If you haven’t read Cormac McCarthy, that needs to change. His prose simply has no equal. The man was an actual, honest-to-god, national treasure. He was so formative for me as an author, and I’m just gutted by his death.
Be warned: if you’re going to attempt to read one of his books, you need to make sure that you have the time and space to give it proper attention. His work is heavy, like a slab of lead, and you need to be sure to give yourself extra time to digest things. But it’s so, so rewarding.
I read The Road and really enjoyed it, but then I tried Blood Meridian and absolutely could not follow it. I don’t know what it was, but it was like I knew all the words but couldn’t parse the meaning of the sentences. I have two friends who also put it down for the same reason.
I’ve been reading a lot more recently, so I plan on coming back to Blood Meridian. Maybe with more books under my belt I’ll be able to concentrate better or something.