More than anything else in the second installment in this trilogy, I'm struck by how wild the wild West of New Mexico and Mexico beneath it remains/remained and for how long. Cattle drivers and Bandito's stabbing horses in the chest with knives is just so fucking savage for shit to be taking place in 1942. I will also say that the opening lines to Cities of the Plain uniting the two protagonists who are introduced in the first two books united in their loss and saying that it is Fall of 1952 gave me goosebumps.

"One begins to miss the simple evocation of cowboy life that is so stirring in the earlier novels." – BRO U HAVE MISSED THE ENTIRE POINT, THE MAN INVENTED THE ANTI-WESTERN

John Grady, horse whisperer refuses a bribe early on:

He looked at the man holding the horse. He looked toward the house and he looked at John Grady again. Then he reached to his hip and took out his wallet and opened it and took out a tendollar bill and folded the bill and put the wallet back and tendered the bill toward the boy. Here, he said. Put that in your pocket and dont tell nobody where you got it.

I dont believe I can do that.

Go on.

No Sir.

The man's face darkened. He stood holding out the bill. Then he stuck it in the pocket of his shirt.

It wouldnt be no skin off your ass.

John Grady didnt answer. The man turned and spat again.

I didnt have nothin to do with doctorin it thataway if that's what you're thinkin.

I never said you did.

You wouldnt help a man out though, would you?

Not that way I wouldnt.

Exchange with the shoe-shine kid is another hidden gem of hilarious dialogue tucked away in the otherwise grim McCarthy-verse:

Is your brother married?

Which brother? I got three.

The one that was in the marines.

Yeah. He's married. They're all married.

If they're all married why did you ask which one?

The shineboy shook his head. Man, he said.

I guess you're the youngest.

No. I got a brother ten years old is married with three kids. Of course I'm the youngest. What do you think?

Well maybe marriage runs in the family.

Marriage dont run in families. Anyway I'm an outlaw. Oveja negra. You speak spanish? Yeah. I speak spanish.

More funny dialogue about the two-brained nature of horses according to JG (@ Billy): horse whisperer and the hierarchy of intellect in the animal kingdom:

This the honeymoon suite? he said.

You're lookin at it.

He leaned in the doorframe and took his cigarettes from his shirtpocket and shucked one out and lit it.

The only thing you aint got here is a dead mule in the floor. John Grady had crossed to the back door and stood looking out.

You think you're goin to be able to get the truck up here?

I think we might could comin up the other side.

What's this we shit? You got a rat in your pocket?

Billy dishing to John Grady in the way that Rawlings did to Blevins but with more respect

“that particular horse ain’t even seen you yet.” more funny dialogue in two-brained horses and the hierarchy of intellect in the animal kingdom

I knew what happened in this book, but it made me cry damn

but his heart misgave him.

This man and his burden passed on forever out of that nameless crossroads and the woman stepped once more into the street and the children followed and all continued on to their appointed places which as some believe were chosen long ago even to the beginning of the world.

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