The Sunset Limited: A Novel in Dramatic Form

Great thought provoking story. This isn’t a huge commitment to read but raises tons of questions about existence and the human expirence.

The oddest thing about this book is the choice of an existentialist to play the atheist. Cormac McCarthy clearly has a darker worldview than the average atheist, but even so, I found the choice peculiar. These days most atheists are devout humanists. Rather than facing the problem of suicide (the way Camus sort-of did), most humanists have a rosy picture of human nature. In their view, the best thing about a life without God is that it is more joyous, more meaningful, and more ethical than a life with God.The atheist known simply as White disagrees. He sees life as a forced labor camp in which every day a few lucky lottery winners get their ticket out. They are released into the eternal nothingness where they will never again have to look at the vile ugliness that lies in their own hearts. As far as White is concerned, the only difference between himself and a humanist (99% of the secular readers of this book) is that he knows the truth and they are deluded. So White decides to punch his own ticket by jumping in front of a commuter train called the Sunset Limited, only to be saved by a Christian identified only as Black.The duel follows. White is a philosophy professor and rejects religion and black is humble and uneducated, but he is intelligent and knows his Bible. I think one of the other reviewers put it best: Black keeps trying to lead White to God and White keeps resisting, but every method that White uses to resist leads only to one place: back to the Sunset Limited. Ultimately White claims the victory by showing Black the full depths of his existential despair: (paraphrasing) "You claim to be my brother and want to help me? Well I look into your eyes and I'm disgusted by the ugliness I see. Because when I look at you I see myself." Other people are windows into the ugliness that lies within ourselves. I suspect McCarthy's point is that most people are deluded and make up pleasing lies about ourselves but we don't make up lies for others. The unique thing about White is that he stopped believing the lies. That was when White achieved his knockout blow, and Black's crisis of faith inevitably followed, but speaking as a Bible believing Christian, I think this is a defect on McCarthy's part as a writer. Black should have had his response ready.There are 1189 chapters in the Bible. Chapter 1 of the Bible is about the creation of the entire universe. Chapter 2 takes a closer look on the creation of man. Chapters 3 through 1189 are about sin. They are about reconciling Fallen and sinful man with a Holy God. So consider the way that God curses Adam (Gen. 3:17-19, NIV)Cursed is the ground because of you;through painful toil you will eat food from itall the days of your life.It will produce thorns and thistles for you,and you will eat the plants of the field.By the sweat of your browyou will eat your fooduntil you return to the ground,since from it you were taken;for dust you areand to dust you will return.Now, perhaps you don't find the Bible's answers convincing, but this line of attack should not have rattled Black because he would already be intimately familiar with White's worldview from the Bible. Leviticus is the book of the Bible that bores many people, but which I find fascinating. It starts by describing the sacrificial system and then goes into various laws and the punishments for sin. Then it talks about how to treat infectious skin diseases. Severe diseases (though not necessarily leprosy) that causes flesh to rot and body parts to drop off. Why does the Bible have medical advise on skin conditions after discussing the sacrificial system and the Law? Because these skin conditions teach us how God sees sin. They are not a punishment for sin, but rather a living metaphor. Sinners are ugly and vile in God's eyes in the same way that an advanced leper with rotting flesh and missing limbs might revolt us if we aren't prepared to be polite. And any Christian, particularly a poor, uneducated black Christian, would have this Biblical view of sin and human nature.So what is the Bible's answer? For one thing, hell is a deserving punishment for such ugly and vile people as the lot of humanity. I know that 99 of the secular readers strenuously disagree with me on that point, but White would not. I wonder what White would say if someone were to point out to him that in hell he would be more separated from God than ever, and thus look even more vile and ugly in his own eyes. Death would not provide him a relief; it would intensify his self-loathing. If God had wanted to, He could have sent His angels down to earth and killed everyone and sent them to hell forever. And after they were done killing everyone, the angels would sing "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty."Instead God chose to send his one and only son to take the punishment we deserve. And then the righteousness of Jesus is imputed onto us. When God looks at His elect He does not see their vileness; He sees the beauty of Christ. The Elect are His ravishing bride. That is how the afterlife will work for those who believe in Jesus. When we look at others, or at ourselves, that is what we will see too. White is correct in his analysis of the human condition, but his solution to the problem is 100% wrong.If White wanted a good attack it would be this: how is it that God manages to love us given that we are so ugly and so vile and so worthy of eternal condemnation? It is a mystery. God loves the elect at His pleasure and there is nothing that we have done to deserve or earn His love. The definition of grace is unmerited favor of God. God's love is purely gracious. And to be honest, I still don't get this and I'm a Christian who spends a lot of time thinking about these sorts of things. So in this reimaged version of the Sunset Limited, Black still doesn't have a good answer to White, but even so, I believe that grace is better than the Sunset Limited.

I have become a devoted McCarthy fan. I believe he is one of the most gifted, talented, honest and bravest authors on the scene today. This would be a great text for any high school, or college literature course because it would stimulate great dialog and teach students to become more reflective thinkers. He challenges the reader to think about some of life's biggest issues. Cormac has often been accused of revealing the darker side of the human condition. With this book I found myself laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair, and then quickly found myself in a more solemn "Wow" moment, which is more the norm when reading Cormac. He has the gift of producing profound and wonderous moments for the reader. This is one of my favorites so far in my Cormac McCarthy journey.

McCarthy's books are always good for a diversion. The stories are generally filled with despair but are also very thought provoking. "The Sunset Limited" is no different. The reader eavesdrops on a conversation between two very different men, a black ex-con and a white professor. Everything about the men is different, especially their worldviews and this discussion is a worldview discussion. What I like about this discussion is there is no middle ground, no gray areas...just a choice between Black and White.As a person of faith, I find myself most aligned with Black. He completely chooses faith, even though at times it didn't make sense. This is one of our current problems in the faith world, we spend far too much time dabbling in the gray, trying to figure out the mysterious and trying to explain the things that are inexplicable to our mortal minds.Perhaps it is time for us (me) to just believe and obey. That simply.And maybe it is time for us to stop treating people like projects, another notch in the gun belt, another tally in the baptismal column, another soul saved...maybe it is time for us to start believing what we believe, start listening to our fellow humans, start sharing coffee and meals, and start sharing conversations about the journey of life.

This dialogue between two people discussing the meaning of life, in the hands of a master such as McCarthy, is thought-provoking and surprisingly fascinating. The author's incredible use of language makes this spare drama succeed. It's the language which creates and holds the tension. Two diametrically opposed men arguing the meaning of life. I don't know that either changed my views, but for me, it made me do a lot of thinking. I'm fast becoming a McCarthy fanatic. I didn't like his Border Trilogy books much but after reading "The Road" and "No Country..." I have become mesmerized by his ability to grab my attention and hold it ruthlessly until he turns loose of me at the end. McCarthy is a master and this little book is another of his masterpieces.

3 stars--but I love McCarthy's novels

Cormac's books are always a challenge. But this one's a 'simple' moral fable. A man is saved from jumping in front of a train, and then debates life's mysteries with his savior.

Just discovering this talented writer. Well written, captivating, surprising crescendo of ideas with a background of delightful humor. Must see the film with the flawless interpretation of Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson, at their best. Kudo !

Just perfect

...as I said.(It is hard to say something about this book, which hasn’t been already told “in” the book)

The product was authentic and delivered on time.

Probablement la meilleure oeuvre de McCarthy, une prose sobre et efficace, des idées qui s'entrechoquent avec rythme, de la philosophie... C'est parfait.