#35 All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy (Pan Books)

If it's bleak wilderness you're after, and a lament for life in the old west and roaming free under the stars, then look no further than Cormac McCarthy, who infuses his novels with more introspection than even Clint Eastwood could handle.

All The Pretty Horses is known as one of his finest novels, one of the Great Modern American Novels to give it its full title, but I enjoyed No Country for Old Men more.

There are some similar themes, the loss of what used to be an honourable way of life and a distrust of more modern ways, not mention events spiralling out of control, but, unlike main character John Grady Cole and the innate connection he has with horses, I struggled to connect with the other two main characters.

To precis the plot, teenagers Cole and his friend arrive in Mexico determined to live the noble life of cowboys, hook up with a strange boy with a magnificent horse who gets them into trouble, and eventually prison, whereby the aunt of Cole's ill-fated love, the daughter of a rich rancher, frees them in exchange for the girl agreeing never to see Cole again. I told you it was ill-fated.

The novel is rich with quiet contemplation, with men doing what what they've got to, 'the right thing' no matter the consequences, but strikes a bum note with the third character, the disruptive Jimmy Blevins. Cole is so circumspect and cautious, with good reason (except when falling for the girl), it's never quite clear why his judgement fails so spectacularly regarding Blevins, even when his friend warns him. With the girl, he recognises trouble will follow but makes his decision because of his feelings: with Blevins, there is no such conflict or potential reward, which just makes his choices all the more baffling.

McCarthy brings to life a world whose days are numbered, and writes wonderfully about the horses, of which those who aren't pretty are still valued. But as a book, this is a scrub rather than a stallion.

So, rating time:

#35 All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy (Pan Books) - 7/10

Next up: The Ministry of Fear, by Graham Greene (Vintage)

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