Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Blood Meridian, or The Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy

13 reviews

skippy_skippington's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A deconstruction of the mythologized North American old west, tearing away the veneer of respectability and civilization. Stark, horrific, violent, and weirdly beautiful at times. Not for those with a sensitive constitution.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Xenophobia, War, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Classism, Cursing, Genocide, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Child death, Colonisation, Excrement, Pedophilia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Animal death, and Blood

princemyshkin's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Like nothing else, the pages and prose flow like spilled blood. Ultra violent, decedent. Pulling punches only to save the viewer from the worst abuses.
Initially feeling stilted, once you accept the patter, it rushes over you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Hate crime, Rape, Sexism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Murder, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, and War

redmarten83's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, War, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Gore, Racial slurs, Medical content, Mental illness, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Kidnapping, Bullying, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Rape

zhaneordo's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was the worse DnD campaign to experience, not because the journey, but because of the horrible players. Worse than your local murdering hobos, The Kid falls into a real life larpers group, who take their quest far too seriously. 

A book full of quotes with no quotations, means a lot of rereading. The rereading is worth it in this death filled western. The only good thing that happens to you in this book is when you’re finished and you no longer have to experience it anymore. 

It’s okay, randomly you’ll have a thought about how horrible these people were and hopefully we’ll all use it as our ethical meridian in life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Torture, Gore, War, Stalking, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Death

asuresh's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexism, Sexual violence, Murder, Animal death, Hate crime, Rape, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Sexual harassment, Child death, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and War

taicantfly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"Two years ago we pulled out from Griffin for a last hunt. We ransacked the country. Six weeks. Finally found a herd of eight animals and we killed them and come in. They're gone. Ever one of them that God ever made is gone as if they'd never been at all."

A heartbreaking book about the violence and wretchedness that went into building the American southwest. From the infamous monologue (that which exists without my knowledge...) to the Judge scappling away ancient paintings to the seemingly random genocide of whole tribes and their traditions, this book will desensitize you with its overwhelming and needless violence and cruelty and then it will be swept under the rug as the bones of vultures in the desert.

In the end the Judge asks if there were any witnesses to what had been. If apart from him and the Kid anyone had known or seen Glanton, the Jacksons, Toadvine, Bathcat, Tobin, Tate, Shelby. As he pulls the kid into the outhouse, we now know that all of that is lost to the arrow of time and no matter what, as says the Judge:

"Men's memories are uncertain and the past that was differs from the past that was not."

Judge Holden is the centrepiece around which the violence unfolds, a near-omniscient possibly-immortal god (or at least prophet) of war. Shocking character and completely unimitable.

This was the first McCarthy book I read and I was by no means disappointed. A flawless, soul-crushing and very difficult read which I would not recommend to anyone struggling with misanthropic thoughts.

I will be seeing a 7 foot tall bald albino in my nightmares for the rest of my life.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Blood, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Sexual content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, and Pedophilia

bheller77's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Rape, Xenophobia, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, War, Excrement, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racism, and Stalking

Very dark. Violent. Gory.

asililydying's review against another edition

4.5

depraved.  The 'wild west' and manifest destiny created a Level of atrocities probably greater than the dark ages. Enlightenment was only bringing pure hateful fire to the darkness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Excrement, Ableism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Violence, Body shaming, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Stalking, Antisemitism, Body horror, Hate crime, Torture, Vomit, Suicide, Addiction, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, and Xenophobia

theguildwriter's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t have words. This book is so much work to fully grasp and appreciate, but it is more than worth the work. This is true, brutal art. Cormac McCarthy is a literary force of his own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Hate crime, War, Colonisation, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual violence, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Ableism, Rape, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

gremlintamer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Body horror, Sexism, Xenophobia, War, Hate crime, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Gore, Drug use, Cursing, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Drug abuse, Death, Child death, and Cannibalism

This book is A LOT.