45 pages • 1 hour read
Cormac McCarthy, Hester BrowneThe Orchard Keeper
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1965A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Orchard Keeper is set in a small Tennessee mountain town between World Wars and follows young John Wesley Rattner, whose father, Kenneth, is killed by bootlegger Marion Sylder. Unaware of each other’s identities, John and Marion form a friendship. Loner Arthur Ownby harbors Kenneth's body. The narrative explores the interconnected lives and themes of wilderness chaos, cyclical violence, and modernity’s encroachment.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy is celebrated for its rich, evocative prose and profound exploration of rural Southern life. Critics praise McCarthy's ability to craft vivid, atmospheric settings. However, some find the narrative's complexity and ambiguous plot challenging to follow. Overall, it is esteemed for its literary depth but may not appeal to all readers.
Who Should Read The Orchard Keeper?
A reader who would enjoy The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy is likely to appreciate richly atmospheric prose, Southern Gothic themes, and complex, morally ambiguous characters. Fans of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood will find similar depth and dark, immersive storytelling.