Play Book Tag discussion

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy - 4* - My Review

This novel is purportedly about a professional salvage diver discovering a submerged small plane in which all the passengers have died, and one appears to be missing. The initial setup as a mystery exists to spur the reader’s interest, but it rapidly recedes into the background. We then find ourselves immersed in the sad strange life of Robert Western and his beloved deceased sister Alicia. His sister was mentally ill and died by suicide and Robert is consumed with grief. The siblings were the children of a scientist who worked with Robert Oppenheimer on the atomic bomb project. The storyline follows Robert’s life and troubles. He appears to be pursued by shadowy figures and is in trouble with the IRS. Robert’s story alternates with Alicia’s experiences in a mental institution, the voices she hears, and recurring mental breakdowns.

This novel is more of a philosophical exploration of life. Themes include the nature of perceptions and reality, the fluidity of time, grief, guilt, suffering and attempts to alleviate it. Robert has experienced great loss, which has left him feeling lost, confused, and alone. These feelings lead to conversations about the meaning of life, the nature of death, and the possibility of an afterlife. It is no surprise that the author wrote this book toward the end of his life. I enjoyed the prose, the dialogue, and the premise, but found my attention wandering at times. It is a deep and complex book that would lend itself well to literary analyses.

PBT Steeplechase - tagged "western" x5:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

PBT May BWF Extra M and tagged "crime" x5:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...