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A review by aryan7477
Blood Meridian, or The Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.75
"Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent."
Reading my second novel, I realized that picking up Blood Meridian so early in my reading journey was a mistake. McCarthy's extensive descriptions of nature often went over my head, and his complex metaphors and allegories were challenging to grasp. The frequent need to look up words made the reading process long and intensive. I relied on chapter summaries and videos to understand the prose fully.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Richard Poe, whose masterful performance captured the essence of the text, especially given the absence of quotation marks. The depth of this novel astonished me. The amount of research McCarthy must have done is incomprehensible. While I expected heavy descriptions of violence, I found the novel more disturbing for the violence it implies rather than shows.
The first half of the novel is an absolute epic. I have never felt so immersed in a story. It felt like I was there in the desert with the Glanton gang, fighting for survival. The ever-present violence initially shocked me with its brutality, but as the narrative progressed, I became numb to it, much like its characters.
Of course, I can't discuss this novel without mentioning the Judge. In the brutal and gritty world of "Blood Meridian," he stands out as a supernatural figure, perhaps a minion of the devil personified. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest villains in fiction. His frightening and creepy nature stems not from the crimes he commits but from the horrors he implies.
This book demands multiple readings to grasp all its details and themes fully. It is an absolute epic, and I am excited to explore more of Cormac McCarthy's works.
Reading my second novel, I realized that picking up Blood Meridian so early in my reading journey was a mistake. McCarthy's extensive descriptions of nature often went over my head, and his complex metaphors and allegories were challenging to grasp. The frequent need to look up words made the reading process long and intensive. I relied on chapter summaries and videos to understand the prose fully.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Richard Poe, whose masterful performance captured the essence of the text, especially given the absence of quotation marks. The depth of this novel astonished me. The amount of research McCarthy must have done is incomprehensible. While I expected heavy descriptions of violence, I found the novel more disturbing for the violence it implies rather than shows.
The first half of the novel is an absolute epic. I have never felt so immersed in a story. It felt like I was there in the desert with the Glanton gang, fighting for survival. The ever-present violence initially shocked me with its brutality, but as the narrative progressed, I became numb to it, much like its characters.
Of course, I can't discuss this novel without mentioning the Judge. In the brutal and gritty world of "Blood Meridian," he stands out as a supernatural figure, perhaps a minion of the devil personified. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest villains in fiction. His frightening and creepy nature stems not from the crimes he commits but from the horrors he implies.
This book demands multiple readings to grasp all its details and themes fully. It is an absolute epic, and I am excited to explore more of Cormac McCarthy's works.