perfect book

I first read ALL THE PRETTY HORSES several years ago. The next thing I did was read it again. McCarthy's language stuns. He is thoroughly original in his presentation, in his voice, in his truths. I have since read other works by him, and his talent shows even deeper, particularly in the strange and disturbing CHILD OF GOD (which is NOT another ALL THE PRETTY HORSES and is nearly certain to offend some readers of the latter). ALL THE PRETTY HORSES is story first, but the language and style is ever-present. It is music or poetry ever-present in the telling of the tale. He uses no quotation marks for dialogue and uses Spanish dialogue without providing translation. This adds to the feel of the book, which is set on the U.S./Mexican border pre-World War II. The hero is larger-than-life, with inner grit. On reflection, I have to admit that the characterization here does not touch that of, say, Naguib Mahfouz (see my review of PALACE WALK). McCarthy keeps some distance from his characters, possibly to the detriment of his storytelling. But it doesn't stop this from being a highly satisfying read.