Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy is a dark and haunting tale of mankind’s blindness, set against a bleak backdrop. The novel follows the story of Rinthy, a woman who discovers her brother has left her newborn baby in the woods to die.

She sets out to find the baby for herself, and along the way, she encounters a variety of characters who are all struggling with their own darkness and despair.

The novel explores themes of darkness, blindness, namelessness, sickness, and violence, and draws from the long tradition of existentialist literature.

The book is a grim reminder of the darkness that can consume us if we are not careful. It is a cautionary tale that shows how easily we can be sucked into our own mire, even in the light of day.

McCarthy creates a world devoid of God, purpose, and causality, and his vivid descriptions bring this world to life. The novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition, and its themes of darkness and despair will stay with readers long after they have finished the book.

What I Liked

Like The Road, the prose is absolutely unmatched. The scenes, plot, and characters are simply brilliant. I love how this is the type of book that will deliver a (good but tough) emotional punch in the gut so to speak and really make you think outside yourself and try to inhabit other lives lived – the ultimate job of good literature.

What I Did Not Like

Ooooo wowza is this book dark and tough. I thought The Road was violent and dark until I read this book. However. There is absolutely nothing in this book that has not happened thousands of times in the real world. It is not fantasy. It’s real – all too real. So there’s nothing that I would change about the book…I just can’t recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone, anytime.