Irish Examiner view: A literary great

Cormac McCarthy rarely gave interviews and according to his second wife, he routinely tuned down lucrative speaking engagements. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File

The passing of Cormac McCarthy at 89 ends one of the most distinguished literary careers of modern times.

McCarthy’s bleak and violent early novels often sold no more than 5,000 copies, he rarely gave interviews, and according to his second wife, he routinely turned down lucrative speaking engagements to focus on his writing.