November 3, 2009
Book Review The Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy As Jon touched on in his review earlier this is my second attempt at this novel. The first time didn’t go so well. I didn’t know what I was getting into, I didn’t have my head on straight. I’m really not sure what possessed Jon and I to pick this book for our little reading group. We both respect and love Cormac, but I don’t believe either one of us were prepared for this piece of work. This book is tough to describe. In simple terms we start the novel following “the kid” a down on his luck young guy who falls in line with a group of scalp hunters.  This group may be the worst people on the planet at that time. They kill, destroy, wreck everything they come across. Glanton is their leader but the story is about the Judge. I talked to Jon on the phone last night. I said “You know who the Judge reminds me of, Marlon Brando from Apocalypse Now.” I can’t help but wonder if the Judge may be the worst character ever written about in modern literature. He never goes away, he’s always there, haunting the reader like a shadow. It’s amazing the Judge can be any worse then the rest of the characters in this book. He’s not only worse, he’s worse by a long shot. I hated the Judge, I hated Glanton, I disliked the Kid. There is not a single redeemable thing about anyone in this book. Yet you read on. You can’t help yourself. Cormac knows his nature, he knows that natural world we live in like no other. He can describe a rock down to its last crack. At times daunting it provides a prose that tick tick ticks along. You have to have your reading shoes on for this one. You can’t half ass it. In closing all I can say if you decide to read this novel be in the right head space. If you’re feeling down and blue, maybe skip it until you’re feeling sure of yourself. It will come at you hard and tough. There’s something in it that I can’t describe. Maybe if you read it you can tell me what that something is. Casey

Book Review

The Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

As Jon touched on in his review earlier this is my second attempt at this novel. The first time didn’t go so well. I didn’t know what I was getting into, I didn’t have my head on straight.

I’m really not sure what possessed Jon and I to pick this book for our little reading group. We both respect and love Cormac, but I don’t believe either one of us were prepared for this piece of work.

This book is tough to describe. In simple terms we start the novel following “the kid” a down on his luck young guy who falls in line with a group of scalp hunters.  This group may be the worst people on the planet at that time. They kill, destroy, wreck everything they come across. Glanton is their leader but the story is about the Judge.

I talked to Jon on the phone last night. I said “You know who the Judge reminds me of, Marlon Brando from Apocalypse Now.” I can’t help but wonder if the Judge may be the worst character ever written about in modern literature. He never goes away, he’s always there, haunting the reader like a shadow. It’s amazing the Judge can be any worse then the rest of the characters in this book. He’s not only worse, he’s worse by a long shot. I hated the Judge, I hated Glanton, I disliked the Kid.

There is not a single redeemable thing about anyone in this book. Yet you read on. You can’t help yourself. Cormac knows his nature, he knows that natural world we live in like no other. He can describe a rock down to its last crack. At times daunting it provides a prose that tick tick ticks along. You have to have your reading shoes on for this one. You can’t half ass it.

In closing all I can say if you decide to read this novel be in the right head space. If you’re feeling down and blue, maybe skip it until you’re feeling sure of yourself. It will come at you hard and tough. There’s something in it that I can’t describe. Maybe if you read it you can tell me what that something is.

Casey