The Counselor

June 15, 2014
Listeners to this screenplay--the Ridley Scott-directed film came out in 2013--will gain unexpected insights into cocaine smuggling along the Mexico-Arizona border: the complexities and intricacies of hiding contraband; the risks for mules, smugglers, and drug lords from one another as well as from the authorities; and the sophisticated devices used to eradicate those unlucky enough to slow the flow of drugs or money in the trade. A young lawyer attempting to score enough to fund his marriage and a very wealthy retirement gets in over his head and all hell breaks loose. This is a well-written work given an excellent reading by Jonathan Davis. VERDICT Since it is a screenplay, the rich descriptions readers usually find in McCarthy's fiction have been left to the cinematographer. This makes the listening experience less than optimal, but, still, this work is recommended for adult audio collections. --Cliff Glaviano, formerly with Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2013
Most of us would have preferred a novel, but when it comes to the acclaimed author of The Road and Blood Meridian, we'll take what we can get, and what we have here is an original screenplay for a forthcoming film directed by Ridley Scott. A lawyer, identified only as Counselor, is setting up a onetime drug score with some of his bad-guy associates. If all goes as planned, Counselor and his fianc' can ride off into the sunset. It will come as no surprise when the best-laid plans go awry and brutal acts of violence ensue. In the hands of a lesser author, this conventional plot would seem trite, but McCarthy's philosophic and erudite dialogue, vivid exposition, and intriguing characters give the story a unique vitality. In his previous novel, The Road, spare prose depicts a dark, lawless, postapocalyptic world with only a tiny hint of hope; The Counselor, set in a more recognizable landscape, and with more loquacious characters, retains McCarthy's trademark darkness. The star-studded cast will include Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Pen'lope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, and Javier Bardem.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)