An odd 5-star rating because that was far too thriller and violent for my taste. However, here I am awarding it five bright stars.

I find myself feeling like an old lady who has no country. It's a strange sensation. The story was so intense and filled with such graphic and violent scenes that it initially made me hesitant. But as I delved deeper, I couldn't help but be drawn in by its power and the emotions it evoked.

Despite the thriller and violence, there was something about it that made it impossible to ignore. It made me question my own limits and perceptions. And in the end, I had to give it the five stars it deserved, even if it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

Cormac McCarthy's "Westerns" are truly unique. In this particular story, Vietnam vet Llewelyn Moss is out hunting antelope when he stumbles upon a grisly scene of dead bodies and a drug deal gone wrong. He discovers a case full of money and takes it, knowing he has now become a target. That night at home, he can't sleep, haunted by the man who might still be alive and in need of water. The next morning, he decides to go back, much to the horror of his wife. The dialogue is simple and spare, with very little punctuation, but it comes alive with accents, tone, and mood. There is always a dark humor and irony, even in the direst of scenes. The descriptive passages are beautiful and add another layer to the story. The psychotic killer, Anton Chigurh, is introduced in a bloody scene early on, setting the tone for the horror to come. Moss is a good man tempted by money, while Sheriff Ed Tom Bell is a good man who takes his oath of office seriously. The women in the story are side characters, loved and feared by their men. The internal monologues of Bell, written in italics, add depth to his character and offer insights into his thoughts on life, love, justice, responsibility, and truth. Overall, McCarthy's writing is perfect and the story is horrifying. It is not an airport thriller but a work of art that belongs in a category of its own. I highly recommend reading it, or listening to the audio narrated by Tom Stechschulte.

My first book of 2025 was "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.

It is truly one of the best thrillers I have ever read in my life. It is not just a great crime thriller, but also a remarkable man-on-the-run road novel and a tragic love story all rolled into one.

This book is many things at the same time. It can be an easy beach read, yet it is also a depressing novel about ageing and a frightening horror novel. It delves into how a certain kind of American male, like Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, feels about himself and the state of American society.

The way McCarthy weaves all these elements together is truly remarkable. He doesn't even bother with proper punctuation, yet his writing is so powerful and engaging.

There were parts in the novel that made me long for the life on the road. For instance, the encounter between Moss and the teenage girl was omitted from the movie or perhaps changed. Even the early parts of Moss' life on the road with the bag of money were thrilling.

McCarthy also hints at the presence of the supernatural, similar to his other work "Blood Meridian". However, even the fearsome Anton Chirugh gets his ass kicked a couple of times.

The book is cleverly plotted, and there is so much experience and wisdom in some of the dialogues. For example, the line "You think when you wake up in the mornin yesterday dont count. But yesterday is all that does count. What else is there? Your life is made out of the days it's made out of. Nothin else" really makes you think.

Overall, "No Country for Old Men" is a masterpiece that I would highly recommend to anyone.