The Crossing (McCarthy novel)
First edition
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| Author | Cormac McCarthy |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Border Trilogy |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
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Publication date
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June 1994 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 432 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 29844718 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3563.C337 C7 1994 |
| Preceded by | All the Pretty Horses |
| Followed by | Cities of the Plain |
The Crossing () is a novel by prize-winning American author Cormac McCarthy, published in 1994 by Alfred A. Knopf. The story is the second installment of McCarthy's "Border Trilogy".
Like its predecessor, All the Pretty Horses (1992), The Crossing is a coming-of-age novel set on the border between the southwest United States and Mexico. The plot takes place before and during the Second World War and focuses on the life of the protagonist Billy Parham, a teenage cowboy; his family; and his younger brother Boyd. The story tells of three journeys taken from New Mexico to Mexico. It is noted for being a more melancholic novel than the first of the trilogy, without returning to the hellish bleakness of McCarthy's early novels.
Most of the protagonists are people of few words; thus the dialogues are few and concise. Additionally, since much of the interaction is with Mexican people, many parts of dialogues are written in untranslated Spanish.
Although the novel is neither satirical nor humorous, its realistic portrayal of an often destitute hero taking part in a series of loosely connected quests in a brutal, corrupt world lends this book many of the qualities of a picaro.
The first sojourn details a series of hunting expeditions conducted by Billy, his father, and to a lesser extent, his brother Boyd. They are attempting to locate and trap a pregnant female wolf which has been preying on cattle near the family's homestead. McCarthy explores themes throughout the action such as the mystical passage on page 22, describing his father setting a trap:
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