Jacob santos
Updated a reading goal:
Read 12 books by December 31, 2026
Progress so far: 6 / 12 50%
I read this book over a 3 days period while sat at the pool on holiday,
McCarthy is very clever in how he sets up the scenes as he refuses to give you the endings you want, and example of this is how we see a moral side of Moss finally
open up to the girl. Usually, you’d expect a final dramatic showdown, instead we learn of the brutal death of the two through the eye of Bell, which removes all senses of personality from Moss, who until this point was the main antagonist. This scene hits harder as this is where Moss became less of “the man with the money” and more a real person with morals, hopes and flaws, just for McCarthy to cut that thread immediately.
Carla Jeans fate is also similarly unsettling as McCarthy gives her the novels strongest moral moment, where she refuses to accept Chigurhs world view and exposes flaws in his philosophy, its bigger than two characters talking it’s two ways of understanding the world, Chigurh’s encounter with Carla Jean best illustrates his philosophy. He sees the coin toss not as something that creates fate, but as something that reveals a destiny that has already been determined. This belief allows him to distance himself from guilt, as he convinces himself that he is merely carrying out what was always inevitable. Carla argues “The coin doesn’t have agency, you do” Which strips away the philosophy he hides behind. Everyone Chigurh meets is trapped inside his rules, they argue about odds and accept the premise the coin matters, Carla Jean is the only person who rejects this, which brutally doesn’t save her, but she wins morally, as it happened because she chose it.
Bell is also a strange one, earlier i mentioned, up until now Moss was the protagonist, but once you finish the Novel you understand the book is really about Bell, initially his chapters seem like a break in the action, but later you realise it’s about a man confronting a world he no longer understands, whether the worlds changed or he has, this is why he retires and never tries to bring Chigurh to justice, hence the title No Country For Old Men.
In conclusion, No Country for Old Men is a chilling novel about how fate, violence and morality don’t care who you are. I’m writing this while sitting in the sun in Cyprus, which feels strangely fitting for a novel that reminds us the world keeps turning, regardless of where we are or what we expect.
I read this book over a 3 days period while sat at the pool on holiday,
McCarthy is very clever in how he sets up the scenes as he refuses to give you the endings you want, and example of this is how we see a moral side of Moss finally
open up to the girl. Usually, you’d expect a final dramatic showdown, instead we learn of the brutal death of the two through the eye of Bell, which removes all senses of personality from Moss, who until this point was the main antagonist. This scene hits harder as this is where Moss became less of “the man with the money” and more a real person with morals, hopes and flaws, just for McCarthy to cut that thread immediately.
Carla Jeans fate is also similarly unsettling as McCarthy gives her the novels strongest moral moment, where she refuses to accept Chigurhs world view and exposes flaws in his philosophy, its bigger than two characters talking it’s two ways of understanding the world, Chigurh’s encounter with Carla Jean best illustrates his philosophy. He sees the coin toss not as something that creates fate, but as something that reveals a destiny that has already been determined. This belief allows him to distance himself from guilt, as he convinces himself that he is merely carrying out what was always inevitable. Carla argues “The coin doesn’t have agency, you do” Which strips away the philosophy he hides behind. Everyone Chigurh meets is trapped inside his rules, they argue about odds and accept the premise the coin matters, Carla Jean is the only person who rejects this, which brutally doesn’t save her, but she wins morally, as it happened because she chose it.
Bell is also a strange one, earlier i mentioned, up until now Moss was the protagonist, but once you finish the Novel you understand the book is really about Bell, initially his chapters seem like a break in the action, but later you realise it’s about a man confronting a world he no longer understands, whether the worlds changed or he has, this is why he retires and never tries to bring Chigurh to justice, hence the title No Country For Old Men.
In conclusion, No Country for Old Men is a chilling novel about how fate, violence and morality don’t care who you are. I’m writing this while sitting in the sun in Cyprus, which feels strangely fitting for a novel that reminds us the world keeps turning, regardless of where we are or what we expect.
very very very good read
incredible
