This tiny little book won't leave me alone.

It's a modern reflection, in the style of Cormac, on the existence of God, the meaning of life, faith or lack thereof, and divine justice.

It reminds me of Job (the archetype of the man who questions what is written above), sitting on a pile of filth on the edge of the village, scratching a kind of scab with a shard while wondering why God is so cruel to him, a faithful servant and better than the righteous, and if all this makes sense. He even comes to doubt the very existence of God, because if He behaves like this towards him, either He doesn't exist or the world is run by a criminal (singular masculine in Hebrew, the book of Job sparked an important discussion in the environment of the editing of the OT precisely because of these contents on the verge of heresy, a great merit to those men who included it).

God, when called into question, presents Himself to Job and speaks to him, a unique privilege (also for Nero), and after some cosmology and zoology lessons, He tells him that He has a divine plan that we poor men cannot understand. Job lowers his head and says OK, I don't understand but I'll adapt, I don't find the meaning but if you say there is one for me, that's fine. And whatever it is, I will continue to follow your laws anyway.

So it is for Nero, he doesn't need to find a meaning, that is a divine privilege, we can only believe, trust that everything is in good hands.

The White, and here we deviate from the classic position of the OT, does not behave like Job/Nero and does not lower his head. The world, men, only give him proofs and confirmations of the non-existence of God and the divine plan, the last illusion that there could be something disappeared along with the smoke that came out of the chimneys of the Nazi concentration camps.

The only meaning he can give to life, to the world, is that it has no meaning. Period. And coherently he makes his choice: to annul this non-meaning, finally allowing him to find one.

As far as I'm concerned, I tend more towards the White. As for the thought of suicide, I think it is "a powerful consolation that helps to get through more than one bad night". (Nietzsche)

Para darle 5/5 tendría que verla representada. ¡Magnífica!

This statement implies that in order to give a full score of 5/5, one would need to see it being performed. It is truly magnificent. This makes the person reconsider the rating. The provided link http://t.co/dyjXHym2 might be related to more information or a performance that could potentially influence the final rating. Perhaps there are aspects of the work that can only be fully appreciated when witnessed in a live or representational setting. It shows the importance of experiencing something in its intended form to accurately assess its quality and value.

I have always thought of McCarthy as 'the one from La Strada'. No one had ever told me about Sunset Limited.

“I'm not one who doubts. But I am one who asks questions.”

“And what's the difference?”

“Well, in my opinion, those who ask questions want the truth. While those who doubt want to be told that the truth doesn't exist.”

McCarthy's work has always been a source of inspiration for me. His unique style and profound insights into human nature have left a lasting impression. The mention of 'La Strada' and 'Sunset Limited' adds an air of mystery and intrigue. It makes me wonder what these works are all about and how they might contribute to my understanding of McCarthy's oeuvre.

The dialogue between the two characters further emphasizes the importance of asking questions and seeking the truth. It also highlights the difference between those who are open to new ideas and those who are closed-minded. This simple exchange of words holds a wealth of meaning and can serve as a reminder to us all to keep asking questions and never stop seeking the truth.

No one transmits anguish to us like McCarthy.

Unlike the road where it was tempered by hope, in this case, there is no salvation.

Neither faith nor the hand of providence can lift us from the tragedy of a senseless life.

McCarthy's works are often filled with a sense of desolation and hopelessness.

The characters in his stories struggle in a harsh and unforgiving world, where there seems to be no way out.

Their lives are marked by violence, loss, and futility.

Despite this, McCarthy's writing is powerful and engaging, drawing the reader into a world that is both terrifying and fascinating.

His use of language and imagery is masterful, creating a vivid and unforgettable atmosphere.

Even though his stories may leave us feeling depressed and despondent, they also force us to confront the darker aspects of human nature and the world we live in.

Beautiful and haunting.

It is perhaps one of the most remarkable juxtapositions between an existentialist view and a profound belief in the Divine, a belief in God.

The existentialist perspective often grapples with the meaninglessness and absurdity of life, yet here it is placed side by side with the unwavering faith in a higher power.

This contrast creates a powerful and thought-provoking dynamic.

On one hand, the existentialist questions and doubts, while on the other, the believer finds solace and purpose in their connection to the Divine.

It makes one wonder how these two seemingly disparate worldviews can coexist and even complement each other.

Perhaps it is in this very juxtaposition that we can find a deeper understanding of the human experience and the complex nature of our search for meaning and truth.

It is a beautiful and haunting exploration that leaves us with much to contemplate and reflect upon.

EDIT: So, approximately 2 months after initially experiencing "The Sunset Limited", I made the decision to return to it once more. I had originally intended to do so earlier, but then I wasn't entirely certain if I would at all. The reasons behind my eventual decision are somewhat numerous and not really worth delving into. However, the important thing to note is that, at the time of writing this, I have now read all of McCarthy's novels except for "Blood Meridian", which I will get to shortly. I thought that this additional context would enable me to view "The Sunset Limited" in a different light. But I think that assumption was a bit off, given just how short - and quite frankly, straightforward - this "novel" (play) is.

Another aspect worth mentioning is my near certainty that I would rate "The Sunset Limited" 5 stars upon this reread. I was so convinced of it that I very nearly came to Goodreads to do just that a few weeks ago, without even relistening. Strangely enough, my opinion didn't seem to change. If you read further into the original review I left for this novel-in-dramatic-form, you'll find that I specifically pointed out the ending as being my main "gripe". I find the end to have a pessimistic outlook (perhaps "pessimistic" isn't the exact word, but I'm having difficulty pinpointing precisely which word I want). This outlook continues to bother me, even when I was expecting it this time around.
I'm not exactly sure what the problem is, but there's some sort of cognitive block that I have, perhaps due to my current position in life. I also stated in the original review that this ending would "fit" me a bit better half a decade ago, when I was generally more on the side of White in terms of mental health. Nowadays, I find myself leaning more towards the side of Black, so the particular ending we encounter in "The Sunset Limited" stings. Now, to be completely fair to McCarthy, I commend him for creating a dialogue that elicits such a reaction from me. I find my heart aching after this relisten, much like Black's does. Maybe this is the point. I don't know for sure what McCarthy "meant" with this story, but it is truly thought-provoking in almost all the right ways throughout. Much of it is amusing for a significant portion of the runtime, even when it's morbid, and a great deal of it makes for an interesting thought experiment precisely because of the morbidity.
I still recommend "The Sunset Limited", and I wish I could find myself loving the ending more, rather than just in spite of it. That being said, a large part of what makes this small package compelling is due to the narrators, who really - really - bring Black and White to life. The objective narrator that pops up now and again I couldn't care less about, but I truly enjoy the dialogue.
On that note, if you enjoy the dialogue aspect of this, "Stella Maris" is a very similar thing, although that one is a very easy 5-star for me in comparison.

Original Review:
God damn it, McCarthy, you almost had those 5 stars. You were impossibly close to receiving your first 5-star rating from me. Here I was, formulating in my mind some opening like "Who would've thought that the first 5-star McCarthy wouldn't even be one of the 12 novels, but instead a play" or something, and you just had to go and mess it up right at the end.
Or, well, I suppose he didn't completely mess it up, but it wasn't going quite in the direction I was envisioning. McCarthy just had to give it that dark "twist", that nihilistic end-note that makes you question whether the journey before was even worth it. I suppose it follows the lines of a "normal" tragedy in that regard, but I was hoping - for one of the very few times in my life - for a more ambiguous ending, one that wasn't blatantly indicating the direction the post-journey will take.
But let's briefly discuss what I did love about basically this entire package... the dialogue.
I mean, "The Sunset Limited" is a play... a play with only 2 characters and maybe a few dozen words other than the direct dialogue between them. Now, I have criticized certain aspects of McCarthy's dialogue in his novels from time to time, but he definitely knows how to write a compelling argument and discussion when he wants to. In the case of this play, this story, the dialogue is very, VERY good, enhanced by the audiobook performance which features 2 different primary narrators - both of them actors/voice actors - each taking on the role of one of the 2 characters this story follows. (For the record, the 2 characters of "The Sunset Limited" are not referred to by any names, just "White" and "Black" to correspond with their respective skin colors).
The lines of discussion and argument in this particular... er, dialogue, are fantastic. It begins with Black saving White from committing suicide, bringing him to his apartment, and attempting to help the man through conversation. This conversation涵盖了从圣经的真实性到上帝的存在；从生命的意义到苦难的意义；以及各种类似相关和相互关联的主题，这些主题都与存在主义密切相关。这里所进行的大部分探索都既极具娱乐性又发人深省。
Additionally, there's also a good deal of heart and humor in the way things are said, even regarding the serious topics. The duality of man on display is inherently fascinating in this portrayal, and I found myself on the edge of my seat for practically the entire conversation.
The only thing I can complain about is that it got really heavy and depressing at the very end. I 100% understand why McCarthy did this and why he ended the story the way he did, but it felt almost unnecessarily brutal. Considering Black was the character I found more actively interesting and in whom I was more invested, the fact that his efforts to sway the other's mind in any real way were fruitless was a bit disappointing.... But having been in a dismally dark state of mind like White myself, I also see why he's so firmly rooted as he is: simply being told that life is great and given reasons why you should believe in a happy ending will not just heal the wounds that make you want to die in the first place. In fact, it often has the opposite effect, and it seems that might have been what happened in "The Sunset Limited".
I find the way McCarthy ended this story to be very *realistic* in its depictions, even in the despair that Black shows at the end, pleading to know why God did not give him the right words... but even though it is realistic and it does make sense, I did hope for the idealistic ending. Having come out of that dark and lonely place myself, it would have been insanely satisfying to see White shift just enough to either change his mind for the moment, or to at least be able to leave without the reader having any idea one way or the other what he plans to do. The man I am today would have found these 2 alternatives a great deal more satisfying than what we got.
That said, the actual ending would have fit better for me about 6 years ago, so there is that.
I still give "The Sunset Limited" 4 stars because I did quite like it. Although it is nowhere near the same as "No Country For Old Men", it's the one of McCarthy's works that elicited the most active reactions from me (although "The Crossing" is close), and I did genuinely love the dialogue for like 90% or more of the play. My hope that the ending would be different (good ol' McCarthy, always choosing the darker path) is the only thing that prevented this from being 5 stars. So who knows. Maybe it is, and I just won't know it until I relisten someday.

P.S. The fact that this play and "The Road" were released in the same year is absolutely absurd to me considering how糟糕 the dialogue in "The Road" is.

White, a professor, made a drastic decision to be a “terminal commuter” on the Sunset Limited by attempting to jump in front of the train. Fortunately, he was saved by a man named Black. Black then tried to convince White that life was worth living, using religion as his means.

The Sunset Limited sets the scene with a few lines, but for the most part, it is all dialog between Black and White, with no Grey in between. White expresses his disillusionment, saying, “The things I believed in don't exist anymore. It's foolish to pretend they do. Western Civilization finally went up in smoke in the chimneys in Dachau but I was too infatuated to see it.”

Black counters with, “Sometimes people don't know what they get till they get it.” He also mentions, “You break bread with a man you have moved on to another level of friendship. I heard somewheres that that's true the world over.”

The two continue to debate, with White believing that culture contributes to human misery and that the more one knows, the more unhappy one is likely to be. Black responds with, “Sometimes faith might just be a case of not havin nothin else left.”

White also laments, “When you read the history of the world you are reading a saga of bloodshed and greed and folly the import of which is impossible to ignore. And yet we imagine that the future will somehow be different. I've no idea why we are even still here but in all probability we will not be here much longer.”

Black, however, remains more optimistic, stating, “I got what I needed instead of what I wanted and that's just about the best kind of luck you can have.”

Che cosa ti divide dal tuo Sunset Limited?

Two men are sitting at a table in a popular apartment in the suburbs of New York. One is white, the other is black. One has just attempted suicide by throwing himself onto the tracks of the oncoming Sunset Limited. The other has saved him. On the table, there is a Bible.

In what immediately presents itself as an extremely tight give-and-take, McCarthy opposes two men, two perspectives, two antithetical worlds. The White man is a disillusioned and embittered professor who claims to no longer believe in anything, let alone in God. The Black man is a former convict who has embraced faith, a redeemed man with a stormy past who tries to probe the inscrutable darkness of the man in front of him, holds him by the shirt, wants to understand him and, if possible, save him.

On that table, in the shadow of the silent presence of the Black man's Bible, McCarthy discovers one card at a time: truth, justice, fear of death, suffering, faith. It is surprising that in just over a hundred pages he manages to touch on so many complex themes and go so deep.

The tone of the discussion is alternating: there are moments that are almost comic and peaks of high drama. It is a straightforward, direct language, made up of projectile sentences, as the author has now accustomed us to. The existential investigation that he carries forward in every one of his novels finds ample space for analysis here, but no definitive answer.

How did we end up in this mess? What does God have in mind for us? What can we hold on to in order not to take the big leap and thus what separates us from our personal Sunset Limited? Everyone has their own interpretation.

A reflection on life and death that has the semblance of an intense game of chess. Genius and extremely effective.

The last lines are spine-tingling (of pain and pleasure).

Don't let it slip away.

The Sunset Limited is truly fascinating. It is indeed some of McCarthy's best work, and that is no small feat considering his remarkable body of literature.

His use of dialogue in this book is simply brilliant. He skillfully takes two opposing world views, delves deep into them, and builds up to a climax that compels the reader to reflect on what he himself truly believes, all through the intense conversation of just two characters.

I have a hunch that McCarthy and I might have differences on some crucial worldview matters, but I hold nothing but the utmost respect for this man. Without a doubt, he is one of the best writers of our time. His works have the power to captivate, challenge, and inspire readers, making him a literary giant whose influence will surely endure for generations to come.

Sunset Limited is a book that is both fast-paced and profound in terms of the existential themes it tackles in a harrowing way. It is a precise stab at the heart through which, via a meeting-clash between two antithetical people, the absence of God is demonstrated and perhaps even His non-existence. The story unfolds like a game of chess on a board painted by McCharty. The black, telling "prison stories", attempts to make his God triumphant. Meanwhile, the white, a disillusioned and nihilistic professor, responds blow for blow to make his ideals prevail. Or rather, the lack thereof in a world that doesn't deserve to be lived in. We read about a game in this abyss of despair where, one after another, the pawns fall first, then the knights and bishops, leaving only the rooks to protect the King while the Queen, desperate, moves schizophrenically on the chessboard not knowing what to do. Until the Sunset Limited comes to checkmate them all.

Sunset Limited offers a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition and our search for meaning in a seemingly godless world. The vivid imagery and intense dialogue make it a captivating read that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

I must confess that I haven't fully connected with the characters. It is a novel written in the form of a play where what prevails is the dialogue between the two protagonists. What I have liked is the way it is developing and you realize the difference between them.

Anyway, it is essential for every good reader and will surprise many. McCarthy does not leave anyone indifferent.

This unique form of storytelling, with its emphasis on dialogue, creates a dynamic and engaging experience. The reader is drawn into the conversations and begins to understand the nuances of the characters' personalities and their relationship.

As the story unfolds, the differences between the two protagonists become more apparent, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. McCarthy's writing style is captivating, and his ability to create such vivid characters and situations is truly remarkable.

Whether you are a fan of novels or plays, this work is definitely worth reading. It will challenge your perceptions and leave you with a new appreciation for the power of words and the art of storytelling.

**"An Analysis of 'El Sunset Limited' by Cormac McCarthy"**

Published on http://lecturaylocura.com/el-sunset-l...



Involution.

(From the Latin involutĭo, -ōnis, the action of envolving).

1. f. The action and effect of involution.

2. f. The detention and regression of a biological, political, cultural, economic, etc. evolution.

The author begins by defining a word that comes to mind when thinking about certain current writers, and the most blatant case is perhaps the one he is dealing with in this review. He refers to the great Cormac McCarthy. It is clear that someone who reads the North American writer for the first time with "The Road" or this "Sunset Limited" may enjoy them and even consider them practically wonders considering the average level. However, the great connoisseurs of the work of, perhaps, the most solid successor of Faulkner, know that he is operating at half throttle and even worse, still declining (considering that the next one to come to the blog, in not much time, is a screenplay for a movie).

The author is not going to say that it is bad, because it is not. In fact, one can get a lot out of it as he will now elaborate. The problem is that apparent lack of enthusiasm, that alarming lack of effort if we compare this work with wonders like "Blood Meridian" or "All the Pretty Horses". The best thing about the matter is that, unfortunately, his impression was corroborated in the first pages of this continuous dialogue between a black man and a white man, who embody faith and reason respectively. The professor (white) seems to be the alter ego of Cormac himself, using this novel to express his sadness at the cultural decline. The things he values and considers "the foundations of civilization" are no longer valued by the rest of the people. What he believed to be unshakable has become breakable. This disappointment is palpable at all times in the attitude of the white professor, who would be the representative of the rich, towards what the black man comments to him.

Later, as we approach the end, he returns to dwell on the previously commented topic, that loss of illusion drowned by the vision of an uncomfortable reality. The black man, faith, represents the irrational way of reacting to this. The only glimmer of hope is reflected through him. It seems clear that Cormac wanted to reflect with this novel part of the internal struggle in which he is immersed, that struggle of opposites: faith-reason, reality-fantasy, illusion-depression. What is also clear is that the nihilistic end of this story and the next book denote that what is winning for now is the most uncomfortable for his readers: depression. We will have to wait, that which is never lost: hope.

The texts are from the translation of Luís Murillo Fort for this edition of "El Sunset Limited" by Cormac McCarthy.