Vale, Cormac McCarthy

American novelist Cormac McCarthy has passed away, his publisher confirmed. He was 89.

Mr McCarthy was responsible for more than 10 classic novels, including No Country For Old Men, The Road,  Children of Men, and Blood Meridian. His work dealt with themes including violence and the nature of evil.

Despite his success as a novelist, he lived in poverty until his 50s.

Mr McCarthy rarely spoke to journalists and avoided talking about his work, hoping it would speak for itself. In 2007, he told Oprah Winfrey, “I don’t think [interviews] are good for your head.”

“If you spend a lot of time thinking about how to write a book, you probably shouldn’t be thinking about it, you probably should be doing it.”

McCarthy was also reluctant to comment on politics, with readers often bringing out differing interpretations of his work.

Novelist Stephen King said Mr McCarthy was, “Maybe the greatest American novelist of my time … He was full of years and created a fine body of work, but I still mourn his passing.”