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taicantfly's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
billyjepma's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
“In the days to come the frail black rebuses of blood in those sands would crack and break and drift away so that in the circuit of few suns all trace of the destruction of these people would be erased. The desert wind would salt their ruins and there would be nothing, nor ghost nor scribe, to tell to any pilgrim in his passing how it was that people had lived in this place and in this place died.”
There are a lot of quotes that speak to the intent of this book—a book I might someday understand better—but that one might be the one I latch into. McCarthy understood violence and its roots in the masculine soul better than almost any other American writer.
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Murder, Rape, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: War, Alcoholism, Torture, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, and Cannibalism
ronophica's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, Ableism, Animal death, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Gun violence, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Excrement, Cursing, Violence, and Sexual harassment
helmetgoclank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Genocide, Violence, War, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Child death, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
asililydying's review against another edition
4.5
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 against another edition
- 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
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
anemosise's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Racial slurs, War, and Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
gremlintamer's review against another edition
- 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
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.meghenee's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Violence, Blood, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, and Hate crime
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Child death
burgundy_fairy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Violence, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Slavery, War, Murder, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, Child death, and Gore
I very well may have missed content warnings. I also could not discern their weight. The book is written so that everything is mentioned in passing but also in a very raw manner.