Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country for Old Men and The Road, dies aged 89

Stephen Porzio

Several of McCarthy’s novels have received movie adaptations, with at least one more planned for the future.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy has passed away at the age of 89.

His son, John McCarthy, confirmed his death in a statement issued by publisher Penguin Random House. It said the writer died on Tuesday (13 June) of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe in New Mexico.

Renowned for his sparse, poetic writing style and dark stories and often hailed as a “writer’s writer”, McCarthy was best known for his novels Blood Meridian (1985), All the Pretty Horses (1992), No Country for Old Men (2005) and The Road (2006). For the latter, the author was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize award in the fiction category.

Last year, he also released the companion novels The Passenger and Stella Maris.

Several of McCarthy’s books have been brought to the big screen. The most notable of these movies was the Coen Brothers’ 2007 adaptation of No Country for Old Men, which won four Oscars – including Best Picture.

Cormac McCarthy

Javier Bardem won an Oscar for his portrayal of hitman Anton Chigurh in the Cormac McCarthy adaptation No Country for Old Men

In April of this year, it was announced that a movie version of the author’s historical epic Western novel Blood Meridian – which has been described by many as being “unfilmable” – is planned. John Hillcoat is set to direct the adaptation, having previously brought The Road to the big screen.

McCarthy also wrote the screenplay for the Ridley Scott-directed 2013 crime thriller The Counselor starring Michael Fassbender. Though the film received mixed reviews upon release, it has amassed a cult following in the years since.

Tributes have begun pouring in for McCarthy, with Stephen King taking to Twitter to write: “Cormac McCarthy, maybe the greatest American novelist of my time, has passed away at 89.

“He was full of years and created a fine body of work, but I still mourn his passing.”

Cormac McCarthy, maybe the greatest American novelist of my time, has passed away at 89. He was full of years and created a fine body of work, but I still mourn his passing.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 13, 2023

You can read more tributes to the writer below:

cormac mccarthy was the last real writer pic.twitter.com/3PYAt1BxHz

— Dan Ozzi (@danozzi) June 13, 2023

I’m sorry to hear this. Can’t understate how much I loved his work. In a concrete sense, I might not be a novelist today if not for All The Pretty Horses. https://t.co/yfHbaeSXrQ

1/2

— Joe Hill (@joe_hill) June 13, 2023

"He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die."

RIP Cormac McCarthy pic.twitter.com/HALUfOCGRi

— Nic Pizzolatto (@nicpizzolatto) June 13, 2023

https://twitter.com/paulduanefilm/status/1668714103928389633