Summary
No Country for Old Men is a gripping novel by Cormac McCarthy that raises questions about morality, vengeance, and fate. Set near the Texas-Mexico border, this powerful tale follows the intertwining paths of three main characters caught in the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. Published in 2005, the novel garnered significant critical acclaim and cemented McCarthy's reputation as one of America's greatest living authors. It marked a departure from his earlier, more complex works, featuring a more straightforward narrative that still retains the author's trademark intensity, spare prose, and philosophical depth.
In 2007, No Country for Old Men was adapted into an Oscar-winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen. The movie won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem's chilling portrayal of the relentless assassin Anton Chigurh.
Plot
In 1980 near the Texas-Mexico border, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. He finds several dead men, a large amount of heroin, and over two million dollars in cash. Moss takes the money and flees, setting off a dangerous chain of events. A ruthless hitman named Anton Chigurh is hired to recover the money, while Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the crime scene and tries to protect Moss.
As Chigurh closes in, Moss sends his wife Carla Jean to stay with her grandmother for safety. He attempts to evade his pursuer but is eventually wounded in a shootout. While recovering in a hospital, Moss is approached by Carson Wells, another hired gun who offers protection in exchange for the money. However, Chigurh tracks down and kills Wells before he can help Moss.
Chigurh continues his relentless pursuit, killing anyone who gets in his way. He confronts Moss over the phone, threatening to kill Carla Jean unless the money is returned. Moss remains defiant and arranges to meet his wife at a motel in El Paso. Before they can reunite, Moss is killed by Mexican drug dealers also searching for the cash. Sheriff Bell arrives too late to save him.
Chigurh recovers the money from its hiding place and fulfills his threat to visit Carla Jean. Despite her pleas, he kills her after a coin toss seals her fate. As he leaves, Chigurh is badly injured in a car accident but manages to escape. Meanwhile, the aging Sheriff Bell, feeling overwhelmed by the violence and unable to protect the innocent, decides to retire from his position.
Themes
Moral ambiguity in a violent world
The changing nature of evil
Fate versus free will
The decline of traditional values
The impact of greed and materialism
The futility of trying to control chaos
The generational gap in understanding violence
Setting
No Country for Old Men takes place in 1980 near the Texas-Mexico border. This rugged, arid landscape serves as a fitting stage for Cormac McCarthy's gritty tale of violence and moral decay. The vast expanses of desert, small border towns, and remote highways create an atmosphere of isolation and lawlessness that permeates the story.
The novel's time frame places it squarely in the early years of the escalating drug war along the border between the United States and Mexico. This era saw a significant increase in narcotics trafficking and associated violence, transforming once-quiet communities into dangerous flashpoints. McCarthy vividly depicts this shifting reality, where traditional notions of order and justice are being eroded by new, ruthless forces.
While much of the action takes place in the Texas borderlands, the story also ventures into other locales. From seedy motels to dusty gas stations, from sun-baked highways to dimly lit urban streets, McCarthy paints a vivid picture of a harsh and unforgiving American Southwest.
Characters
Llewelyn Moss: A Vietnam War veteran and welder who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and takes $2.4 million in cash. His decision sets off a dangerous chain of events as he tries to evade those pursuing him. Moss is resourceful and determined, but finds himself in over his head as he tries to outsmart his relentless pursuer.
Anton Chigurh: A psychopathic hitman hired to recover the stolen money. Chigurh is ruthless, methodical, and guided by a twisted sense of principle. He uses a captive bolt pistol as his signature weapon and often decides his victims' fates with a coin toss.
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell: The aging sheriff of Terrell County, Texas, tasked with investigating the drug deal and subsequent violence. A World War II veteran, Bell struggles with the increasing brutality he witnesses in his jurisdiction. He serves as the moral center of the story, often reflecting on the changing nature of crime and violence in society.
Carla Jean Moss: Llewelyn's young wife, who becomes entangled in the dangerous situation. She is loyal to her husband but finds herself in grave danger as events unfold.
Carson Wells: A former Special Forces officer hired to track down Moss and recover the money. Though confident in his abilities, Wells ultimately underestimates the threat posed by Chigurh.
Ellis: Sheriff Bell's uncle and former deputy. He provides insight and perspective on law enforcement and the changing nature of crime in their region.
Quick facts
Cormac McCarthy originally wrote No Country for Old Men as a screenplay, then decided to turn it into a novel.
The title comes from the first line of the poem “Sailing to Byzantium" by W.B. Yeats.
No Country for Old Men was McCarthy's first novel in seven years, following his 1998 work, Cities of the Plain.
McCarthy wrote much of the novel while staying at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas as part of a writing residency.
No Country for Old Men explores themes of fate, free will, moral ambiguity, and the changing nature of evil.
As critics have noted, the novel’s prose style is notably simpler and more spare than McCarthy's earlier works.
The story is set in 1980 along the Texas-Mexico border.
Anton Chigurh's signature weapon, a captive bolt pistol, was inspired by McCarthy's research into slaughterhouse equipment.
No Country for Old Men was adapted into a 2007 Oscar-winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen.
About the Author
Cormac McCarthy (1993-2023) was an acclaimed American novelist known for his distinctive writing style and exploration of dark themes. Though born in Rhode Island, McCarthy spent much of his life in the American South and Southwest, which heavily influenced the settings of his novels. He began his career with The Orchard Keeper in 1965, but didn't achieve widespread recognition until the 1990s with his Border Trilogy, starting with All the Pretty Horses.
McCarthy's sparse prose style, marked by minimal punctuation and a reluctance to use quotation marks for dialogue, became one of his trademarks. He often depicted graphic violence in his works, which led some critics to label him as nihilistic. However, others argued that his later novels, particularly The Road, showed a strong moral foundation. McCarthy's literary influences included William Faulkner and Herman Melville, though he expressed a preference for the company of scientists over other writers.
Throughout his career, McCarthy received numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Road in 2007. His novel No Country for Old Men was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film by the Coen brothers. Despite his success, McCarthy was known for his reclusive nature, rarely granting interviews or making public appearances. He wrote all of his works on a simple Olivetti typewriter, which he used for decades before it was auctioned for charity in 2009.
