All The Pretty Horses - through the end. Ryan

Let’s start with how things end with the Captain.  Three “men of the country,” as they refer to themselves, dressed in serapes and carrying pistols, come upon John Grady and the Captain while Grady is asleep.  After a short exchange, they end up taking away the Captain, still cuffed, off into the night, leaving Grady to head north in the morning.  So who are these fellas?  Any ideas?

Moving on, Grady arrives in Los Picos for a much needed rest.  The locals are preparing for a wedding, which commences a little later following a morning rain.  The proprietor of the café where Grady stops for a meal voices his approval of the upcoming festivities, noting “that it was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they’d have no heart to start at all.”  I thought McCarthy might be making an important point here – this being Grady’s last encounter in Mexico before he crosses back into Texas.  Not that long ago Grady was young – at least in spirit – and now we find himself heading for home, without his bride, hauling a broken heart.  Above all else, he is no longer a child.  And yet you never get the sense that he had any second thoughts about any of the choices he’s made, about how anything played out…until his conversation with the Judge.

 

For me, this series of events, culminating with the final scene between him and the Judge, shed a different light on Grady.  For once, he second guessed himself.  I must say that was a relief; it would have been a bit hard to swallow had he remained the committed, unflinching cowboy from start to finish.

And finally, what did you both make of the final meeting between Grady and Rawlins.  This was a bit of a stretch for me. 

Rawlins: Sum buck…blah, blah…sum buck – oh – you found Junior.  Thanks

Grady: No problem.  Well, see ya.

Rawlins: Ok. Bye

Not exactly verbatim, but come on.  I know we’re not dealing with emotional types here, but after all they’d been through together: the highs, the lows, jail, and the reality of death right around the corner, you mean to tell me we’re not going to even get the slightest glimpse of something more than a ‘see you on down the trail pardner.’  Not buying it. 

Departing from my usual unabashed approval of the storytelling in question, I can’t swallow this ending whole.  I was hoping for something a little bit more here, truth be told.  -Ryan