This is one of the most difficult, but also most awe-inspiring novels I've ever read. If you are at all averse to violence then I would suggest looking elsewhere; indeed this book truly revels in what can only be described as "spectacular" violence. And that is what the book is about, at its core: the capacity for violence which resides within mankind. If nothing else it dispels the notion that there was any true "conquering of the West".

As some reviewers have said, this book is not for everyone. McCarthy's writing style is unmistakable: long sentences joined by "and"s and many unfamiliar and arcane words. But his way with words is so masterful and the sound of his prose so beautiful that I find myself completely drawn into the world of the novel.

If you're accustomed to having a quick-moving plot you will probably be bored by this novel; the plot is not the main focus here. As for the ending, it's certainly not spelled out at all and open to interpretation by the reader.

Which is why the novel is so brilliant; it's not something to be read and comprehended and placed on a shelf , but rather the themes and questions posed by the novel stay with you in a way that is rare for most modern works of fiction. With all this mind, if you are still interested in reading this book I promise you will be disappointed.