No Country for Old Men

by Cormac McCarthy

Excellent. My favorite by McCarthy. Blood Meridian was probably better as an opus, but this was a lot more fun and compelling. The movie is VERY true to the book. The book has more of Sherriff Bell’s inner thoughts as he is getting older, interspersed between chapters.

If I’d started underlining things, I would have marked up the whole book, but here are a few things I noted:

Sherriff Bell describes meeting a woman at a conference once who kept going on and on.

[She said] I dont like the way this country is headed. I want my granddaughter to be able to have an abortion. And I said well mam I dont think you got any worries about the way the country is headed. The way I see it goin I dont have much doubt but what she'll be able to have an abortion. I'm goin to say that not only will she be able to have an abortion, she'll be able to have you put to sleep. Which pretty much ended the conversation. (197)

Trust me, Moss said.

I hate hearin them words, the driver said. I always did.

Have you ever said them?

Yeah. I've said em. That's how come I know what they're worth. (209)

A well-known quote I like: “Anyway, you never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” (267) This is spoken by Bell’s uncle Ellis, reflecting on his life, becoming a deputy, and being shot to where he can’t walk. (Yes, I know my grammar is bad there. It is very hard for me not to adopt the way these characters speak! I love it and it feels very familiar.)

“It’s a life’s work to see yourself for who you really are, and even then you might be wrong.” (295)

These old people I talk to, if you could of told em that there would be people on the streets of our Texas towns with green hair and bones in their noses speakin a language they couldnt even understand, well, they just flat out wouldnt of believe you. But what if you'd of told them it was their own grandchildren? Well, all of that is signs and wonders... (295)