Who wrote No Country for Old Men? All about Pulitzer-winning author Cormac McCarthy

With a heavy heart, the world of literature bid adieu to Cormac McCarthy, a celebrated novelist who chronicled America's bleak frontiers and grim underbelly in his potent novels, which are considered masterpieces today. McCarthy passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, aged 89, leaving behind a canon of works like The Road and No Country for Old Men, as well as a Pulitzer Prize.

McCarthy's searing novel No Country for Old Men was adapted into a feature film by the Coen brothers in 2007, and the film was even critically acclaimed by the Academy. Javier Bardem won the Oscar for best-supporting actor for his chilling portrayal of Chigurh, and the Coen brothers shared the awards for directing, screenplay, and best picture.

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Cormac McCarthy: Remembering the Pulitzer-winning novelist's phenomenal life and works

Born on July 20, 1933, in Providence, Rhode Island, to a well-off family, Cormac McCarthy had a proper Roman Catholic upbringing. He was educated at St. Mary’s School and Knoxville Catholic High School and attended the University of Tennessee from 1951-52.

He dropped out to join the Air Force, and after four years of service, he decided to go back to University once again. By then, the budding author had already been published in The Phoenix, a student literary magazine. McCarthy dropped out again to relocate to Chicago, where he did odd jobs and focused on his writing career.

Cormac McCarthy wrote his first novel, The Orchard Keeper, while working at a car parts shop in Chicago. The emotionally raw and violent book is an ode to the rugged terrain of Tennessee, where he grew up in.

In the following years, he worked on several novels, but McCarthy's claim to fame was The Road, which depicts an outcast community living on the Tennessee River. The novel won him a Pulitzer Prize, and Oprah Winfrey even named it in one of her book club selections. McCarthy's other notable works include The Border Trilogy, No Country for Old Men, and his final works, The Passenger and its prequel Stella Maris.

McCarthy is known for his crisp prose, foreboding view of humanity, raw and emotional approach to death and violence, and rebellion against quotation marks and semicolons. A demanding and honest writer who unabashedly portrays the torments of the American landscape, McCarthy has a loyal following and critical acclaim.

Sadly, he passed away from natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on June 13, 2023. He remains one of the most celebrated American authors of his time.

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About No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men was originally conceived as a screenplay by Cormac McCarthy, so it was only fitting that the Coen brothers adapted it into an Oscar-worthy movie in 2007. The official synopsis for the movie reads:

"While out hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the grisly aftermath of a drug deal. Though he knows better, he cannot resist the cash left behind and takes it with him. The hunter becomes the hunted when a merciless killer named Chigurh (Javier Bardem) picks up his trail. Also looking for Moss is Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), an aging lawman who reflects on a changing world and a dark secret of his own, as he tries to find and protect Moss."

When the movie was announced as an Oscar winner, Cormac McCarthy, who was present at the ceremony, said:

“I was at the Academy Awards with the Coens. They had a table full of awards before the evening was over, sitting there like beer cans. One of the first awards that they got was for best screenplay, and Ethan came back and he said to me, ‘Well, I didn’t do anything, but I’m keeping it.'”

Cormac McCarthy published his final works only in 2022 before unfortunately passing away on June 13, 2023.

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No Country for Old Men can be watched on HBO Max.