# Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

2 Hacker News commenters recommended Suttree by Cormac McCarthy and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for dense, vivid prose that paints scenes with words and hooks readers early; one commenter calls McCarthy the best living fiction author.

## Why people recommend it

- Exceptional prose painting scenes with words (1 comments): "just an exceptional polymath capable of painting complicated scenery with words dozenly scattered throughout paragraphs" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47152871))
- Author called best living fiction writer (1 comments): "Cormac is best fiction author alive in my lifetime" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47720518))
- Hooks readers by page 100 (1 comments): "By page 100 of Suttree you are hooked" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47153960))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0330511238?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780330511230) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Suttree by Cormac McCarthy", https://hackerapproved.com/p/suttree/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).