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erinjk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Slavery, Rape, Sexual assault, Gore, Child death, Colonisation, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, Gun violence, Death, Child abuse, Blood, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
reverenddustbunny'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
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Death, Racial slurs, Gore, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
vinett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, War, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia
rooree93's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Animal death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Cursing, Torture, Violence, and War
zhaneordo's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
geonox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Racism, Genocide, and War
Minor: Racial slurs
asuresh'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? N/A
5.0
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
ddavare's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
This is a purely violent book. I did not enjoy this at all. It's supposedly considered a great American novel?? I understand what the author was trying to convey (fate vs. free will, humanity's taste for violence, hipocrisy of Christianity), but this could have been done with at least 70% less violence. Whatever happened to the power of suggestion? JEEZ!!! - I mean the author suggests what happens to the protagonist (I use the word "protagonist" very lightly) at the end and leaves it up to the audience to imagine it. I would not recommend this book (as a person who is not white or a man) as it's triggering in every regard. Unless you are a lit major, writer, or enjoy reading literary challenges (the writing is interesting and challenging), I don't recommend. I think the average reader would not draw out the author's point, and would not be able to see through all this violence. This has not added any value to my knowledge and just created unnecessary stress and disappointment in Western culture (and I'm already disappointed with our political climate). This is a rant. I was set up to read this as part of a group read, and I am not happy about it and am using Storygraph as a way to vent.frogreads_'s review against another edition
I wanted to read this book before watching a breakdown a youtuber i like did of it. I went in expecting the brutality but was not forwarned about the casual use of the n word for both black people and native americas (hellooo pre civil war America!)
But overall i was not expecting a book lauded as being so gratituously violent to feel like pulling hairs and walking through quicksand to get through.
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Torture, and Murder
Dont read if you cant stand people getting scalped or the n word being used a LOTtaicantfly'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