Introducing The Border Trilogy Series by Cormac McCarthy, a collection of three captivating and critically acclaimed novels that transport readers to the rugged landscapes and rich tapestry of the American Southwest. This meticulously curated set includes the titles All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain, each a standalone masterpiece while forming a powerful and interconnected narrative. Buy all three books in this outstanding trilogy now available at Books2Door.
Title in This Set:
- All the Pretty Horses
- The Crossing
- Cities of the Plain
In All the Pretty Horses, the first novel in the trilogy, McCarthy introduces us to John Grady Cole, a young Texan on the cusp of adulthood. Filled with a longing for a vanishing way of life, Cole embarks on a journey south of the border, where he encounters love, loss, and the harsh realities of the Mexican frontier. McCarthy's evocative prose vividly captures the vastness of the landscape, the intensity of human emotions, and the timeless themes of honour, friendship, and the search for identity.
Continuing the epic saga, The Crossing delves deeper into the intricacies of the human spirit and the price one must pay for their convictions. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel follows the parallel journeys of Billy Parham and his younger brother Boyd as they venture into Mexico in pursuit of a stolen horse. Along their treacherous and transformative path, they confront the harshness of nature, the complexities of cross-cultural boundaries, and the irrevocable consequences of their choices. McCarthy's poetic prose intertwines with themes of innocence, violence, and the eternal struggle between civilisation and the untamed wilderness.
Finally, Cities of the Plain brings together the threads of the trilogy, presenting a haunting exploration of love and loss in a changing world. Set in the late 1940s, the novel reunites John Grady Cole from the first book and Billy Parham from the second, as their paths converge on a ranch near the Texas-Mexico border. Against the backdrop of a transforming landscape, McCarthy weaves a tale of loyalty, sacrifice, and the clash between tradition and progress. The characters grapple with their personal demons while confronting the inevitable forces of change that threaten their way of life.
The Border Trilogy Series showcases Cormac McCarthy's unparalleled mastery of language and his ability to evoke the essence of the American West. With prose that is both lyrical and raw, he creates a world that is at once harsh and beautiful, where the characters navigate the boundaries of morality and confront the vastness of the frontier. McCarthy's narratives resonate with a deep understanding of human nature and the existential questions that shape our lives.
This collection is a must-have for lovers of literary fiction, Western literature, and those who appreciate the power of storytelling. Each book stands alone as a testament to McCarthy's literary genius, but together they form a symphony of words that explore the depths of human experience and the ever-present struggle between light and darkness. Immerse yourself in the timeless tales of The Border Trilogy, where McCarthy's words transport you to a world both familiar and mythic, leaving an indelible mark on your literary journey.
With this beautifully presented set, you can embark on an unforgettable literary odyssey through the heartland of America, accompanied by complex and memorable characters who will linger in your thoughts long after the final page. The Border Trilogy Series by Cormac McCarthy is a treasure trove of literary brilliance that will transport you to the wild landscapes and the soul-stirring narratives of the American Southwest.
About the Author:
Cormac McCarthy, born Charles McCarthy Jr. on July 20, 1933, is an iconic and revered American author known for his distinctive writing style, powerful narratives, and exploration of complex themes. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, McCarthy grew up in a Catholic family and developed a passion for literature at an early age. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he studied liberal arts, but ultimately dropped out to pursue his writing career.
McCarthy's writing is characterised by sparse yet evocative prose, devoid of quotation marks and often punctuated by lengthy and poetic descriptions. His novels often explore themes of violence, morality, fate, and the human condition. McCarthy has a penchant for setting his stories in rugged landscapes, particularly the American West and Southwest, where the characters face harsh environments and grapple with the elemental forces of nature.
Throughout his career, McCarthy has received numerous awards and honours, including the National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. However, he remains famously reclusive, rarely granting interviews and preferring to let his work speak for itself.
Description from the Publisher:
All the Pretty Horses
John Grady Cole is the last bewildered survivor of long generations of Texas ranchers. Finding himself cut off from the only life he has ever wanted, he sets out for Mexico with his friend Lacey Rawlins. Befriending a third boy on the way, they find a country beyond their imagining: barren and beautiful, rugged yet cruelly civilised; a place where dreams are paid for in blood.
All the Pretty Horses is an acknowledged masterpiece from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy, and a grand love story: a novel about childhood passing, along with innocence and a vanished American age. Steeped in the wisdom that comes only from loss, it is a magnificent parable of responsibility, revenge and survival.
The Crossing
Set on the southwestern ranches in the years before the Second World War, Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing follows the fortunes of sixteen-year-old Billy Parham and his younger brother Boyd. Fascinated by an elusive wolf that has been marauding his family's property, Billy captures the animal - but rather than kill it, sets out impulsively for the mountains of Mexico to return it to where it came from.
When Billy comes back to his own home he finds himself and his world irrevocably changed. His loss of innocence has come at a price, and once again the border beckons with its desolate beauty and cruel promise.
Cities of the Plain
In Cormac McCarthy's Cities of the Plain, two men marked by the boyhood adventures of All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing now stand together, between their vivid pasts and uncertain futures, to confront a country changing beyond recognition.
In the fall of 1952, John Grady Cole and Billy Parham are cowboys on a New Mexico ranch encroached upon from the north by the military. On the southern horizon are the mountains of Mexico, where one of the men is drawn again and again, in this story of friendships and passion, to a love as dangerous as it is inevitable.