Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Cormac McCarthy, Known For 'The Road' And 'No Country For Old Men’, Has Passed Away At The Age Of 89

TV & Film

Jun 30

Cormac McCarthy, a famed U.S. novelist, sadly passed away at his home in New Mexico on Tuesday, 13th June, at the age of 89. He is most well-known for the Coen Brothers Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men. McCarthy wrote gritty, dark stories contrasted against epic literary landscapes, such as the wilds of east Tennessee or the US/Mexico frontier. He worked solidly as a writer for most of his life, producing twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories. Cormac McCarthy is touted as one of the most successful U.S Authors of modern times, and he has received countless accolades. His dystopian novel, The Road, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007.

McCarthy was a scientist at heart, having studied physics at college before taking up the craft. He took the same methodical approach to his writing, exhaustively researching each historical setting. The highly intelligent man was also bi-lingual after having lived in Ibiza, El Paso, and Santa Fe. Many of his books include a large amount of untranslated Spanish. McCarthy had a very practical approach to writing, once telling Oprah Winfrey, ‘If you spend a lot of time thinking about how to write a book, you probably shouldn't be thinking about it, you probably should be doing it.’

Although he is no longer with us, he has certainly left his mark on the world. His work will be studied, digested, mulled over, and enjoyed for generations to come.

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