All the Pretty Horses
Cormac McCarthy, 1992
301 pp.

Book Review by Molly Lundquist
March 2015
Steeped in mythology—and at the same time a myth-buster—All the Pretty Horses has become a modern classic. As much a hero's journey as any in ancient mythology, it undermines the very myth this country tells itself about the great American West.

That old West is gone, McCarthy seems to be saying, and with it the ideals of cowboy chivalry—basic goodness, an overarchng sense of justice, and the freedom of self-determination. Even the vast, wide open spaces have been fenced in and oil-rigged off.

But young John Grady Cole doesn't know that yet—or won't accept it. And he pursues his dreams to replace what's been taken from him.

In progress . . .

See our Reading Guide for All the Pretty Horses.