Outer Dark

Outer Dark

Outer Dark is a novel at once fabular and starkly evocative, set is an unspecified place in Appalachia, sometime around the turn of the century. A woman bears her brother's child, a boy; he leaves the baby in the woods and tells her he died of natural causes. Discovering her brother's lie, she sets forth alone to find her son. Both brother and sister wander separately through a countryside being scourged by three terrifying and elusive strangers, headlong toward an eerie, apocalyptic resolution.
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Reviews

Photo of gabrielle v
gabrielle v@mariposa222

I had a lot to say about it then I heard about his little 16 year old girlfriend now i dont really care it was good though

Photo of Patrick Book
Patrick Book@patrickb
4 stars
Jul 5, 2024

A big shift from his first novel! Well-conceived and stylized and, of course, grim as hell.

Photo of Tobias V. Langhoff
Tobias V. Langhoff@tvil
4 stars
Feb 24, 2024

Another dark book from McCarthy about people who unhappily roam the Southern US. An incestuous relationship in the redneck Appalachian country sends two illiterate siblings on separate journeys to find what they have lost. Their karma decides their fate along the way. The first audiobook I’ve heard by Ed Sala, and to my untrained ears he really nails the dialect.

Photo of Coleman McCormick
Coleman McCormick@coleman
4 stars
Aug 13, 2023

Outer Dark sorta makes the other McCarthy books I've read look like happy time (The Road, No Country). Though there are few characters and little activity, McCarthy keeps the suspense up through to the end.

Photo of Blazgorb Throxis
Blazgorb Throxis@iwillbestokedwhenthequeendies
3.5 stars
Jul 29, 2023

Just an exquisite book. The beginning is tremendously atmospheric. The characters are intentionally underspoken throughout the novel which forces the reader to rely on the impact of their presence which Cormac did an excellent job on capturing in such a captivating way. The story is clever and original. My only qualm is that the middle of the book can be a drag. The end is near perfect and wonderfully poetic

Photo of Michael Springer
Michael Springer@djinn-n-juice
3 stars
May 1, 2023

There were some elements of this book I liked quite a bit. The characters stumble through a dangerous world peopled by eccentrics who are, often as not, dangerous. The book builds to a surprising and dark conclusion that, in my opinion, disappointed. I really enjoy the work of this author. But, this is an earlier and weaker offering than what I've read by him before.

Photo of Celia Adams
Celia Adams@celiarose3881
1 star
Sep 27, 2021

Cormac McCarthy reads like my pretentious English professor acts- like he thinks he so smart and better than everyone else just because he doesn't follow pop culture and used ambiguity and no context. I'd give him no stars if that was an option

Photo of Kutalp (Kutalp)
Kutalp (Kutalp)@nihilreich
4 stars
Jun 25, 2024
Photo of Jackson Weaver
Jackson Weaver@jacksonweaver
4 stars
Jul 4, 2024
Photo of A. D. Knapp
A. D. Knapp@haselrig
4 stars
May 23, 2024
Photo of Zsofia Müller
Zsofia Müller @m_sofia
2 stars
May 15, 2024
Photo of elizabeth
elizabeth@ekmclaren
4 stars
May 11, 2024
Photo of Colton Ray
Colton Ray@coltonmray
4 stars
Apr 16, 2024
Photo of Erika
Erika@erikasku
4 stars
Dec 26, 2023
Photo of D VA
D VA@pneumatic
3 stars
Dec 25, 2023
Photo of Will Vunderink
Will Vunderink@willvunderink
3 stars
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of Andrew John Kinney
Andrew John Kinney@numidica
2 stars
Aug 18, 2023
Photo of Vladimir
Vladimir@vkosmosa
4 stars
May 7, 2023
Photo of Aaron McCollough
Aaron McCollough@rondollah
4 stars
Jan 9, 2023
Photo of Jack Hartgrave
Jack Hartgrave@cyberbullydad
3 stars
Sep 22, 2022
Photo of Danielle Raymond
Danielle Raymond @idkmydude
1 star
Jun 20, 2022
Photo of Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech @giovannigf
4 stars
Feb 9, 2022
Photo of Alex Gee
Alex Gee@alexgee
5 stars
Jan 26, 2022
Photo of Kim
Kim @kimaw1313
5 stars
Jan 9, 2022

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