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The tale traces the events of 1849-1850, when a band of mercenary marauders led by Capt. Even though the judge remarks near the novel's end that the kid alone had reserved in his soul "some corner of clemency" for the gang's victims, there are no contrived redeeming characters at all - the kid (maybe) the closest of any to retaining his humanity.The characters of 'Blood Meridian' may be archetypal surrogates, but they are unlike any I've come across before. The vast territory of the mind that this book encompasses allows that freedom of opinion though - and the stonehearted brutality of McCarthy's biblical prose may guide readers into their own consciousness to withdraw whatever lies within and project it across the novel's hellish landscapes. Mr. Regardless, this is no territory for the squeamish - no stone of human barbarity is left unturned (and described) by McCarthy as the marauder's hack and stab their way across Mexico and into California.
McCarthy's challenging style of writing will antagonize many readers, though I found it easier than his 'Western Trilogy'. "A classic American novel of." implies that 'Blood Meridian is the best of many such novels, and as far as I'm concerned, it is one of a kind. And the idea of "regeneration through violence" is simply ridiculous. 'The kid', a 16-year-old boy (and the novel's protagonist), rescued from a Mexican prison, is also accepted into the group, and rides with them on their trek westward up until the gang's eventual destruction.Mr.
Glanton's devilish second-in-command, 'the judge', is a seven foot tall hairless murderer who seems to have a mystical tie to an outer plane of existence, and who appeared to the band one day in the middle of the desert, sitting on a rock as if he'd been waiting for them. I can't recommend this novel enough - for some to read and for others to avoid. Humanity hasn't changed since the time McCarthy writes about in 'Blood Meridian', but some are insulated from its brutality, and are not forced to confront it in any meaningful way. It treads the ground that other novels fear; a Faustian epic all the more chilling for its veracity. Between them is the kid, a savage middle ground, who eventually loses track of one and is captured by the other. McCarthy has been notoriously silent on the ideas and themes behind his novel, and there seems to be no end of theories about what the book represents.
Nothing is 'regenerated' by it, through it, or because of it. McCarthy has tapped into a primal essence long shunned or forgotten, and if 'Blood Meridian' is any sort of allegory of the battle for men's souls, it's not a Christian battle alone but an ancient mixture of forces where there is little or no hope for succor or salvation. 'Blood Meridian' is the most riveting book I've read in years. That and the brutal violence that erupts throughout the book. Both points are valid, and as I said, I would as strongly protect some against this book as I would urge it on others.
That doesn't mean it isn't still there, festering, waiting, but it would seem almost cruel to force a book like this on them, unprepared.Lastly, on the edition I read, there is a cover blurb that states, "A classic American novel of regeneration through violence", which makes little sense to me.
In this sense, the judge stands above them all - a gleeful, dancing stand-in for Ares, who studiously makes notations in his notebook of everything the gang encounters, from flora and fauna to ancient hieroglyphs carved on rock walls, in order to gain ascendancy over it all.
From what I took away in 'Blood Meridian', the notion of violence as a cleansing agent to prepare for the growth to come is a myth.
John Glanton ravaged the Texas-Mexican border, fulfilling their contract to bring Apache scalps to the governor of Chihuahua by indiscriminately killing whoever got in their way and passing off the evidence of their kills as Indian.
Instead, it is humanity's birthright, and it does not concede the idea of any other constant.
It's as if Mr.
The ex-priest Tobin, who whispers guidance into the kid's ear during their travels, is diametrically opposed to the judge, but unable to offer any counterweight to his vast strength.
There is violence, then violence again, then death.
Connotative words are misspent when the reader has no familiarity with their meaning. This book is a boring book. I've read this book twice, and I am more convinced than ever that Cormac McCarthy is just a guy with a facility for expression that is unevenly expressed in his several books. The real horror here is that so many people want to be perceived as intelligent and aesthetically sensitive that they are afraid to point out the flaws in this rambling rubble. Esoteric words, eccentric expressions, pedantic philosophizing, arcane symbolism - in the service of what. OK, so he can use words creatively and create imagery. Man is an animal capable of horrific and bestial behavior; if the Holocaust does not convey that message clearly to you, and you find the message in this self-serving mess then I feel sorry for all of us.
He's a blend of Faulkner and Hemmingway, true, but, honestly, does anyone ENJOY reading them. This belies an arrogance on McCarthy's part.
I zoned out a few minutes at a time and didn't miss anything. Unless you're a professor emeritus of post-modern American literature, this book is boring and nihilistic and very unenjoyable.
This is consistent with a book of his I actually read (as opposed to listened to). The bulk of the book is a group of men wandering the desert and murdering and scalping people.
I saw in Amazon's "Look Inside This Book." feature that McCarthy avoids the use of quotation marks. He thinks he's so special that he doesn't have to use quotation marks like the rest of us.
There was one touching scene near the end when the main character shows concern for an old woman who turns out to have been dead for years.
We're accustomed to reading sentences that are short, making them more manageable to read, so these long sentences can be challenging. There is a method to McCarthy's madness here; however, it does make for a more difficult read. The scarcity of punctuation will put some people off, but more than that, the `scripture' style of writing McCarthy employs here (quite deliberately) can be challenging. This isn't a romanticised view of the old west.
It took a while, but Blood Meridian got inside my head and it's still there. I started my review by listing three reasons why this novel (some might say) is an intentionally difficult book to read. So reader beware: scalps are cut off, charred dead babies are strung up in trees, puppies are tossed into rivers and shot, people are burnt, skinned alive, and decapitated. And finally, it's a difficult book to read because of the absence of a redeeming character. In Blood Meridian, McCarthy doesn't take us inside the head of the kid, allows him to fade into the background for a significant portion of the novel, and even when he is present, he's not a very compelling character anyway.If it sounds like I didn't like this novel, you would be mistaken, although I have to admit that I struggled through the middle section, primarily because of the protagonist issue I noted above.
Eloquent prose is nice but the best literary work doesn't just sound great, it makes you obsess on it, to ponder its meaning, to contemplate what the author is trying to say about the characters and about human nature. Like scripture, much of Blood Meridian is made up of lengthy convoluted sentences that are extended by numerous `ands'. Our protagonist (a character some people regard as a flawed hero - although I respectfully disagree) is referred to simply as `the kid'. Yes, McCarthy's prose is challenging, but it's also hypnotic and at times powerfully affecting.
This is a difficult book to read for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the extreme violence of the novel. This isn't escapist fiction. What I want from an ambitious literary novel like this is for it to get under my skin, to get into my head. As much as I am tempted to offer my interpretation of this novel, this is not a venue for book reports. To make this situation even more challenging, the kid is present, but rarely mentioned, for the middle third of the novel. The dialogue, particularly when the Judge shares his philosophies on issues like war and violence, is extraordinary. This is the old west soaked in blood.Blood Meridian is also difficult to read because of McCarthy's prose.
Yes, the kid is a flat character that most people won't be able to empathise with, but McCarthy has also given us Judge Holden, who may be one of the greatest literary characters ever created; an eloquent, charismatic, mesmerizing sociopath who will haunt your dreams.This admittedly is not a novel for everyone but for those willing to gaze without flinching upon the ugly and violent nature of man, this is a powerful novel; disturbing, enigmatic, and at times hauntingly beautiful. McCarthy doesn't get inside the heads of his characters very often so we never get much insight into what the kid is thinking or feeling. This leaves a strange void, where there is no apparent protagonist. These points are valid, but there is a counter argument to each.Yes, the novel is violent but, by all accounts, it's an accurate reflection of the time and of humanities long history of brutal violence. This is, quite simply, one of the best novels I've ever read.
Go to youtube. There's probably a reason for the lack of punctuation; something maybe about an old whiskery fellow telling you this story over a campfire in the desert, but I'm still trying to find my adrenal glands after reading this book, so it's hard to be certain. David Foster Wallace famously reviewed this book with, "don't even ask." This remains one of the more succinct (and accurate) reviews of any book I've ever read -and I'll stand behind that assessment. Yes it's a lot like Moby Dick. I've been shot at, had 6000 lb objects rain down on me, and have otherwise come close to being made into 190lbs of meat in the course of my life adventures. Search for the original Iron Maiden video "Run to the Hills." If you've never seen this before, this is an accurate review of this book. I'm pretty sure Bruce Dickenson didn't use any in his Iron Maiden song either.
dissertation in English literature. I think I can do him one better; no words necessary. I'll leave the details up to someone trying to write their Ph.D. If you have seen this before, recall the first time you saw this video; that's what the book is like.Of course the prose is beautiful, and the story is insane and intense. Yes, it bothered me that there was no punctuation. Yes, Satan and various obscure philosophies factor heavily in the symbolism. Reading Blood Meridian has a similar effect on the endocrine system.
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