Jesse Munoz

This is a fantastic essay, Mariana. McCarthy has written two books (Blood Meridian and The Road) that are among my favorite reads … and that I probably could not force myself to read again! I came away from both novels mentally exhausted. Have you seen the adaptation of The Road? I was rather ambivalent about it but I did think it more or less hit the mood of the book. As for Blood Meridian, I just don’t know how some of the novel’s most effective and strange scenes (the Judge dancing naked comes to mind) translate to film. And the epilogue is a brilliant poetic page, full of foreboding … how does a filmmaker approach that? Some of the directors listed in the comments above are compelling, but it would really take a massive dose of chuzpah to tackle this difficult novel.

Thanks again for a great article.

Thank you for this fantastic look at McCullin’s photography and philosophy. McCullin’s admission that he doesn’t feel he’s changed humanity for the better is a powerful one and it certainly compels you to view his work with a deeper sense of clarity. The power of his work is compounded when remembering that he feels great shame in humanity’s penchant for destruction.

As I look at the photos you’ve chosen for your article, I am impressed with the sparseness of McCullin’s work. Several of the pictures remind me that once the veneer and myth of war is stripped away, what you see are the faces that reveal more than words could ever hope to.

Thanks again, Ryan, for a compelling article.

Kyle, that’s certainly the novel upon which Rhys’s reputation seems to rest.

Keila, I saw that correlation as well. That’s why I included a couple of quotes from that poem. I’m glad you saw that connection as well.

Thank you for the kind words, Aliya! I hope you do pick up the book soon. I’d love to get your thoughts on it.

Thank you for a brilliant article, Aliya! I have a similar issue with short story collections. I absolutely agree with your assertion that the emotional whallop of a short story should not be underestimated. For me, when I finish a particularly effective novel, Ill go a day or so without picking up something new because I have to create that emotional distance from the work before I can move on. With a short story collection, that becomes quite a challenge! After three or four straight short stories, I feel exhausted. As others have written, you really pinpoint this feeling.

Again, thanks for such an illuminating article!

Jesse Munoz

Thank you, Oleta. You may definitely need a glass of wine after finishing the novel.

Camille, thanks for a fascinating list! I have to admit I’ve not heard of Noughts and Crosses, but I’ll be sure to track it down. 1984 certainly belongs on this list; one of the things that really surprised by when I read it was how human the story is. There is a very effective love story integrated within the more famous facets of the book.

Again, fantastic list!