I can count on one hand the number of books I truly love,that I hug to my chest like a best friend or family member. Books that make my life more compI can count on one hand the number of books I truly love,that I hug to my chest like a best friend or family member. Books that make my life more complete. This is one. It’s beautiful and poignant, and exceedingly entertaining. It joins the ranks with McCarthy’s “The Crossing” and Gay’s “Provinces of Night” and Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” as all time favorites....more
Much better this time than when I had to read it for class.
During this re-read, I evaluated it as a great American novel candidate. I see how it coulMuch better this time than when I had to read it for class.
During this re-read, I evaluated it as a great American novel candidate. I see how it could be so, but nothing really stands out more than any other southern grit lit authored works. At the time I’m sure it turned heads but now it’s lost it’s shock value.
**spoiler alert** McCarthy’s morality is most apparent in this and “Outer Dark,” that is, failure to divest, or proclaim, a stand, right or wrong, end**spoiler alert** McCarthy’s morality is most apparent in this and “Outer Dark,” that is, failure to divest, or proclaim, a stand, right or wrong, ends in your ultimate and often terrifying end.
For example:
In McCarthy’s “Outer Dark,” Culla brings judgement to himself by refusing to name his sin, and son of, incest.
In “Child of God,” Lester eventually finds redemption in turning himself over to the law and submitted to its judgement, finding peace.
“Blood Meridian” continues the theme with the horrifying exploits of the unnamed boy protagonist and The Judge who travels with The Boy and their troop of villains. All the while the judge seeks some sort of commitment from The Boy. McCarthy’s narrative is so well devised that the Protagonist, The Boy, nearly disappears between the pages, lacking any definable characteristics. In the end, The Judge does not come for the most vile or evil villains, who find their own demise from the Yumas, but he comes to the boy, whose greatest sin was apathy, the greatest sin of all. The judgement is so great, all the reader receives is an, “oh God! Oh God!” from a witness.
Like his other southern novels, “Suttree” et al, characters receive redemption by claiming their place, good or bad, in an often terrible world.
“Blood Meridian” is tragic, haunting, terrifying, and utterly beautiful. There is two must-reads for Cormac McCarthy: “Blood Meridian” and “The Crossing.” In one is the judgement against apathy, in the other the struggle for grace.
My top American novels of all time:Moby Dick, East of Eden, and Blood Meridian. ...more
Ian Bennett
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