The Passenger and Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy | BOOK REVIEW

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

The Passenger actually became my favorite of McCarthy's books, even surpassing Blood Meridian. It maybe isn't the most perfect of his works, but I think it reaches the farthest. He really did just want to talk about life and the universe and stuff. But hey, I eat that shit up! 😅 The part where Bobby went to visit his grandmother really cemented The Passenger as probably the most moving thing McCarthy ever wrote to me. As for why the plot just disintegrated, I think that was intended as a reflection of the story's themes. The Passenger is about death, endings, partings, and the nature of the universe, and one speculated end of the universe is entropy, the dissolution of everything into nothing. I think the book's plot petered out like it did because it sort of ties in with that. I could be wrong though. Overall though, The Passenger moved me, it made me think, I cared about the characters, and the writing was great as per usual. Since these are in all likelihood gonna be his last books, I'd say he went out like a boss. 😁

[@JasonFuhrman]

I think it has the potential to be one of my favorites too. It'll just require another reading, now that I somewhat have my head wrapped around it. I agree with your analysis. It makes a lot of sense. Mirroring what life is. He did reach more in this one than any other I've read of his. And it definitely is a reflection of a man living his final days. You are a far better (and well read) person to analyze this stuff, so I appreciate your comments!

[@yapdog]

Love the way you describe books. A great listen

[@JasonFuhrman]

Appreciate it!

[@someokiedude9549]

Nice review my friend. I am sad at the prospect that this is most likely going to be Cormac McCarthy's last work. But it is what it is. Keep up the good work.

[@JasonFuhrman]

Yeah same. I won't lose hope until he's dead.

[@someokiedude9549]

@@JasonFuhrman Oh yes, forgot to mention that I agree with you about that interview he did with Krauss. Super annoying and it felt like Krauss was taking over the conversation, but to be fair to him, McCarthy isn't much of the talkative type and I bet it was frustrating to try and carry that interview.

[@JasonFuhrman]

@@someokiedude9549 yeah at first I blamed Krauss, but then came to remember the Oprah interview where he didn't talk much either.

[@angusmckeogh659]

Totally fair. Not one of his best books in my view, but I'll never complain about getting something out of McCarthy. And I was a little more repulsed with his sister's fervent desire to sleep with her brother than you seemed to be, but I would agree it didn't come across as tasteless.

[@JasonFuhrman]

Yeah I'm still thinking about this one. I finished the books a couple of weeks ago but wanted to let them roll around my head a little before I reviewed them. I'm sure there is much more than I got out of them. I just wonder why McCarthy chose the strange plot.

[@Paromita_M]

Nice discussion. The Passenger didn't work for me but I liked Stella Maris.

[@JasonFuhrman]

Interesting take. I'm surprised because Stella Maris didn't feel much like a story to me. What did you like about it?

[@Paromita_M]

@@JasonFuhrman Knowing about Alisha from The Passenger and getting a (somewhat) deep dive into her mind, how it works, how self-aware she is of how messed up things are for her and the world and perhaps there is really no way out...somehow it spoke to me. I liked the therapist and Alisha's conversations. Agree its not much of a novel. But those last lines: "I think our time is up. I know. Hold my hand. Hold your hand? Yes. I want you to. All right. Why? Because that’s what people do when they’re waiting for the end of something.” Knowing what happens, it impacted me very strongly.

[@JasonFuhrman]

Great answer :). I did like the intimate portrait of her quite a bit. I think where it lost my attention most was when she was talking more about the scientists and less about what we knew from The Passenger. But I still did enjoy it. I wonder how reading The Passenger again will be like since I know more about her. I'm sure there are all kinds of things I didn't pick up.

[@Paromita_M]

@@JasonFuhrman Very fair. One thing which may have contributed to my enjoyment a bit more is my degree is in Physics so Alisha's discussions reminded me of things we had heard mentioned in undergraduate/Masters. There was something rather sad about their conversation, I can't explain why exactly but it got to me. Maybe the last lines just hit especially hard.

[@JasonFuhrman]

I can definitely see why you'd be interested then with your background. I've read books that dabble in interests of mine and I get far more out of them because of it. I'd be curious on your take on the overall story in the context of your physics background. Did you see Bobby and/or Alicia and their streets being metaphors to scientific discourse that might have gone over my head?

[@damgaard113]

How could you do a review and not understand that Alicia was found after she hung herself in the first words of “The Passenger”?

[@JasonFuhrman]

Maybe I misspoke. What part of the video are you referring to?

[@christianwellens3530]

@@JasonFuhrmanprobably the part where you said we don’t know how she died, idk how much more clear the book could’ve been that she killed herself.

[@vinceven]

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