Cormac McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the greatest living American writers. His 12 novels — many of which have been made into movies — include “All the Pretty Horses,” “The Crossing,” his magnum opus “Blood Meridian,” and “The Road,” which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The author is known for his sparse style and what he calls “simple declarative sentences.” Thematically, his work is highly complex, ranging from borderline nihilism to deep examinations of human morals. In his novel “No Country for Old Men,” in which this quote appears, McCarthy tackles the conflicting ideas of fate, luck, and choice.