Best Show allusions in Cormac McCarthy's new book, The Road

[B_Buster]

There's lots of talk of "good guys" and "bad guys" in McCarthy's new one. And cannibalism (Good Guys don't eat people). I'm not so sure the "good guys" are gonna win this one though. I'll keep you posted.

[Chris L]

This is the next thing I'm going to read.  If anyone dies in a car fire, you know there's plagarism afoot. 

[emilyrides]

The 'allusions' are just another example of Cormac McCarthy's horrificly hackneyed writing style that repeats itself book after book.  His talk of 'Good Guys' and 'Bad Guys' is just another brick in his tower of Pseudo=Macho Hemingway Wannabe Cowboy Speak.  He shouldn't even be allowed to hold a crayon.

[B_Buster]

Yeah, McCarthy's a hack. And Blood Meridian and Suttree aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Right.

Who would you rather give the crayons to, emilyrides? Just curious who's at the top of your tower.

[G. Lynn]

I wouldn't deride Cormac unless you want Sean Penn to show up at your house and smoke indoors or make you sit through At Close Range while he makes comments about Christopher Walken's hair.

[bruce]

Who would you rather give the crayons to, emilyrides? Just curious who's at the top of your tower.

I bet these words apppear in her post Brown and Da Vinci

[Grimlock]

skagg winesack  sounds like he crawled out of blood meridian

[Chris L]

skagg winesack  sounds like he crawled out of blood meridian

Well, both Skag and Suttree lived on boats.  I haven't heard about Skag getting his head smashed with a floorbuffer yet though, so I'd say Suttree is slightly more hardcore at this point.

Wait, I just remembered the main character in Blood Meridian is called "The Kid."  McCarthy's whole ouevre may be more similar to the Best Show than we realize.  What's next?  Will we find out Judge Holden was based on Judge Smails from "Caddyshack?"  "Sit down, Danny...*scalp*"

[Grimlock]

Now, if only Philly Boy Roy would start wandering the earth as a baby-stealing tinker...

[Jason]

Now, if only Philly Boy Roy would start wandering the earth as a baby-stealing tinker...

The Gorch already wanders the earth as babe stealing tinker.

[Grimlock]

Is that where he's been?

[emilyrides]

Yeah, McCarthy's a hack. And Blood Meridian and Suttree aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Right.

Who would you rather give the crayons to, emilyrides? Just curious who's at the top of your tower.

My favorite writer still alive and kicking at the moment is William T Vollman. He is miles ahead of everyone else with a pen in their hand. 'Rising Up and Rising Down' is brilliant, people will be reading that as long as there are people to read. Tim O'Brien's work is really moving, though somewhat depressing. John Crowley's 'Little,Big' is a good modern experimental work.  I'm somewhat of a classicist at hear, so my all time favorites would be Jane Austen, Cicero, Faulkner, Addison and Steele, Aphra Behn and Dante.   

I just feel that many authors are populat because they have a huge hype machine behind them, but their work, as with McCarthy has very little substance.

[B_Buster]

I think you may be looking more at the hype than at McCarthy's work (and he certainly hasn't been "hyped" his entire career). Have you read any of his early books? If you're a fan of Faulkner, I don't see how you couldn't enjoy those. So, he's finally getting some recognition. He's an old man, for God's sake. Would you begrudge the guy a final victory lap? And he's hardly resting on his laurels like other older writers. The Road is one of his best books.

I've read Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Great book.

Vollman I've put off for various reasons. First, it seems like all his books are 2,000 pages long (did you read the multi-vol. Rising Up and Rising Down or the condensed version?). Second, I've only read one story by him about his time with prostitutes in the Far East. Frankly, the guy struck me as a bit of a John Mark Karr-like creep. I'll give him a try on your endorsement (probably Europe Central or the condensed Rising Up and Rising Down).

[Tom Scharpling]

For the record, none of these guys can hold a candle to Dave Barry when it comes to writing. First of all, he doesn't even use a pen! He's got a laptop. Laptops are better than pens - science has proven that.

And secondly, has Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy ever been on their own book cover wearing a powdered wig or sitting on a toilet? Funny book jackets are better than serious book jackets - again, scientific studies bear this out to be true.

So get on the Barry Train, people. Might I recommend DAVE BARRY TURNS 50, or DAVE BARRY IS NOT TAKING THIS SITTING DOWN (the one with him on the toilet).

Tom.

[JP]

For the record, none of these guys can hold a candle to Dave Barry when it comes to writing. First of all, he doesn't even use a pen! He's got a laptop. Laptops are better than pens - science has proven that.

And secondly, has Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy ever been on their own book cover wearing a powdered wig or sitting on a toilet? Funny book jackets are better than serious book jackets - again, scientific studies bear this out to be true.

So get on the Barry Train, people. Might I recommend DAVE BARRY TURNS 50, or DAVE BARRY IS NOT TAKING THIS SITTING DOWN (the one with him on the toilet).

Tom.

Science has also proven that anyone who is referred to as a "humorist" is not funny.