All the Pretty Horses cover art

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

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All the Pretty Horses

By: Cormac McCarthy
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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About this listen

John Grady Cole is the last bewildered survivor of long generations of Texas ranchers. Finding himself cut off from the only life he has ever wanted, he sets out for Mexico with his friend, Lacey Rawlins.

Befriending a third boy on the way, they find a country beyond their imagining: barren and beautiful, rugged yet cruelly civilised.... A place where dreams are paid for in blood.

©1992 Cormac McCarthy (P)1992 Recorded Books Inc Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Heartfelt Mexico Ranch Latin America

Critic Reviews

"One of the greatest American novels of this or any time." ( Guardian)
"A darkly shining work...executed with consummate skill and much subtlety - the effect is magnificent." ( Observer)
"An exhilarating, exceptional novel." ( Spectator)
All stars
Most relevant  
Great adventure story with a unique style of writing. Subtly contrasted the two main characters in the book and not all at once.

Unique style of writing

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Cormac McCarthy writes with passion and uses language which is deeply poetic. This is a beautiful novel.

Profound and poetic.

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I devoured this book, loving every aspect of it. From the sumptous and generous writing to the excellent narration.

So much of the books themes, locals and history was totally alien to me, so it was an incredible and oft heart-rendering experience that I will treasure.

The moods and relationships and landscapes are masterfully echoed in the authors language and will be a solemn delight to any lover of good fiction, I reckon.

It should be noted that due attention is given to the equine world, and the relationships between human and horse are as deeply considered as any other relationship explored in the book. So, if you lilove horses and reading, this is a must!

Exquisite.

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A beautifully written novel delivered very well. When someone writes as literally as McCarthy it needs, in my view, an American accent. I am dying to get to the second in this trilogy.

Aesthetically beautiful, enrapturing

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I don’t have the skill to write a review deserving of this book.
Extraordinary, heartbreaking, brutal and raw.
I am forever changed.

Outstanding

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always a good read, hard to find a bad book in the collection. best trilogy ever written

a book that will keep you home from work

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Finally got to listen to this evocative postwar tale of discovery, love and jeopardy in the border lands of the US and Mexico. Beautifully narrated. Close your eyes (if you can) saddle up and immerse your self in MacCarthy’s brilliance. You won’t be disappointed.

Better late than never

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An exceptional story with what might be the best narrator I've heard. The language Cormac McCarthy uses to bring details to live in this gritty tale of adventure, loss, friendship and survival was, for me, truly captivating. The narrator's performance was pretty much flawless.

Exceptional story

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I was not expecting this novel to be as beautiful as it was - and expertly narrated also. It’s one of the best I’ve listened to in a long time.

A beautiful novel

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I couldn’t recommend this book more. Exquisitely written, masterfully read. Harrowing, but impossible not to admire.

Exceptional, beautiful

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