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March 5, 2026

A Western That Goes Where Cormac McCarthy Wouldn’t

Álvaro Enrigue’s Now I Surrender scraps the simplistic binary of cowboys and Indians in favor of a wild, multifaceted war story.

A Western That Goes Where Cormac McCarthy Wouldn’t

TL;DR

  • The novel 'Now I Surrender' by Álvaro Enrigue reinterprets the Apache Wars, focusing on the story of Geronimo.
  • It blends historical events with fictional elements, including a revisionist Western narrative and a metafictional layer of the author's own road trip.
  • Enrigue challenges the simplistic 'cowboy and Indian' binary, presenting a nuanced portrayal of the borderlands and its diverse inhabitants.
  • The book critiques the appropriation of Geronimo's legacy and highlights his complex identity as a figure caught between Mexican and U.S. territories.
  • Natasha Wimmer's translation is noted for capturing Enrigue's distinctive tone and style.
  • The novel's themes of tenacity and defiance are presented as resonant in the current era of global instability.

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