The Orchard Keeper

If you want to be totally confused, this is the book for you. I consider myself a sophisticated enough reader but this book had me confused from the first page to the last. The only reason I had any idea what was going on was having read the back cover synopsis. I couldn't keep any of the characters straight from one paragraph to the next. I kept at it because it is my policy that if I make it past 10 pages, I am committed to finish the book. What a waste of time. I never did understand what happened to the characters in the book. Too wordy, descriptive prose which made no sense. Boring. Waste of time.

The Orchard Keeper is my third McCarthy book in the last two years. I've enjoyed all of them, probably for different reasons. I've read McCarthy's most recent, The Road, and now his first, The Orchard Keeper. The difference between the two books is astonishing. Both are excellent, but The Road is as stark as The Orchard Keeper is verbose. I commented that The Road was the perfect example of work economy. While I'm certain The Orchard Keeper reflects the same economy, it is filled with the adjectives, adverbs and descriptive prose that The Road lacks. I personally enjoyed The Road more than The Orchard Keeper. Because of that preference, I wanted to give The Orchard Keeper fewer 'stars,' but in the final analysis, it is as intense, maybe more so, and certainly as enjoyable as all other McCarthy offerings.

This is certainly one of our great American novels, and it might be the best "first" novel written in our country in the past 100 years. In many respects the America McCarthy reveals in The Orchard Keeper is one our politicians and rich folks like to pretend never existed, that back-woods land of poor country people living hard-scrabble lives in the hills that many of our folks grew up in at the end of The Great Depression. Forget Faulkner, for God's sake. Cormac writes beautiful prose that actually makes sense, and his novels are peopled with characters who are as real as anyone you'll meet in your travels today. This is the real deal. And you'll always find something new and refreshing in this wonderful book, each time you go back to read it again.

THE ORCHARD KEEPER, Cormac McCarthy's first novel, explores the nature of new versus old ways of life. It's a novel on nature. It deals primarily with three men: John Wesley, a young man coming of age; Marion Sylder, a bootlegger; and Uncle Ather, a hilarious, elderly man who refuses to take any crap from anyone. While these three run into each other throughout the novel, they are also connected to each other in a way through which none of them are aware--through the death of Kenneth Rattner. McCarthy's novel appears to be more of a character analysis than a plot driven story. While a plot does exist, it is not incredibly strong nor prominent. It's more like a series of anecdotes. However, the character depth and symbolism found in the pages of this book are tremendously wonderful. It's definitely a book worth reading again in order to catch all of these symbols and meanings. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy analyzing works, not someone who is just looking for something pleasurable to read. It's definitely not like reading Harry Potter : ). For example, at the beginning of this work, the narrator jumps from person to person, telling part of each one's story with little or no signal of whom is being spoken of. You have to take your time to figure out who the narrator is talking about. This can be rather frustrating at first, so beware! However, if you can tolerate this writing style and don't expect much of a plot, the piece is rather enjoyable, filled with comic elements and brilliance.

Rich, biblical prose. Set in the South. The best bar in all literature, set in a Gap, leaning out over a gorge, swaying with the wild partiers in the storm...when the porch starts to give way.... Great old hound: I bet he beats Faulkner's. Great old man: stubborn as a mule, refusing to participate in anything he considers unworthy, unmanly, not right---give me liberty or give me death---it really doesn't go out of style, even though such an orientation might get you labeled as disturbed.

Any reader of McCarthy's work knows that he views the human condition as one of substantial adversity, but not without redeeming value. His earlier work, set in Tennessee (including this) seem to have a more affecting quality. Something seems more "true", closer to home. These books evoke an emotional reaction to the characters. His later work set on the border, reflects a world of great natural beauty and incredible human savagery. I prefer the earlier works, although this may just be a matter of personal taste. This is a really fine book, as are most of the works of this excellent writer.