Blood Meridian

A relentless and merciless metaphorical portrayal of the lives of mercenaries during the clashes between the Native Americans, Mexicans and the newly arriving populations on the shifting frontiers of the US and Mexico. It is not an easy book to read, as it lacks the strong narrative thread of ‘No Country for Old Men, ’ but is well worth the effort. It is a powerful counterpoint to the vacuous individualism that has developed in our society. A magnificent work of art.

‘When the lamb is lost in the mountain. They is cry. Some time come the mother. Some time come the wolf.’ Set in the Indian wars of the mid nineteenth century on the southern US and Mexico borders, it is a quasi biblical odyssey that follows the Glanton gang of scalp hunters, through the brutal violence and hardships of that landscape, which is in many ways the main character. Seen through the eyes of the nameless ‘kid’ and haunted by the omnipresent judge Holden - a man beyond morals, who is possibly the Devil, Fate or War or certainly a metaphor for all three, it is sickeningly violent in places, yet can also feel meandering and repetitive at times. However it is ultimately captivating and thought provoking. A dark mirror into the soul of men.

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" from the Picador Collection, and I must say, it was an exhilarating experience from start to finish. McCarthy's writing style is both poetic and brutal, weaving a tale that is as captivating as it is disturbing. Set in the American West during the mid-1800s, "Blood Meridian" follows the journey of a young runaway known only as "the Kid" as he joins a ruthless gang of scalp hunters led by the enigmatic and terrifying Judge Holden. McCarthy's vivid descriptions of the harsh landscapes, the relentless violence, and the moral ambiguity of the characters create a haunting atmosphere that stays with you long after you've turned the last page. What sets "Blood Meridian" apart is McCarthy's mastery of language. His prose is dense and lyrical, with every sentence crafted to perfection. The dialogue is sparse but impactful, revealing the true nature of the characters and the darkness that resides within them. McCarthy's ability to capture the essence of the human condition, the rawness of survival, and the depths of human depravity is unparalleled. The character of Judge Holden is one of the most memorable and chilling figures in literature. With his towering presence, intellectual prowess, and complete lack of morality, he embodies the embodiment of evil. McCarthy delves deep into the darkest corners of the human psyche, exploring themes of violence, greed, and the nature of humanity itself. "Blood Meridian" is not a book for the faint of heart. It is a brutal and unflinching portrayal of the dark side of humanity, filled with graphic violence and disturbing imagery. However, for those willing to venture into its depths, it offers a profound examination of the human condition and the inherent darkness that lies within us all. In conclusion, Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" is a masterpiece of American literature. It is a challenging and thought-provoking read that will leave you in awe of McCarthy's writing prowess. If you have a taste for dark and gritty fiction that explores the depths of the human soul, this book is a must-read. Just be prepared to confront the darkness within yourself as you journey through the unforgiving landscapes of the American West.

I must first confess that I could not finish reading 'Blood Meridian', I have previously read 'The Border Trilogy', 'The Road', 'The Orchard Keeper', 'Suttree' and 'No Country for Old Men' and I rate McCarthy very highly indeed. He seems to see into the very core of men, what drives them, what they are driven to deal with, what they actually are - almost as a species. In his books you will truly see what 'a man's gotta do' and why. You will also see how the land, the times and the environment shape men and how men are affected by each other. McCarthy's style is uncompromising. If there is blood, there is certainly blood. If bad things happen, they are Bad! If characters speak Spanish, they speak Spanish full stop; there is no translation, no explanation. His style is poetic, that is McCarthy poetry, not prettied-up purple patch prose. If you have not read any before, I recommend looking at the first paragraph of the first page in 'All the Pretty Horses', the first book of The Border Trilogy. You will have to read on. But I could not take 'Blood Meridian'. It is unremittingly horrific and terrible, unremittingly bloody, unremittingly fear/hate filled and visceral. There is nothing between awfulness and awfulness. - that is at least as far as I read, which is to about a third of the way through. And of course I looked at the ending and saw no light there. As always, the drive to survive is paramount, but it was not easy to care who survived because everyone was bent on survival at all cost and the costs were high. I am told that the setting is historically accurate though I am no expert, and that the book is based on fact. I recognise the skill in the language used, how evocative it is of these brutal situations. I am not a fast reader and refer back and forth as I read but I could not bear prolonged submersion in the world of this book for as long as it would have taken me to complete it. I have heard that by some this is considered McCarthy's masterpiece, so I am sorry, Mr McCarthy, but it was a feast of a few courses too many and too full of rare red meat for my appetite. Perhaps some day I may try again.

Without a doubt the most beautiful, horrible, graceful, gruesome, poetic, brutal, meditative, unforgiving, straightforward, puzzling novel I’ve ever read. And when I’ve recovered, I’ll read it again.

There were times when I hated this book and times I loved it. I love McCarthy’s writing style, I find it easy to follow, but the story was hard to read but also impossible to stop. What a story and what a life. I couldn’t relate to it as much as parts of The Road, but it is worth the read - I doubt I will stop thinking about it for some time.

This is my first taste of McCarthy and it's encouraged me to read more. There are so many other reviews here, I thought it might be useful to address some of the most common points. Many deplore the lack of punctuation. I found the absence of speech marks a bit confusing from time to time. It can be hard to tell who is speaking or even if someone is speaking. I'd prefer to have them, but it's not that important. Other people complain about the numerous long passages of Gnostic theorising. Frankly, if you come to this book expecting an ordinary Western adventure yarn, I can understand that's not what you want, but this book isn't an ordinary Western adventure yarn - anything but. I enjoyed these passages. I also enjoyed the many descriptions of the landscape, which at times seems like a succession of alien planets! Again, others expecting. perhaps, more time spent on the character's thoughts and feelings did not. Many were turned off by the amount and graphic nature of the violence. some found it upsetting, others felt that it became tedious. I've not read much non-fiction of the time and place in which the story is set, but it is claimed to be based on fact. From what I know of other times and places where people have been in a position to indulge themselves without restraint, it seems entirely plausible. Human beings are capable of behaviour that makes most of us - who have not been close to such things - wonder if they are human at all. At the same time there is Arendt's " banality of evil" wherein those who commit atrocities so often and so long come regard them as routine, almost as chores. Finally 'the kid' is attacked as being an uninteresting protagonist. We learn very little about him. To me, this seems to be the point. The kid is not the protagonist. He is a deliberate cypher. A thread on which to string the sequence of events. The protagonist is the judge. The judge fascinated me and repelled me in equal measure. If the judge is not intended to be a portrayal of the devil, then I dread to think what he is, something worse perhaps. In fact, in terms of theme - inevitable and inescapable destruction of body and soul; descriptions of bizarre landscapes and horrific occurrences Blood Meridian reminds me of H.P. Lovecraft. The difference is that while Lovecraft had a great and dark imagination, he was always hobbled by limited writing ability, McCarthy isn't. This is a horror novel and a great one.

Can't really say I've read anything like this before. The writing style reminded me a bit of Moby Dick although I didn't enjoy that as much as this. I had no idea beforehand that Blood Meridian had a reputation for being a difficult novel to read and had I been aware of that in advance I may not have attempted it but actually I didn't find it hard to follow or understand. It is the kind of book that you need to concentrate on though and the language is very rich. There were some sections I had to read a couple of times and I also reached for the dictionary more than usual although I think that's part of the fun and point of reading anyway. Also I used on-line chapter analysis after each chapter to check how much of what I'd read I was taking in (I do this quite often when I read fiction) and I'd say 90% of the time I was on board with and able to follow what was going on. It's hard to describe what makes this novel so memorable. It feels like a western and it for me it played out like a movie in my head, although I'm not sure that turning it in to a film would necessarily do it justice. The story in itself is quite straight forward, it's McCarthy's descriptions and similie's and poetic flow that make the book stand out so vividly. It's also a relentlessly violent story so although a notable work it may not be for everyone. As someone who has always been a sporadic reader of fiction, I'm currently trying to do some catching up for lost time and as a result never feel like I have enough time to read a book twice but I think I would read this again. If you like violent Westerns rich in poetic symbolism then you've probably read this way before I did but if by any chance you haven't then do !

Reçu en temps et en heure. Colis en excellent état. Bravo et merci.

One of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. I think it’ll haunt me for a long time.

Niente a che vedere con le edizioni economiche picador. Questa è un'edizione di classe, con una formattazione impeccabile, ben impaginata e rilegata. Sulla qualità del libro non mi esprimo, dato che si tratta di uno dei più grandi capolavori della letteratura americana. Vale davvero la pena di spendere qualche soldo in più e prendere questa versione, perché è destinata a durare nel tempo ed esser tramandata alle generazioni che verranno. Anche la carta è piacevole al tatto, con una porosità calda e raffinata. Diciamoci la verità: alcuni libri meritano una rilegatura all'altezza, come in questo caso. In america è possibile trovare delle edizioni molto più prestigiose, ma questo è quanto di meglio sia possibile reperire in Italia. Sono entusiasta, ed il servizio amazon è stato impeccabile. Fatti questo regalo. Valuterò solo l'edizione e non il contenuto del testo, che è INGIUDICABILE tanta è la sua grandezza. Rilegatura: 8/10 Carta: 9/10 Impaginazione: 9/10 (c'è lo spazio per scrivere appunti) Dimensioni del testo: 9/10 (non affatica la lettura) Copertina rigida: 8/10 Sovra-copertina: 5/10 (brutta, ma il suo scopo è solo protettivo).

a must have in any personal library

A few dents here and there but not too bad. I bought this based on reviews on tiktok and I am really excited to start reading.