Search - All the Pretty Horses (Border, Bk 1)

This is good reading! A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER and NATIONAL CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD and after a few pages you will begin to see why this is such an acclaimed novel. This is a modern work of fiction set in the Texas badlands and Northern Mexico. Today it is still cattle ranching country and the region clings to the romance of the "Wild West". The story begins when a sixteen year old boy, devastated by the death of his grandfather and the inevitable sale of the family ranch, decides to run away to Mexico. He convinces his best friend to accompany him. They take only their saddle horses, light provisions and their cowboy skills. The boys discover that life isn't as kind or idyllic as they envisioned. There is a lot of conversation in this novel, lots of it in basic Spanish, which is not clearly translated. I think this was a clever ploy by the author to let the reader feel the confusion the two boys experience. It will not interrupt the flow of the story, it fact, it makes it come alive. There is factual description of ranching life and the desert regions with great attention to detail. At times funny, other times gut wrenching, this is the story about these two boys coming to grip with the reality of life, which is often cruel and unfair. The adventure is full of horses, gun play, bad guys and romance. Somewhere along the way, the boys become men. I really liked this book. I would highly recommend it for young adults. It is a great book about the rites of passage from childhood to adult hood.

This is a National Book Award winner (for fiction). It is a beautifully written book. We all enjoyed it very much - we being myself, my father & my husband. Highest recommendation to those readers who enjoy well-written, well-developed stories.

western. the plot was engaging, but i did not like the writing style. however, it is a national bestseller, won 'the national book award for fiction' and 'national book critics circle award for fiction', and received rave reviews, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

Surprisingly upbeat in view of other McCarthy novels I've read. There is something riveting about his style. I enjoyed the book a lot.

Beautiful prose, but difficult to follow. Plot wasn't as engaging for me. I'm sorry to put it down without finishing, but it just wasn't for me.

AModern Day Western,great read even if you are not a wesrern buff.