Child of God

Child of God is a brutally violent, shocking work by Cormac McCarthy that explores the depths of human degradation. Set in the 1960s, Tennessee, the story follows Lester Ballard, a violent, solitary backwoodsman who is accused of rape and released from jail. He begins to haunt the hilly landscape, preying upon its population and unleashing his impulse for sexualized violence. McCarthy's prose takes on an almost biblical quality, hallucinatory in its effect and evangelical in its power. The book is praised for its ability to elicit compassion for its protagonist, despite his terrible actions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2024
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Child of God, Cormac McCarthy's most brutally violent and shocking work, delves into the depths of human degradation. Written in the 1960s, in Tennessee, the novel follows Lester Ballard, a violent, solitary, and introverted young backwoodsman who is dispossessed of his ancestral land. Homeless and indulging in voyeurism, Ballard is accused of rape and is subsequently released from jail. He then begins to haunt the hilly landscape, preying upon its population and unleashing his impulse for sexualized violence.

As the story progresses, commonplace humanity becomes grotesque, and McCarthy depicts the most sordid aspects of life with empathy and lyricism. A powerful and talented writer, McCarthy is able to elicit compassion for his protagonist, even though his actions are terrible. The novel has received widespread praise from critics, with many describing it as a masterpiece.

McCarthy's prose takes on an almost biblical quality, hallucinatory in its effect and evangelical in its power. He shows readers the necessity of facing up to existence and the darker human impulses that exist within us all. Child of God is a powerful and unforgettable work that continues to resonate with readers today.

Weight: 138g
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781035039012