Perspectives on Cormac McCarthy (Southern Quarterly Series)

Originally published in 1993 this was the first volume of essays devoted to the works of Cormac McCarthy. Immediately it was recognized as a major contribution to studies of this acclaimed American author. American Literary Scholarship hailed it as a model of its kind. It has since established itself as an essential source for any McCarthy scholar student or serious reader. In 1993 McCarthy had recently published All the Pretty Horses (1992) the award-winning first volume of the Border Trilogy. The second volume The Crossing appeared in 1994 and the concluding novel Cities of the Plain in 1998. The completion of the trilogy one of the most significant artistic achievements in recent American literature calls for further consideration of McCarthys career. This revised volume therefore contains in addition to the original essays a new version of Gail Morrisons article on All the Pretty Horses plus two original essays by the editors of The Crossing (Luce) and Cities of the Plain (Arnold). With the exception of McCarthys drama The Stonemason (1994) all the major publications are covered in this collection. Cormac McCarthy is now firmly established as one of the masters of American literature. His first four novels his screenplay The Gardeners Son and his drama The Stonemason are all set in the South. Starting with Blood Meridian (1985) he moved west to the border country of Texas and Old and New Mexico to create masterpieces of the western genre. Few writers have so completely and successfully described such different locales customs and people. Yet McCarthy is no regionalist. His work centers on the essential themes of self-determination faith courage and the quest for meaning in an often violent and tragic world. For his readers wishing to know McCarthys works this collection is both an introduction and an overview.