3.9
I don't typically engage with plays. However, woah, this particular one was extremely intense. It was a bit of a challenge for me to keep up due to the way Black speaks. (Although, to be fair, the fact that I'm currently watching The Wire does offer some assistance.) Nevertheless, it was utterly riveting! I have a great desire to know a great deal more about both characters. There are simply too many aspects left to my imagination! And the way it concludes?? I absolutely love that there isn't a so-called "final conclusion" regarding the matter of who is right or who is wrong. (Personally, I think they are both in the wrong, but that's beside the point.) There's no moral lesson to be drawn. I found the entire thing to be incredibly interesting! Additionally, I had no idea that there was a movie adaptation. I truly hope that I'll have the opportunity to watch it someday.

BLACK. Who's that?

WHITE. Who's who?

BLACK. Him over there staring at us.

WHITE. Beat's me.

BLACK. He's coming over.

STEVEN. Nice evening ain't it.

WHITE. Can I help you?

STEVEN. I've just been reading about you guys.

BLACK. And.

STEVEN. Three stars is about right.

WHITE. Excuse me?

STEVEN. GR - goodreads, it's a social cataloging/reviewing site for book lovers.

BLACK. I see. Three don't sound too good a number to me. What's the problem? Friendo.

STEVEN. Look, it's like this, no disrespect to either one of you, but Cormac McCarthy ain't Samuel Beckett. When I think of McCarthy, the first characters that pop into my head are Judge Holden from Blood Meridian, or the Father and Son team trying to survive the post-Apocalypse. Not you, and not you. Sunset Limited was good, but that's all it was. I certainly ain't giving it the red carpet treatment. Long way off there I'm afraid.

WHITE. OK, you've made your point, now, three's a crowd, know what I'm saying? we were right in the middle of searching for that higher meaning, you know, to life.

STEVEN. No problemo, good luck with that, but if you ask me you're wasting your time. Au revoir.

The two men, BLACK and WHITE, were having a conversation when they noticed a man, STEVEN, staring at them. STEVEN then walked over and started talking about their work. He said that on the goodreads site, their work had received three stars. BLACK was not happy with this rating and asked what the problem was. STEVEN went on to explain that he didn't think their work was on the same level as that of Cormac McCarthy. He mentioned specific characters from McCarthy's books and said that he didn't think of BLACK and WHITE's work in the same way. WHITE tried to end the conversation by saying that they were in the middle of searching for the meaning of life. STEVEN wished them luck but said that he thought they were wasting their time.

Classic Cormac themes are presented in a highly accessible and engaging manner within this digestible 2-hour read.

The story is not only poignant, tugging at the heartstrings and evoking deep emotions, but it also serves a purpose. It makes the reader think, reflect, and perhaps even gain a new perspective on life.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. Whether you are a fan of Cormac's work or simply looking for a thought-provoking and enjoyable read, this book has something to offer.

It has the power to transport you to another world, filled with complex characters and a richly detailed setting.

So, if you're in need of a good book to pass the time and expand your literary horizons, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.

Divario di visioni

The profound words, "Secondo me chi fa domande vuole la verità, mentre chi dubita vuole sentirsi dire che la verità non esiste.", set the tone for the powerful Sunset Limited. This work is devastating in its minimalist writing. The contradictions and difficulties of Western society emerge with an unsettling naturalness, carried by the cadenced theatrical prose imposed by the author.

On one hand, there is an individual rejected by society, holding faith as the only salvation after hitting rock bottom. On the other hand, there is a man with such great knowledge that it cannot save him from his inner conflict.

How far can knowledge or religion save us from a life so empty of concrete stimuli? How can we justify the existence of God when every day what we receive is a deafening silence? Our pain is always stronger than that of others. How can we build a better world if our immediate solution is to choose the Sunset Limited rather than understand the other?

The author decides not to give answers to these questions, preferring instead a more detached and objective perspective of the confrontation between the two characters on stage. The final result is a short novel with dry prose, abundantly balanced by contents of enormous significance.

Wow. I read that in one sitting. It was truly incredible.

I am so conflicted when it comes to Cormac. It appears that I only really have a deep love for his books when they are set after the violence has occurred and instead focus on the profound effects that the violence has had on the characters.

It's as if the aftermath of the violence holds a certain allure for me, allowing me to explore the inner turmoil and emotional landscapes of the individuals involved.

Perhaps it is in these moments of reflection and consequence that the true depth of Cormac's storytelling shines through, captivating my attention and leaving me with a sense of awe and wonder.

His ability to depict the lingering impact of violence on the human psyche is both masterful and thought-provoking, making his books a truly unique and unforgettable reading experience.

Mmm Hmmm. McCarthy has truly accomplished something remarkable. He has even surpassed Beckett himself. The word "desolation" - I really like the sound of that tricky word. Yes indeed.

A full comparative review might potentially take place, although I'm not entirely certain if I'm capable of undertaking it. Was that the cry of an angel at the end? Was that a re-enactment of Eden, with an angel replacing the devil? In either case, will mankind fail? As I mentioned earlier, I'm not up to the task. All aboard The Sunset Limited. Please.

It seems that McCarthy's work has opened up a world of complex questions and interpretations. The idea of desolation lingers, adding an air of mystery and melancholy. The comparison to Beckett further emphasizes the significance of McCarthy's achievement. Whether or not a full review can be completed, the impact of his work is undeniable. The mention of The Sunset Limited adds an interesting element, perhaps暗示着 a journey into the unknown or a exploration of deeper themes. Overall, McCarthy's work continues to captivate and challenge readers.

I truly desire to know how to act, even if it is just to be able to read these words aloud. The intensity is remarkable.

Acting allows one to bring words to life, to infuse them with emotions and expressions that can touch the hearts of the listeners. It is a form of art that requires skill, practice, and dedication. By learning to act, I can explore different characters and stories, and in the process, gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me.

Reading these words aloud with passion and conviction can have a powerful impact. It can transport the audience to another place and time, making them feel as if they are a part of the story. The four-star rating indicates that this desire to act and read aloud is highly regarded, perhaps because it holds the potential to create a truly memorable experience for both the actor and the listener.

This was truly an extremely powerful story.

The dialog within it was absolutely incredible, captivating the reader's attention from start to finish.

It had the ability to draw you in and make you feel as if you were right there in the midst of the action.

I would highly recommend the audio book version of this story.

The narrators bring the characters to life in a way that enhances the overall experience.

Listening to the story being told aloud allows you to fully immerse yourself in the world that the author has created.

Whether you're a fan of powerful stories or simply looking for an engaging listen, this audio book is definitely worth checking out.

You won't be disappointed.

A room and two men.

This was enough for Cormac McCarthy to give life to his book.

BLACK and WHITE (distinguished based on the color of their skin) engage in a real game of chess where pawns, bishops, and rooks are nothing but the propensities and beliefs of the protagonists related to religion, the way to live it, and the reasons not to follow it.

BLACK, since he converted, believes he is constantly on a spiritual mission. He is convinced that every person reached by God is obliged to pass on the message received and that through the episode of the Sunset Limited, he has been entrusted with a new task: to illuminate the darkness of WHITE, regardless of whether the latter requests his intervention or not. Because for BLACK, there is no person who does not want to be saved, there is no person who does not seek God. Everyone, consciously or unconsciously, needs to believe. There are those who, according to him, are so fortunate as to realize it and those who instead cannot do so and must be helped.

WHITE has believed in so many things in his life, has hoped with such ardor that he has dried up. He bet on culture, wrongly thinking that knowledge would lead him to achieve peace and stability, and instead discovered that knowing is only a more acute way of suffering. It is a more conscious pain, and therefore even more devastating.

With wide-open eyes, he witnesses the degradation of the world and does not understand how others can not see. Because it is so, others do not see what he sees, otherwise the entire humanity should decide to disappear.

It is not a question of faith, it is awareness. What does God have to do with all this? God, if he had wanted to manifest his presence, should have intervened earlier, before men became so corrupt, before every value, every ideal, was annihilated.

\\n  WHITE: And you want to help those in trouble?
BLACK: Yes.
WHITE: And why?
The black man turns his head to one side and looks at him.
BLACK: You're not ready yet.
WHITE: Then just give me the shortest answer.
BLACK: This is the shortest answer.\\n

It is not possible to look evil in the face, turn away, and continue to live as if nothing had happened.

WHITE had seen the darkness, and he could no longer return to the light.

Continue here (beware of spoilers) http://startfromscratchblog.blogspot....

  It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps

So here is my initial attempt to cast off all that oxidative build-up accumulated over months of melancholic fixation on a dropped wiener. This will likely show little in the way of profound insight or thoughtfulness. However, it may feature a ten-dollar word here and there, which, hopefully, as has been done before, will go some way to aptly demonstrate that Sastrean nonsense can be tempered by elaborate modulations borrowed from my more proficient reviewers.
McCarthy seemingly aims to shed textual weight with each new release from his maturing body of work. And The Sunset Limited is sparser and leaner than anything else I've read of his. It's also bleaker, which is no small accomplishment. It lacks the arid violence and bloody supernatural elements that characterized Blood Meridian, and even the shadowy brooding and sin-soaked wanderings of fugal works like Outer Dark. But, despite the countervailing affirmative stretches provided by the spiritual energies scattered throughout this prose-play, I don't think he's ever stripped the scenery of conscious existence of any and all colored traces more starkly and effectively than he has in this dialectical exercise.
That being said, I must admit to being a bit curious about what, precisely, McCarthy intended to achieve with TSL. For dark humor and witty wordplay, it can't compare to Waiting for Godot or No Exit, which are the two dramatic pieces that immediately come to mind for comparison. Its nihilistic essence, though as black as coal, still pales when set against the abyssal toxins produced by such enthusiastic—and personally favorite—agents of nullity as Céline, Bernhard, or (particularly) Ligotti. I understand that it is Black who is being tested here, not the professorial, intellectual White whose train-tied self-termination was prevented by the rigors of the former's religious humanism (White Devil is rather slyly hinted at here) and serves as the focal point for Black's rudimentary but passionate efforts to convey his message of sustained existence through pungent faith and a heartfelt concern for the other. Yet it never really feels like his beliefs are being shaken or probed to a dangerous extent—that this will truly be a dark night for his soul. Meanwhile, White's cold and negative pursuit, with no past emotions or history or expressiveness beyond vague intimations to enliven its dispassionate destructiveness, aligns the reader more towards apathetic acceptance rather than disturbed contemplation.
So, while there are some devastatingly beautiful phrases and some potently effective exchanges between two who respectively can and won't ontologically manage, especially as we approach the end, in the end, McCarthy has served rather thin gruel. This is not helped by the stereotypes exhibited by these monochromatic allotropes (despite the fact that their names explicitly indicate that this will be a sharply and starkly divided production) and the fact that the abstracted, everyman quality that pervades the entire work makes the exchange ultimately too sophomoric and threadbare to achieve any significant degree of resonance once the final page is turned. Perhaps all this is just a reflection of my jaded self, all tight-lipped and cold-footed, pruned to existential desiccation so that I cannot perceive the substance on this conversing duo's bones. But be that as it may, it failed to move me in a way that I推测 must have been the author's intention. The Sunset Limited is a good read, not a great one—and since we're talking about McCarthy here, that's regrettable.

Amazingly simple, yet amazing none-the-less. In my mind, McCarthy is on par with Greene in his remarkable ability to transform the human condition into something that can be vividly visualized and deeply contemplated.

Within The Sunset Limited, two polar opposite points of view are pitted against each other in a fierce debate of words. In this process, evidence is presented to a jury consisting solely of the solitary reader. While McCarthy gives free rein to the reader's will to decide the ending, the careful deliberation of the evidence occupies the reader's mind during the profound silence that lingers in the room after the back cover is closed.

My conclusions might not necessarily be the same as yours. The very fact that McCarthy allows for this freedom of thought by the reader showcases his acute understanding of how incredibly powerful words can be once they are implanted in the minds of his audience. And his remarkable ability to tap into this source of power makes for an absolutely amazing reading experience.

As for his style, his prose, written in a "dramatic format", probably reaches the zenith of his apparent quest to communicate the most meaningful elements of life with the fewest possible words. Imagine placing The Road on a medium heat, as if it were a cup of sugar, and reducing its volume down to a tablespoon of caramel, and you would have The Sunset Limited.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who desires to consider the human condition from both a spiritual and a realist perspective. There are also fascinating psychoanalytical elements in this book that are well worth exploring, given the protagonist's personal outlooks on life and humanity, and the profound effects that these outlooks have on his behavior.

I'll be pondering over this book for quite some time to come.

For those about to Off.

This simple phrase holds a certain air of mystery and anticipation. It could refer to a variety of situations. Maybe it's about someone who is on the verge of embarking on a new adventure, leaving behind the familiar and stepping into the unknown.

It might also signify a person who is ready to take a break from their daily routine, to unwind and recharge.

Or perhaps it's about a group of friends who are about to go off on a wild night out, filled with laughter and memories.

Whatever the context, "For those about to Off" implies a sense of excitement and possibility. It's a moment when anything can happen, and the world is full of opportunities.

So, as we hear these words, we can't help but wonder what lies ahead for those who are about to Off. Will it be a journey of self-discovery, a time of relaxation, or a night to remember? Only time will tell.