Koni, koni--

First Cormac McCarthy book I’ve read and his style could not be ignored from page one. First McCarthy writes these long never ending sentences describing the western landscape, which put the reader in the mood of the times. Second his dialog doesn’t have much punctuation and is interlaced with Spanish. I didn’t love the style, but found acceptance.
The story: a different take on the journey motif. The young man left with few choices, decides to go to a foreign country. In the foreign country he faces a series of trails. He consummates with the most desirable female of that land. However, he can’t take her back. There is a consolation prize; horses. He is as infatuation with horses as women. So while he doesn’t get the girl, he gets a horse.
I don’t know how much he really changes. It’s not the classic journey or bildungsroman. There is the Dances with Wolves piece where he takes the foreign woman, which is the same as the Avatar however, there isn’t a lot of reflection on feelings here – these are the last cowboys. There is a story of two friends on a journey, they stick with each other, until they have to split, but reunite.
The story takes place in 1949. So while the west of horses and cattle will disappear in a few years, maybe longer to the south in Mexico, there is no reflection or foreshadowing here.
The author engages the reader in a believable world just to the south of Texas - a gritty reality of cowboys, Mexicans and class consciousness.
I would recommend it.