Welcome to Litsy!

It's that time again, to pick our favorites from the last year. What was our favorite book? Who wrote our favorite prose? Who was the best villain? Join us for our annual Book Oscars! We have those categories plus lots more. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our selections by reaching out to us on our socials. As always thanks for listening!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7at8MqW5aS6Yin4N3YJRts

“But there are no absolutes in human misery and things can always get worse” about sums up Suttree. I realise this doesn‘t make it sound like a good book, but it is. There‘s not enough words, nor can I use them well enough to explain how masterful McCarthy‘s prose is. As always a challenge and pleasure to read his work.

Suttree had spent years on my bookshelf, having the doubtful honour of being the only McCarthy novel I hadn‘t read yet. I used this year‘s summer vacation to finally tackle – and enjoy – those 460 pages of small print and few punctuation marks.

Suttree is something of a tragic hero, who seems to have chosen a life of poverty and violence in 1950s Knoxville, told through many short and a few extensive episodes. There is something …

Recalling a time on Market Square in Knoxville when this tribute to Cormac McCarthy was literally at my feet as I watched a concert there. Sad news of his passing today.

Our episode on Cormac McCarthy's brilliant Suttree with special guest Aldous Asterion from The Forest of Symbols podcast is up and out! Aldous helps us sort through the symbolism and philosophy underlying the novel and Peter and I do our best to keep up. Check it out on Spotify or iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GdL20fv8FtJi4FzT5aCOE

Special episode this week, we are joined by Aldous Asterion, host of the podcast, “The Forest of Symbols.“ Asterion helps us unpack Cormac McCarthy's 1979 classic novel, “Suttree.“ Join us as we delve deep in the novel and McCarthy in general. We had a great time discussing this surprisingly humorous novel with the very knowledgeable, Aldous Asterion.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GdL20fv8FtJi4FzT5aCOE

After reading the first page of this book, I felt that I'm going to have to give back my advanced English language certificate. But after finding webpages with titles like "Where does McCarthy get his words?" and "Words McCarthy Uses in His Novels" I felt a bit relieved. Still it was too much right now. I loved all his other novels so I'll definitely give it another go later.

Suttree flawlessly grasps the ethos of the quintessential American novel. It seethes Steinbeck, Faulkner, O‘Connor, etc. More a character study presented through a series of vignettes, Suttree can be frustrating in its reluctance to provide any conclusions to the often humorous and engaging stories, or presenting any real plot. But the writing here is masterful, brutal, and beautiful. And like all great American novels, it will leave you in awe.

Proud of myself for finally getting another bookshelf and shelving (by genre? alphabetical order? In the end, it was a mix) the piles of books sitting around my apartment. Look at all that floor space now! Had some fun doing it too: spent an entire afternoon and evening revisiting some books I completely forgot I had (e.g. next stop, digging into some Cormac McCarthy).

Oh, how Market Square, #Knoxville, #Tennessee, has changed since Cormac McCarthy's description in Suttree. Musicians playing the saw and a steel drum by the suffragists' statue as I set my chair on McCarthy's inscription to watch A Midsummer Night's Dream and eat my gyro from Yassin's, the "nicest place in America." #refugee #Shakespeare https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/inside-nicest-place-america-refu...

This was a fascinating book. Still trying to take it all in. Really unique characters and quite sad at most points. It felt bleak.

Grabbing Vietnamese for lunch. So yummy. Slowly working through this book.

Making my way slowly through several dense books right now. This is one of them.

I really enjoyed this one in general, and the setting was no small part- it was nice to be on a houseboat on the Tennessee River. Though that makes this read sound more peaceful than it actually was- not a relaxing read by any stretch. I'm going to look out for more river-centric recommendations today. #TheRiver #RockinMay @Cinfhen

Anyone read this book? It was one of Roger Ebert's favorites and he's a personal hero of mine. But every time I pick it up I open to this first page and think "nope, not happening."

#getindie This isn't my local indie store, but it is the last indie store I was in. I took a trip to Savannah, GA, and as I walked the historic streets under ancient live oaks covered in Spanish moss, I stumbled upon this place. With local coffee in hand, I ventured in and discovered one of my favorite spots in the city. The staff was very kind, and the shelves contained a broad selection of genres, so I couldn't leave without supporting.

Very poetic and brutal, as usual with McCarthy.

It's no secret that this man is my favorite author. This is his story of hope, healing, growth, and understanding. It's a reminder that no matter how hard things get, there's always time to turn them around.

That full paragraph is why this man is the best living writer in the U.S. today.