The last volume is good.

However, when compared to the profound philosophizing in The Crossing, which was truly invaluable, some of the late dialogue in the last volume is a bit lacking.

The naive hope and brutal events that occur in Cities of the Plain somewhat overshadow the qualities present in the first two volumes.

If you haven't read these books, you are indeed missing out on something truly rare in the world of novels.

These works offer a unique blend of thought-provoking ideas, vivid characters, and engaging storylines.

The Crossing, in particular, stands out with its deep exploration of philosophical concepts, while the other volumes contribute their own distinct elements to the overall narrative.

Reading these books can provide a rich and rewarding experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in a world of literary excellence.

So, don't miss the opportunity to discover the treasures hidden within these pages.

**Cavalli Selvaggi**

(published on July 12, 2010)
✰✰✰✰✰

Paraphrasing Leopardi, “Canto notturno di un cowboy errante in Messico”. The starry sky, the crackling of the fire, the silence of the deserts, the powerful beauty of the mustangs galloping across the endless plains; McCarthy's poetry unfolds wild like a cactus flower... The story of John Grady and his companion Rawlins in the violent and dusty post-revolutionary Mexico is incredibly realistic. As you read, you can feel the breath of the horses, the hot rain on the skin, and feel pain with every wound. McCarthy pulls you out of your armchair like few other writers can. His prose is seductive and compelling, clear, warm, and burning like the sunset over the mesa, pungent like the mescales. An extraordinary book that approaches, without exaggeration or the slightest hint of reverential timidity, the best of Steinbeck and Fante.

**Oltre il Confine**

(published on July 26, 2010)
✰✰✰✰✰ (with praise)

While my heart was exulting for Cavalli Selvaggi, carried away by the strong emotion of a tortilla-western poem, here I find myself letting the palpitations subside and considering the other side of McCarthy. This man is not just a taciturn cowboy with a warm heart and a happy pen; this man is a scholar, a philosopher, and in some ways, a fine theologian. Oltre il Confine (an imperfect translation for The Crossing, which better conveys the sense of continuous crossing, since it is by no means a single and definitive crossing of the border) is undoubtedly the heavyweight of this trilogy. The epic tale of the restless Billy Parham between Old and New Mexico is a coming-of-age novel about the harshness of a world already in decline. And in this burning and twilight framework, McCarthy decidedly breaks free from every label of stylistic simplicity. It is by no means an easy western. He projects philosophical gems with wisdom and efficacy into his tight, simple, and punctuationless dialogues. Majestic lights in a scorched land, just like the play of sunsets over old Mexico. In an alternation of unforgettable encounters, from that with the wolf (echoes of Jack London) to the old rancher, the priest with his cats and the story of the hermit, the young Mexican girl with her pitiful bundle, the blind man of the Revolution, the drunk patriot with his chest decorated with lead, the gypsies with their fascinating stories about the search for the biplane in the primordial mountains, Billy Parham is the last witness of a magical and tragic world, without redemption and full of ghosts. “To be a witness”, this could ultimately be the essence of this extraordinary novel. Even God would not exist without witnesses, the priest affirms in an abandoned and semi-destroyed church by the earthquake. The witness gives to posterity a reality that would otherwise be forgotten. Like the sepia-colored photos hanging on the gypsy wagon, the last testimony of lives without heirs to cultivate their memory. So Billy Parham from Cloverdale is a witness of an ancient world, a simply glorious character; Billy of few words, a big heart, intelligent curiosity, crosses that border more than once, and he doesn't know the destination. Billy, the icon of courage, who is not afraid of being killed, who doesn't need to kill to be a hero.

**Città della Pianura**

(not finished)
s.v.

“Otra vez!” - says Billy Parham when he wants to offer another round of whisky. Reading the third of the Trilogy is a bit like giving in to that invitation. But with Città della Pianura, I got stuck at a quarter of the reading. In my opinion, it is not up to the level of the other two works; it lacks the tastiest ingredient, the solitary journey of a gringo and his horse. If I can be of any use, I recommend you to take the first two volumes separately.

Rewriting a famous title of McCarthy, these are not books for impatient people. There are three independent stories. The third one is the ideal continuation of the first two, but it can also be read alone. So why put them together in a volume of over 1000 pages? Because to read these stories, one needs a step, a rhythm. And when you have acquired it, it is difficult to part with it. Three stories made of cold, dust, blood, horses, alcohol, nights outdoors, minimal dialogues and dialogues about the meaning of the world. For page after page, small things happen, but everything that happens is exactly functional to the tragedy that will punctually come to pass. Announced tragedies, declared epilogues, characters who do not shy away from a bad destiny, but rather seek it, convinced of doing the right thing. A masterful writing that is not concerned with making life easy for the reader but literally throws him into the middle of the story. No one explains to us who the characters are, where we are, what happened yesterday, the antecedents and the premises. We are inside, and we observe what happens, we listen to the words, we know the protagonists by how they act and by what they say. It takes patience to read this book, but the reward for those who persevere is a ride of freedom, an immersion in a majestic narrative flow, an absolute satisfaction of the senses and the mind.

If you have a penchant for extremely long monologues that seem to go on forever without really moving the plot forward, and yet are somehow sprinkled within extremely flat narratives that do manage to progress in a rather lackluster way, then these books might just be the perfect fit for you.

These literary works offer a unique experience for those who are not deterred by the slow pace and the meandering nature of the storytelling. The long monologues can provide deep insights into the characters' thoughts and emotions, although they may not contribute much to the overall development of the plot.

The flat narratives, on the other hand, may lack the excitement and drama that some readers crave, but they do have their own charm. They can offer a more realistic and down-to-earth portrayal of life, with all its mundanity and simplicity.

If you are willing to embrace this style of writing and are looking for something different from the typical fast-paced and action-packed novels, then these books could be a great choice.

Cormac McCarthy is a renowned author who has a unique writing style. When we say "Cormac doing Cormac," it implies that he is engaged in his characteristic way of creating literature.

The beginning of "The Crossing" is truly a remarkable and emotionally challenging passage. It stands out as one of the most difficult sections to handle emotionally among all the novels I have ever read.

To fully understand and appreciate this novel, it is advisable to bring along an English/Spanish dictionary. This is because some of the most crucial and impactful passages in the book are written in Spanish.

McCarthy's use of language, both English and Spanish, adds depth and complexity to the story. It forces the reader to engage with the text on a deeper level and grapple with the emotions and ideas that he presents.

The combination of the powerful narrative and the bilingual nature of the text makes "The Crossing" a truly unforgettable reading experience.

A great book from a great writer.

Although it is a big read, it is interesting from start to finish.

Especially when the stories start coming together, it has a Quentin Tarantino style.

The big themes in this book are fate, love, and death, which are worked out in an almost philosophical way.

The author explores these themes with great depth and nuance, making the reader think about their own lives and experiences.

One of the most powerful quotes in the book is ‘Every deed that is not from the heart will be exposed eventually’.

This quote really stuck with me and made me realize the importance of being true to oneself and following one's heart.

Overall, this is a must-read book for anyone who loves great literature and wants to be challenged and inspired.

I am deeply in love with this book.

I have just completed crossing (2nd part), and I will soon embark on reading The Cities of the Plane.

The philosophical musings within these pages are truly captivating. The vivid descriptions of the scenery transport me to another world.

The characters of John Grady Cole and Billy Parham are so well-developed that I feel as if I know them personally. Their tryst with their destiny is both tragic and beautiful.

It is truly a beautiful requiem that leaves a lasting impression on my heart and mind.

I cannot wait to see what further adventures and insights await me in The Cities of the Plane.

My vote - apparently low and countertrend compared to the extremely high Anobian average - is an average of the votes of the three volumes (All the Pretty Horses ***, The Crossing ****, Cities of the Plain **), read one after the other in an attempt to identify the thread of the trilogy.

McCarthy asks the reader for a not insignificant effort when one realizes that his West is not the adventurous and romantic one of John Wayne's films, but is a frontier West in every sense. The frontier is that which separates the USA from Mexico, the frontier is the age that all the protagonists live through, passing from adolescence to adulthood, the frontier is that which separates good from evil, the frontier is that temporal one in a "late" West that no longer lives the era of discovery, but glimpses its end with the pickups that flank the horses and the world wars that make up the recent past of all the events.

McCarthy's atypical West is the realm of the vaqueros rather than the gunfighters: the bullets are few, while the meals of beans and tortillas eaten outdoors abound. It is a world that hears the echo of the approaching modernity and yet rejects it, taking refuge in the echoes of a glorious past: the search for some missing horses, of a brother, of a friend, the relationship with a wounded wolf (the echoes of Jack London are astonishing!), the impossible love with a prostitute, are all expedients to cling to an era on the verge of extinction. The protagonists, who by age today we would define as little more than adolescents, speak and act like adults: this was required by the life of that time and perhaps today the comparison makes us smile.

McCarthy portrays a way of life, or rather portrays THE life of these young men. And life cannot be made only of epic deeds, great loves and terrible vendettas as in the films: life is also made of work, of suffering, of boredom, of more or less significant encounters (in this sense some pages of The Crossing are memorable). And, as happens in life, the events cannot be linked together (in a trilogy, for example) except with a mental construction. So read these novels by McCarthy, but do it separately and at a distance in time and without looking for a single meaning that unites these three beautiful stories.

What can I add to over 3000 ratings and nearly as many reviews all adding to a high 4?

I truly adored the format of The Crossing, which the experts have dubbed a picaresque style. It was an extremely challenging exploration of my expectations regarding what a novel should entail. However, it was completely engaging and filled with thought-provoking philosophy.

Quite apart from the philosophical depths that Mr McCarthy delves into, he also tells a ripping good story. The grande finale, which is the knife fight, is complete with McCarthy's signature gore and brilliant prose. I would much rather have a poet who writes prose any day!

There, after reading all of this, do you now have the desire to pick up this book and give it a read? I truly believe that once you do, you will be just as captivated as I was by its unique charm and engaging narrative.

Don't miss out on this literary gem that has received such high praise from so many readers. Give it a chance and see for yourself why it has become such a beloved and highly regarded work of fiction.

Perhaps, it was the strength of the two prior novels in ‘The Crossing Trilogy’ that set my expectations high. Maybe, it was my excitement at both major characters from the previous novels coming together in this third book that made me eager to devour every page. Potentially, I had a pre-conceived idea of how I felt their story should unfold.

Because for the first time reading a Cormac McCarthy book, I was struggling. For the first half of this book, although, as always beautifully written, with his masterful use of language painting vivid pictures in my mind, although, still finding such delight in being with these characters I have come so far with, I just could not get a feel for where this was going and it felt a little aimless.

But only a fool would doubt a writer this magnificent. As the story progressed, it became clear that the slow build here was necessary to pay off what was one of the most incredible last thirds I have ever read. The emotions it evoked were so intense that I was moved to tears. It was profound, powerful and gut wrenching. There are honestly not enough superlatives in the dictionary to capture the magnificence of this trio of novels. Each one is a work of art, and together they form a literary masterpiece that will be cherished for years to come.

Probably, this is the work of McCarthy's that I have struggled with the most. His first novel was absolutely wonderful, filled with captivating prose and engaging storylines. The second one was equally crushing, leaving a profound impact on me. However, the third one was just okay. McCarthy's writing style, which is usually so powerful and evocative, didn't seem to mesh well with the large number of characters he had on the page. It felt as if the story devolved into some strange exponential growth of dreams, and I found myself unable to quite grasp the meaning behind them. The complexity of the characters and the convoluted nature of the dreams made it a challenging read for me.

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

It took me FOREVER to finish it. And O MY LORD, why is there no translation for the Spanish? It is intensely frustrating.

However, on the other hand, there are other parts that are very moving and poignant. They serve as an evocative illustration of life.

I am glad to have finally finished this book. And yet, I think it will also stay with me.

It's a strange combination of emotions. The struggle to get through it due to the lack of Spanish translation, but also the recognition of its beauty and depth in certain passages.

This book has left a lasting impression on me, despite the difficulties I faced while reading it.

It makes me reflect on the complexity of life and the power of literature to both frustrate and touch our hearts.