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dvornik575's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
edgarallanfoe's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
depraved, deadpan, and depressing. will leave you miserable. cannot recommend enough.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
5.0
"Blood Meridian" is a terrible and magnificent title. A meridian is an abstract line, but it is nevertheless on this bloody line that America completed in the mid-19th century its project of territorial expansion by tracing its last borders with great reinforcement of massacres of Indians and Mexicans, not to mention the millions of bison and other wild animals.
In this dark road movie, strewn with corpses and carcasses and punctuated by scenes of bewildering violence, McCarthy reveals the darkest side of the conquest of the West in all its brutality: beings without faith or law let loose at leisure in the immensity of a land of lawlessness who kill for money as much as they brutalize for pleasure.
Conquest of the confines far from Epinal's image of conquering and glorious pioneers, which reveals "the worst of the American character: greed and violence" (Isabel Allende in "Daughter of Destiny") and which, under the cutting and disenchanted pen of McCarthy, takes on a despairing character so much he strives to demonstrate that this violence is consubstantial with man. In any case, this is how I interpret (nothing is explicit in the novel) the character of the Judge, an immortal and super-powerful demon who affirms, holding an umbrella made of bones and human skin, that "war is the supreme game because war is at the end of counts a forced manifestation of the unity of existence. War is God".
If there is undoubtedly something painful and inhibiting in this heavy immersion in the language closest to the living, harsh, black, and without concession of McCarthy, it is also a profoundly enriching reading experience to be familiar with the level of demand for the truth of this uncompromising author.
In this dark road movie, strewn with corpses and carcasses and punctuated by scenes of bewildering violence, McCarthy reveals the darkest side of the conquest of the West in all its brutality: beings without faith or law let loose at leisure in the immensity of a land of lawlessness who kill for money as much as they brutalize for pleasure.
Conquest of the confines far from Epinal's image of conquering and glorious pioneers, which reveals "the worst of the American character: greed and violence" (Isabel Allende in "Daughter of Destiny") and which, under the cutting and disenchanted pen of McCarthy, takes on a despairing character so much he strives to demonstrate that this violence is consubstantial with man. In any case, this is how I interpret (nothing is explicit in the novel) the character of the Judge, an immortal and super-powerful demon who affirms, holding an umbrella made of bones and human skin, that "war is the supreme game because war is at the end of counts a forced manifestation of the unity of existence. War is God".
If there is undoubtedly something painful and inhibiting in this heavy immersion in the language closest to the living, harsh, black, and without concession of McCarthy, it is also a profoundly enriching reading experience to be familiar with the level of demand for the truth of this uncompromising author.
giraffpple's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zrals's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
The story of the novel is famously difficult - lots and lots of graphic violence, grounded in historical events. However, the prose is excellent and the characters are compelling, though rarely likeable. It approaches so many big questions packaged in a quick moving story. It celebrates landscapes while emphasizing the terrible things human beings will do to have them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Blood, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Torture, War, Violence, Gun violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Rape, and Sexual assault
alexcavanaugh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I will start by saying that experiencing this novel as an (amazingly performed) audiobook makes consuming the content much easier. I tried reading this in written format a few years ago and found it difficult due to McCarthy's writing style, such as the lack of quotation marks and use of archaic words. Listening to it narrated makes dialogue much easier to follow. Additionally, I reviewed each chapter on litcharts.com as I completed them to ensure I was following the plot correctly.
This novel depicts violence and brutality in a way that is shocking to the core without feeling sensationalized and cheap. There are depictions of violence that would make a slasher film blush, yet they all feel critically important to the point of the novel and thematically potent. Judge Holden, disgusting and despicable, embodies the God of War in a way that doesn't glorify violence but rather depicts its raw horrors. I would be wary of young men who read this novel and come away thinking Judge Holden is "cool" in the way people are fans of Batman's Joker.
Knowing this story is grounded in history also helps alleviate worries that the depictions of Native American tribes are exploitative. A broad range of Native cultures and communities are depicted, from cruel raiders to altruistic rescuers. And at no point are the band of American scalp hunters depicted in a good light: they are always a clearly evil, chaotic mob of violent opportunists. From what I understand McCarthy spent a lot of time in Spanish speaking communities, and so the untranslated Spanish exchanges with Mexican and Native American characters come from his background and experiences in those places (albeit 70-100 years after the events of the novel).
Surprisingly, this novel was much more tense than I expected, with scenes such as The kid's stand off with the Judge after the Yuma raid making me feel an intense sensation of dread.
The juxtaposition of the cruelties of war with the beauty of nature as the Kid journeys through the United States is also powerful, and I'm sure has been explored by many PhD literature theses.
Ultimately, the book is intense and definitely not for everyone, but if a reader can stomach the extreme themes of violence (both in terms of sexual violence and bodily harm), it is absolutely worth a read as an apotheosis of war.
This novel depicts violence and brutality in a way that is shocking to the core without feeling sensationalized and cheap. There are depictions of violence that would make a slasher film blush, yet they all feel critically important to the point of the novel and thematically potent. Judge Holden, disgusting and despicable, embodies the God of War in a way that doesn't glorify violence but rather depicts its raw horrors. I would be wary of young men who read this novel and come away thinking Judge Holden is "cool" in the way people are fans of Batman's Joker.
Knowing this story is grounded in history also helps alleviate worries that the depictions of Native American tribes are exploitative. A broad range of Native cultures and communities are depicted, from cruel raiders to altruistic rescuers. And at no point are the band of American scalp hunters depicted in a good light: they are always a clearly evil, chaotic mob of violent opportunists. From what I understand McCarthy spent a lot of time in Spanish speaking communities, and so the untranslated Spanish exchanges with Mexican and Native American characters come from his background and experiences in those places (albeit 70-100 years after the events of the novel).
Surprisingly, this novel was much more tense than I expected, with scenes such as
The juxtaposition of the cruelties of war with the beauty of nature as the Kid journeys through the United States is also powerful, and I'm sure has been explored by many PhD literature theses.
Ultimately, the book is intense and definitely not for everyone, but if a reader can stomach the extreme themes of violence (both in terms of sexual violence and bodily harm), it is absolutely worth a read as an apotheosis of war.
mroateater's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0
sagostund's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
3.0
once again i am not smart enough for this book
annie_green's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
I've never read a book as awful and as beautiful like this. The descriptions of the places around them were beautiful. It was hard to read but I still kept going.