Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

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

61 reviews

noah8421's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug use

marcel_beres's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I found the book to have a slow start, because I was looking for a concrete, easily summarisable plot. When I realised this is not a book you read for the plot, I was instantly hooked.

Blood Meridian certainly deserves its reputation; a bleak, violent deconstruction of the Western genre and the American Dream, an exploration of the darkness in the human heart. While the lack of punctuation often tripped me up, I eventually got used to it—though I don't understand the point of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Blood

applequinn's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse and Suicide

hjb_128's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lucius_gooseman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

"'Perhaps,' he called, 'Perhaps you have seen this place in a dream. That you would die here.' Then he descended the esker and passed once more across the boneyard led by the tethered fool until the two were shimmering and insubstantial in the waves of heat and then they were gone altogether."

McCarthy's prose is nightmarishly beautiful-- he expertly crafts a horrific narrative using the most eloquent, intelligent terms to illustrate some of the most deplorable acts put to paper since Marquis de Sade's jaunt into literature. Blood Meridian is very seldom a pleasant experience-- there is nothing remotely comical or any element to be found to add much needed levity. The only time you'll crack a smile is from realizing the sheer madness of the book's happenings. Seriously, I was sitting there, reading this and started laughing as a swathe of civilians were brutalized (described in the most visceral way) because I was just so beside myself. 

Though based on real characters, McCarthy truly makes the historical "figures" (it's widely debated the identity and even existence of Judge Holden, though John Joel Glanton's existence is documented) into larger-than-life characters. The real standout is the aforementioned Judge-- whenever the man speaks, the reader's chest tightens. He is a character of mythical proportions, and his terror comes from the unknown. Just enough information is given for Holden to be a monstrous, mysterious figure. A child-raping, scalping, incredibly intelligent and well-spoken giant albino? I mean, Jesus fucking Christ. 

Like I've said, this book is not enjoyable. At times, it's a mean-spirited tale full of unending depravity and violence. But, then again, that's what I signed up for so I can't degrade the book too much. Still, I would really need a while in-between another read, this is really a draining novel. The events that inspired this book are equally interesting, and I'll definitely be doing some more reading on Glanton's party and the existence of Judge Holden. And that ending? Shivers. The Judge quickly ascends the antagonist placement and becomes, as he it’s often referenced in the book, a God of war. An inescapable idea that permeates and ruins lives. 

It should also be noted that the depictions of the Native Americans in this is probably not the best- there are no true "characters" besides the faceless baddies, a band of particularly bestial Native Americans with a penchant for rape and scalping. There are also a handful of Delaware scouts for Glanton's party (as well as a black man who is consistently referred to as a racial slur rather than his name) who have no agency or bearing on the story as a whole. The whole character of "The Fool" is pretty batshit crazy, too, but hey. This book checks every box of fucked-up-ness, and obviously, the portrayals of minorities and mentally handicapped people is right up there with rape and disemboweling. Get into it, I guess. 

Anyway, this book is absolutely phenomenal. Read if you love Westerns (me), love brutality and nihilism (me), and have a hankering for history (me). But steer clear if you're sensitive to cruelty inflicted on animals and humans alike because... yeah. Of course it's here in spades. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, and Rape

rattlemyjones's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I gave this book two stars because the writing was good and I was able to finish it. However, it is not my kind of book. Far too much blood, guts, and gore with little plot or character development. I think some people must enjoy this type of read as it is a very famous book, I am just not one of them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

michelleabdanan's review

challenging dark tense medium-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

Full of beautiful, meditative descriptions of the desert landscape broken up by some of the most horrific and depraved acts of violence put to page. I’m honestly not sure if I liked it but it was masterfully written and I’m going to think about it for a long, long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism

caitdanger's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation

magimiel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury

nicofish's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, and War