All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book One

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Cormac McCarthy is a quiet, unassuming presence in American fiction today, but like the slow, measured voices of many of his characters, he speaks with an authority and conviction that demands an audience. All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy's sixth novel, is a cowboy odyssey for modern times. Set in the late 1940s, it features the travels and toils of a 16-year-old East Texan named John Grady Cole, caught in the agonizing purgatory between adolescence and adulthood.

At the start of the novel, Cole's grandfather has just died, his parents have permanently separated, and the family ranch, upon which he had placed so many boyish hopes, has been sold. Rootless and increasingly restive, Cole leaves Texas, accompanied by his friend Lacey Rawlins, and begins a journey across the vaquero frontier into the badlands of northern Mexico. In spite of its hard realities and spare telling, All the Pretty Horses is a lyrical and richly romantic story, chronicling - along with the erosion of the frontier - the loss of an era.

©1992 Cormac McCarthy (P)1992 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

National Book Award, 1992

"This is a novel so exuberant in its prose, so offbeat in its setting and so mordant and profound in its deliberations that one searches in vain for comparisons in American literature." (Publishers Weekly)

Beautiful writing

There's another reviewer said this book is too slow. It is slow, but I'm not sure that's the point. The writing, the scenery, the characters are so Beautiful, I found myself hitting the repeat last 30 seconds button over and over again. A great audiobook.

Also, the performance is spectacular. I don't imagine this prose is the easiest to read, but this reader performs it thoughtfully and with Grace, and it's a joy to listen to.

THOSE ARE PICTURE BOOK HORSES

YOU CAN'T TELL WHAT IS IN A COUNTRY LIKE THAT UNTIL YOU ARE DOWN THERE IN IT.
McCormick can be, as he is in this book a very descriptive writer. He knows how to set a melancholy mood. He can put you in the country through description. You will feel that you are living in that time and that place.

HELL, YES I CAN RIDE. I WAS RIDING WHEN I FELL OFF.
While his books have some humor, they usually have lots of cruelty. This is such a book and it is filled with the talk of the time, which seems to be a lot about SHIT. YOUR A LYING SACK OF GREEN SHIT. YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT FROM APPLE BUTTER. TEN POUNDS OF SHIT IN A FIVE POUND SACK. The cruelty and the language don't bother me, my dad was a sailor and I work around truck drivers. I have trouble staying with a book like this due to the endless wondering and eating. His characters do a lot of wondering around the countryside and doing a lot of eating. The plot or point of the story can get lost in all this wondering and descriptive eating. I soon lose interest.

I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
WELL, TELL IT
Frank Muller was a great narrator and I miss him.

Disappointing: lyrical but confusing

The plot relies heavily on dialogue, which is frequently in Spanish with no English translation or context. It also employs frequent use of technical terms related to horses. Thus, the story is difficult to follow without some knowledge of Spanish and horses! The narrative verse is lovely, poetic, and rich with imagery, but it tends to stand still in time. This reader was very confused about what was happening throughout most of the book, including the events and the characters' motivations. This book was a big disappointment!

excellent read...

The narrator was great. I recommend that if you don't have a rudimentary understanding of Spanish that you have a Spanish to English reference tool available.

All the pretty verses

I didn't want it to end. Beautifully poetic even during violence. I should've read this years ago.

Great story, but...

Audio quality is poor. Also just a warning that there are also some sections exclusively in Spanish.

Stupendously Magnificent

This is a book of such astounding magnificence it is hard to believe. In 50 years of reading fiction I have rarely, if ever, come across such proud literary merit. I have read other Cormack McCarthy books and had developed great respect for his talent, but "All The Pretty Horses" is a masterpiece. The presentation is also the best I've ever encountered with Audiobooks. Don't miss it.

Not my favourite cormac McCarthy novel

I thought the story was a bit slow. The descriptive style was nice and exactly what I would expect from this author. If you haven't read it, I would start with Blood Meridian instead.

McCarthy is just a great writer

Another stark, gut wrenching window into the depths of a soul by McCarthy. He is such a powerful writer and captures the horror and beauty of humanity, and "all the Pretty Horses" just does that. The book will leave you raw and disquieted and wondering what does anything mean.....powerful writing!

too much Spanish

stuggled to finish
at least 10% was in Spanish and I could not understand it

Excellent listen

Slow to get going but evolves into a gripping story featuring some fantastic imagery and engaging characters

Mean, Moody, Magnificent

A slightly slow start but well worth persevering. Wonderful descriptive passages. I was slowly drawn in to the storyline. The narrator's delivery perfectly suited the narrative.

Not a comfortable read

I highly recommend this intensive and absorbing book. It was challenging to read and certainly demanded my attention. I shall certainly listen to it again and then move on to the further books.