grotesque, as well as the carnivalesque. A chapter is devoted to Blood Meridian, a novel that marks McCarthy's transition to the West and his full recognition as a major force in American letters. In the final two chapters, Frye explores McCarthy's Border Trilogy and his later works-- specifically No Country for Old Men and The Road--addressing the manner in which McCarthy's preoccupation with violence and human depravity exists alongside a perpetual search for meaning, purpose, and value. Frye provides scholars, students, and general readers alike with a clearly argued foundational examination of McCarthy's novels in their historical and literary contexts as an ideal roadmap illuminating the author's work as it charts the dark and mythic topography of the American frontier.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Literature, Nonfiction, Biography, Philosophy, Southern Gothic

205 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Steven Frye teaches writing and American literature at California State University, Bakersfield. He has published short stories, articles, and essays in such journals as The Southern Quarterly, The Centennial Review, The South Carolina Review, and The Kentucky Review. He has written one novel, three books of nonfiction, and he has edited three volumes of collected essays, which are published by Cambridge University Press and the University of South Carolina Press. He works from his home in the high desert of Southern California, where he lives with his wife Kristin and his brown Labrador Retriever, Sam.

Reviews

[Drew Norwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The primary audience for this book is small—those who have read the Cormac McCarthy corpus—but for this group, Frye has a lot to offer.

Cormac McCarthy's novels work at several levels. At the surface, his writing is astounding and his stories are usually good (though not always--Outer Dark, Child of God). But, more than this, he uses his stories to develop themes that are central to our humanity. Though the context is usually bleak, dark, and violent, McCarthy seems always committed to a firm moral order, transcendent truth and beauty, and hope rather than despair. At first blush, McCarthy seems preoccupied with darkness and human depravity but it is only because, for him, "meaning, purpose, and value, if they are to be found, must be sought in darkness." [Thankfully,“light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”, John 1:5.] His novels are full of life's important questions and there are multiple layers to each book. This is why I think McCarthy is our best living novelist, and this is why Stephen Frye's book is worth reading.

[Chris Campion · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good scholarly overview of both Cormac's life and his works. Frye breaks down in good length each novel from The Orchard Keeper up to The Road. He touches upon Cormac's plays, but not that much in depth. Chapters are broken down by understanding the author (intro), southern works, Into the west (Blood Meridian), the border trilogy, and later works (No Country, The Road, etc).

The book describes each novel's plot, positive and negative reviews (NY Times, etc.), commentary by literary scholars, interviews, and meanings and interpretations of the novel's major themes, character developments, and plot points. He also gives you insight into where McCarthy was both geographically and career-wise when he was either writing or researching his next piece. Frye cites such Cormac influences as Faulkner, Flannery O'Conner and other southern gothic and southern grotesque writers, as well as greats such as Dostoyevsky and Melville. He also sheds light on some of the origins of Cormac's philosophical influences such as Hegel and Kierkegaard as well as some of his scientific interests such as Chaos Theory.

Frye gives you, more or less, a crash course in understanding each of McCarthy's works and overall evolution as a writer. Frye writes in heavy scholarly prose with sometimes multi-page paragraphs of which you'd find in an MLA journal and the like. At times, I wish he could have delved deeper into each work. But, in Frye's defense, each of Cormac's novels would probably require their very own volume, and the book is just one of many within the Contemporary American Literature collection. Nevertheless, I found the majority of the book quite interesting and I really liked reading the biographical information on this elusive and sui generis of a writer. It was cool to read Frye and say to myself, "Yeah, I thought that too! OK. I'm not crazy!" : )

In the end, not only will you understand a little bit more of what's going on in Cormac's oeuvre (with the exception of The Counselor), but I think you'll also understand the author himself a bit more. To me, he now seems to be a writer in the purest sense. Although he's finally enjoying much-awaited commercial success (which I can't knock him for because even genius writers have to buy groceries) and seems to be a writer whom is concerned not so much with a bestseller but with what his works can mean to a person and/or the world on an artistic, intellectual, and even spiritual level. I don't think he really cares about great success in terms of a fat bank account or #1 NY Times best seller. I really think his mission in life is to completely devote himself to writing the best fiction possible while hopefully trying to keep some kind of mystery, hope, truth, and beauty in this world alive. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he wins the Nobel prize some day.

To conclude, I think any serious reader of McCarthy's work should definitely read Frye's work!

*A typo I spotted: Frye claims No Country for Old Men takes place in 1982. It actually takes place in 1980. I'm sure it's a simple oversight or typo, but couldn't help point it out. In all, it doesn't take away from this commendable work of literary scholarship.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molto chiaro e completo

[Derrick Jeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those not accustom to literary studies, Frye's book can be dense in places, covering such topics as theology (including Judeo-Christian and Gnosticism), philosophy, history, and literature. However, it is a wonderful introduction to the even more dense and philosophical storytelling of one of America's greatest novelists. Without doubt, Frye's book ought to be on the shelf of every McCarthy fan.

[Michael Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best analysis of McCathy and his considerable oeuvre that I’ve come across. The chapter on Blood Meridian is the most insightful consideration I’ve read — and I’ve read many. Note: this was published prior to The Passenger and Stella Maris. Highly recommend for McCarthy fans.

[C.G. Fewston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sharp and detailed account of McCarthy's career and works. Intelligently written and offers deep insight into some pretty complex theories and themes McCarthy has incorporated into his books. A recommend for anyone seeking a better understanding into McCarthy and his works.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, well rounded look at McCarthy's career and each of his books.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to McCarthy's works for scholars and upper level students.

[Gerald McFarland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid introduction to this prolific and extraordinary author's books and plays. Gives you an overview from which you can choose which books to read.