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Cormac McCarthy Quotes

Novelist

American novelist known for his profound literary style and rich imagination. His notable works include 'The Border Trilogy' and 'No Country for Old Men'.

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All World Men Ifs Said Knows Heart All The Pretty Horses Cormac Mccarthy Way Thinking Made Death People Dark Lasts Night Dream War Doe Life

Famous Cormac McCarthy Quotes

“When smart people do dumb things it’s usually due to one of two things. The two things are greed and fear. They want something they’re not supposed to have or they’ve done something they weren’t supposed to do. In either case they’ve usually fasten on to a set of beliefs that are supportive of their state of mind but at odds with reality. It has become more important for them to believe that to know.”

People Belief Fear Behavior Greed Justification Motivations

Book:The Passenger

Source: The Passenger

“People are interested in other people. But your unconscious is not. Or only as they might directly affect you. It's been hired to do a very specific job. It never sleeps. It's more faithful than God.”

People Interest Sleep Faithful Unconscious Job

Book:Stella Maris

Source: Stella Maris

“It is not my experience that life’s difficulties make people more charitable.”

People Difficulty Charitable

Book:All the Pretty Horses

Source: All the Pretty Horses

“Dying ain't in people's plans, is it?”

People Death Plans Dying

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“People apparently only read mystery stories of any length. With mysteries, the longer the better, and people will read any damn thing. But the indulgent, 800-page books that were written a hundred years ago are just not going to be written anymore, and people need to get used to that.”

People Needs Years Book Stories Used Written Mystery Pages Hundred Years Ago Damn Length Damn Things

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“People think they know what they want but they generally don't. Sometimes if they're lucky they'll get it anyways.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Want Sometimes Desire Lucky

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“If people knew the story of their lives how many would then elect to live them? People speak about what is in store. But there is nothing in store. The day is made of what has come before. The world itself must be surprised at the shape of that which appears. Perhaps even God.”

People Ifs World Life Made Stories Speak Shapes Stores God Life

Book:The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

Source: The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

“Do you know what happens with people who cannot govern themselves? That's right. Others come in to govern for them.”

People Knows Happens Do You Know

Book:Blood Meridian: Picador Classic

Source: Blood Meridian: Picador Classic

“People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn't believe in that. Tomorrow wasn't getting ready for them. It didn't even know they were there.”

People Knows Life Believe Ready Tomorrow

Book:The Road

Source: The Road

“This country will kill you in a heartbeat and still people love it.”

People Stills Country Heartbeat

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“She smiled. I think it's just the snow. I think it makes people stop and think. Bell nodded. I hope it comes a blizzard then.”

People Thinking Snow Bells Blizzard

Book:No Country for Old Men

Source: No Country for Old Men

“No one can tell you what your life is goin to be, can they? No. It's never like what you expected. Quijada nodded. If people knew the story of their lives how many would then elect to live them?”

People Ifs Stories Life Is Expected

Book:The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

Source: The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

“There is for a man two things in life that are very important, head and shoulders above everything else. Find work you like, and find someone to live with you like. Very few people get both.”

People Men Two Important Shoulders Two Things Things In Life

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“I think by the time you're grown you're as happy as you're goin to be. You'll have good times and bad times, but in the end you'll be about as happy as you was before. Or as unhappy. I've knowed people that just never did get the hang of it.”

People Thinking Ends Unhappy Good Times Be You Bad Times Good Times And Bad Times

Book:No Country for Old Men

Source: No Country for Old Men

“It takes very little to govern good people. Very little. And bad people cant be governed at all. Or if they could I never heard of it.”

People Ifs Littles Heard Good People Cant Bad People

Book:No Country for Old Men

Source: No Country for Old Men

“People don't pay attention. And then one day there's an accounting. And after that, nothing is the same.”

People Pay Attention One Day Pay Attention Accounting

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“People complain about the bad things that happen to em that they don't deserve but they seldom mention the good. About what they done to deserve them things.”

People Done Happens Deserve Complaining Ems Bad Things

Author:Cormac McCarthy

“If people knew the story of their lives, how many would then elect to live them?”

People Ifs Stories

Book:The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

Source: The Crossing: Book 2 of The Border Trilogy

“I yearn for the darkness. I pray for death. Real death. If I thought that in death I would meet the people I've known in life I don't know what I'd do. That would be the ultimate horror. The ultimate despair. If I had to meet my mother again and start all of that all over, only this time without the prospect of death to look forward to? Well. That would be the final nightmare. Kafka on wheels.”

People Ifs Knows Wells Looks Real Would Be Mother Known Darkness Praying Horror Despair Ultimate Finals Wheels Nightmare I Pray

Author:Cormac McCarthy

About the Author

Born: July 20, 1933
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 574

Books & Sources

The RoadRelated source material

The PassengerRelated source material

No Country for Old MenRelated source material

All the Pretty HorsesRelated source material

Blood Meridian: Picador ClassicRelated source material

The Border TrilogyRelated source material

Stella MarisRelated source material

SuttreeRelated source material

Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the WestRelated source material

The Road film tie-inRelated source material

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