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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Extreme violence including multiple murders depicted in detail
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout in McCarthy's Southern vernacular
Sexual Content
A lot
Necrophilia is a central element; extremely disturbing sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
McCarthy's insistence on the humanity of a monster — and what that means — is the novel's most disturbing psychological challenge
What this book is about
Cormac McCarthy's third novel follows Lester Ballard, a man who loses his farm at auction and retreats into the mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee, where he descends step by step into murder and necrophilia. McCarthy writes Ballard with a terrible sympathy — he is, the novel insists, a child of God much like yourself — while depicting his crimes without flinching. One of McCarthy's most disturbing works; the violence and sexual content are extreme. Not for sensitive readers or those unfamiliar with McCarthy's unflinching prose.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Necrophilia as central element
Extreme violence and murder
Deeply disturbing throughout
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