Cormac McCarthy

Cornelius Suttree renounces the values held by his prominent family to live in a dilapidated houseboat among the depraved residents on the banks of the Tennessee River

Suttree

This compelling novel has as its protagonist Cornelius Suttree, living alone and in exile in a disintegrating houseboat on the wrong side of the Tennessee River close by Knoxville. He stays at the edge of an outcast community inhabited by eccentrics, criminals and the poverty-stricken. Rising above the physical and human squalor around him, his detachment and wry humour enable him to survive dereliction and destitution with dignity.

Tobias V. Langhoff

Like many other McCarthy novels, in this one we follow a single protagonist’s daily life and hardships. And also like those other books, this one is light on the plot, but still feels more focused than some (such as the Border trilogy).

Good old Cornelius Suttree is an intelligent, seemingly well-educated man from the middle class, who chooses to live off the grid and scrape by as a fisherman on the Tennessee River. He doesn’t drink much, and when he does we see why he doesn’t. He has a sad past which he does his best to forget; a good man who is punished by himself (and God?). He hangs out with hobos and drunkards. These acquaintances are fleshed-out, crazy side characters who offer most of the book’s humor, and although Suttree usually seems like the stoic, rationalist voice of reason in his group of friends, he seems a little crazy himself.

The book is a snapshot of a few of Suttree’s years on the river and about, and although there’s a cohesive, overarching story it also feels like a series of short stories about his various mishaps. It’s not always clear what’s a flashback and what’s not, and at times this is muddled by dreams, hallucinations and visions.

As in seemingly all of McCarthy’s work, he uses archaic, poetic and biblical prose in descriptions, but down to earth, informal and natural language in dialogue. I’m not sure if it’s his intention, but he presents the life of lower-class people in a way middle-class well-read folks probably appreciate.

As the book progresses it seems to signify the end of an era, both in Suttree’s life, the lives of the people around him, the way of their lives, and the parts of the city they live in through gentrification. The ending was awesome; probably the best ending McCarthy has ever written.

oh my god, where to start? Cormac McCarthy is a language genius and this book reminded me of T.S. Eliot's Wasteland. A gloomy Job's tale, infused with humanity and vivid characters. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a while. But be prepared: it reminded me more of The Road than No Country For Old Men.

Jade Flynn

Read for the Olympic Games Readathon. Team Hades: Prompt - The underworld is a dark and dreary place, read a book with a dark cover.

Suttree is my fifth McCarthy and I can now safely say that he deserves a spot amongst my favourite authors.

Lindsay Cronk

Unexpectedly funny! A little treasure box of an epic. It made me want to visit Knoxville.

Suttree

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