The Sunset Limited Publisher: Vintage; Later printing edition Unknown Binding – January 1, 2006

I first need to state that I only read this after watching the movie on HBO years back. So when I read this I was hearing my man Sam Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones. It for me this enhanced it. Either is enjoyable but I re commend both.The story works fantastically and it is amazing in its simplicity. It’s the type of story that works both as art and entertainment.

“White: But you think I’m full of s---.Black: I dont think that. Oh I dont doubt but what it’s possible to die from bein full of s---. But I dont think that’s what we lookin at here.White: What do you think we’re looking at?Black: I dont know. You got me on unfamiliar ground.” (p117, with mild editing)The cover describes this work as “a novel in dramatic form”. That’s accurate. It’s a play in every way that matters – one act, two characters (“Black” and “White”), dialog, stage direction, and a plot that’s limited to a conversation between the two actors. Since this is essentially a minimalist one-act play, it’s very short – short enough that it barely qualifies as a novelette.The play begins just after Black has prevented White from committing suicide. Black is trying to talk White down from the figurative ledge and give White reason to live. The dialog (the plot!) is an intimate, high-stakes, earthy exploration of the meaning of life. It’s all quite moving and interesting. There are deliberate tropes and stereotypes (race, class, and others), along with equally deliberate reversals of the stereotypes. It felt to me like a cross between Wilder’s “Our Town” and Sartre’s “No Exit”.I can’t say I came away with any new philosophical insights, but I don’t think that’s what McCarthy intended. Instead, I suspect the author wants us to reflect on the nature of relationships – what we mean to each other, how we depend on each other, and what we owe each other. Does Black succeed in giving hope to White? I’ll leave that for you to discover, but I feel certain that McCarthy also wants us to ponder the question of what success actually means.

it's amazing that a person would complain about mccarthy's work written in dramatic form as the sunset limited is. to even say that the mind conjures imagery of a third person who is dawkins, sitting at the table, "...who would mop the floor with these two sorry saps," is completely missing the point as the reviewer who gave this play 2 stars did. two sorry saps? unfortunately the way most of us conduct our lives is based on the way that these two people are represented, i.e. good vs. bad, right-wrong, religious vs. agnostic, black and white, delusion vs. reality, hope vs. despair. we all live with a sense duality. to bring up dawkins book, the god delusion, is like arguing the bible. what's right and what's wrong? what is at the heart of mccarthy's storys and what makes him an artist is that he understands both but doesn't let his characters commit to one or the other. he intertwines good and bad and leaves it gray. his storys are of morality but he never sells bad or good he only presents things as they are. he has nothing to hide and is not selling his ideas politically, religiously, artistically, moralistically or falsely. because of these thing i feel he is always and will continue to be a breath of fresh air in these often sad and confusing times. buy this book.

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

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.

3 stars--but I love McCarthy's novels