No Country for Old MenNo Country for Old Men
Score Modern
What it's about
In the modern West, where drug runners have replaced rustlers, Llewellyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by dead men, with a load of heroin and two million dollars in the back. When he takes the money, he sets off a chain of catastrophic violence that aging Sheriff Bell can't contain.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's Cormac McCarthy's most gripping thriller.
You'll love it if you liked
The Road
All the Pretty Horses
Blood MeridianGood to know
It's violent and written without quotation marks. The Coen brothers' film won Best Picture.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #88 of the 623 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #422 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #858 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Cormac McCarthy
The RoadBlood MeridianAll the Pretty HorsesIf you like this, read next
Gone Girl
2666
Piranesi
Big Little Lies
Where the Crawdads Sing
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Quick answers
Is No Country for Old Men worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #858 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is No Country for Old Men about?
In the modern West, where drug runners have replaced rustlers, Llewellyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by dead men, with a load of heroin and two million dollars in the back. When he takes the money, he sets off a chain of catastrophic violence that aging Sheriff Bell can't contain.
How long does it take to read No Country for Old Men?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after No Country for Old Men?
If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy or Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.