Review of the book “Son of God” by Cormac McCarthy.
Son of God is a novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy, published in 1973. It is the author’s third work and the first set in the southern United States, where he grew up. The novel tells the story of Lester Ballard, a marginalized and violent young man who lives in the mountains of Tennessee in the mid-20th century. After losing his family farm at auction, Ballard wanders the woods and commits heinous crimes against people and animals. His psychopathic and depraved behavior makes him a social outcast and a monster feared by everyone.
The plot revolves around the main character as he fights to survive in a hostile and isolated world. Lester is a man marginalized by his community due to his violent actions and erratic behavior. He is stripped of his family home and forced to live in the nearby hills where he subsists by hunting wild animals to survive.
The deeply bleak and intense narrative accurately portrays both the natural beauty of the landscape and the brutality present among human beings when deprived of any type of social or moral structure. The lyrical prose allows the reader to feel completely absorbed within the world created by McCarthy, which can be both captivating and disturbing.
As the story progresses, we watch as the protagonist begins to fall deeper into increasing madness. This leads him to commit terrible acts against those around him, including sexual violence and murder.
The shocking ending leaves open many questions about the final fate of the central character as well as the general meaning behind all this dark drama. However, this only adds even more mystery and intrigue to an already fascinating work.
Son of God is a work of gothic brutality that explores the limits of the human condition and the nature of evil. McCarthy uses a dry and direct narrative style, with little dialogue and detailed descriptions of violent scenes. The novel is divided into three parts that correspond to the stages of Ballard’s life: his childhood, his maturity, and his old age. Each part has a different tone that reflects the physical and mental deterioration of the protagonist.
The novel has been compared to the work of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor, two great exponents of American southern literature. It has also been related to the real case of Ed Gein, a serial killer who inspired films such as Psycho or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Son of God was adapted to film in 2013 by director James Franco, who also played the role of Ballard.
Son of God is a novel that does not leave the reader indifferent due to its rawness and realism. It is an example of the literary talent of Cormac McCarthy, one of the most recognized and awarded writers of his generation.
In summary, “Son of God” is a profound read but hardly forgettable thanks to the powerful effect of its prose and the psychological complexity of the main character. Cormac McCarthy is a master at creating intensely detailed literary worlds that force us to question our own perceptions of good, evil, and everything in between.
Source: https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/hijo-de-dios
