Child of God

Child of God is Southern gothic literature in the same category as Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. But the grotesque protagonist is so clownish and endearing and the plot is so outlandish that it comes of as a parody of Faulkner or O'Connor, which may well have been McCarthy's intent. Racism, lynchings, and incest all form the cultural background for the ridiculously morbid actions of Lester Ballard, who doesn't know how to interact with people, dead or alive. It's well worth your time if you enjoy Southern literature and a really quick read under 200 pages.