Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

108 reviews

cati's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't think the writing was too hard to follow, but I did have to Google a lot of words because McCarthy loves his rocks, his landforms, his old-timey words. I feel like I need to revisit this book later on to fully ingest the message, the motifs, what each character says and does. It's definitely a book that stays with you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Pedophilia

thesholmes's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Probably the best book I've ever read. The prose is perfect, the imagery is flawless, the story is riveting, and it just does things that I've never seen a book do. As someone who's really desensitised to a lot of things, this one made me physically sick in the best possible way. Just a thrilling and horrifically beautiful read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

As someone who is fairly desensitised to most anything, this made me physically sick

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

An incredibly violent book, providing an intimate look into a psychopath’s head.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

sunscanid's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

5.0

god, what to even say?
this book was fantastic. highly recommend. heed the warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol

jaybeesgotpaperback's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

It was a slow read due to the complicated language, and I understand why there are McCarthy scholars as there is so much to unpick. But thoroughly enjoyed the read even though some of the content is challenging 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Genocide

Minor: Cursing, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Excrement, and Cannibalism

keynone's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

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

sunn_bleach's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

He is dancing. He says that he will never die.

Too much has been written by others for me to add anything further. A parable on violence and the lie of American Manifest Destiny - but I wouldn't fault others who just cannot find any merit or enjoyment in it, either. I agree with everyone's criticisms; even if they're all true, the reasons why those criticisms exist is why this is a Great American Novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Pedophilia

maya3333's review against another edition

I'm not a huge fan of the writing style. I also am not big on western books/movies. I was having a hard time reading about the dying/suffering animals. Overall I'd say it just didn't interst me and isn't my type of book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

salmonite's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail