A must-read classic Western

When I think of Westerns, I think of John Wayne and maybe Clint Eastwood. I think of hokey films where the only women are prostitutes and the only men who do good are big white guys with strong jaws. It might be a generational thing, but I've never much liked the genre. I therefore read All The Pretty Horses with more than a little trepidation. Cormac McCarthy's writing style doesn't make it easy to dive on in and get swept up in tale, either. (His unusual punctuation and lyrical prose is wonderful once you get into it, but it takes a moment or two to get used to it.)

However, it soon becomes clear that All The Pretty Horses is more than a "Western," and in fact it is a wonderful account of John Grady Cole, who travels from south Texas into Mexico. The book covers his journey, those that he meets, etc.

It's amazing, and relatively unlike any other book you've read. At times, the camaraderie between Cole and his friends that he meets is charming and funny; at other times, the life and trek is so brutal and so violent that it is horrifying. At all times, you are completely swept up in the tale.
The strength of the book is, of course, in the story. However, it is almost as equally so in the prose -- McCarthy's writing style blends and flows in a way that evokes a personal, intense emotion. When I think back on this book, I think of how it made me feel, and how wrapped up I got in it - not necessarily about what happened or great scenes in the book.

I've since tried twice to read the follow-up book to this, The Crossing. It didn't have the same impact on me, though people I know swear by it. What's clear is that All The Pretty Horses will be a tough movie to make (coming soon with, I believe, Matt Damon). Grab the book first and enjoy McCarthy's grand vision.