The chilling novel Blood Meridian reviewed
Cormac McCarthy is a famous American author whose writing revolves around Southern gothic tropes. His novels center on wayward characters in the American Southwest and feature violence, complexity, and dense prose.
Blood Meridian is one such novel.
What is Blood Meridian about?
Blood Meridian, whose full title is Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West, follows a runaway Tennessee child known as “the kid.” Even at a young age, it’s clear that the kid is no ordinary child. He engages in mindless violence, beating up practically anyone perceived as a threat.
By the age of 16, he goes to Nacogdoches, Texas. He meets Judge Holden in this town, a charismatic man who incites violence against a local preacher. The judge is depicted as a large, hairless, and expressionless man with a very pale face.
The kid also comes across Louis Toadvine, who he initially fights but works with him just one day later to burn down a building. The kid skips town after completing yet another act of mindless violence.
After riding his mule for some time, the kid reaches another Texas town, and his behavior doesn’t change there.
He starts working in a cantina in exchange for drinks, but he quickly beats up the bartender. Sergeant Trammel is impressed by this act, so he recruits the kid in his quest to reclaim Mexican territories.
Shortly afterward, he’s introduced to the barbaric world. In it, the scalp hunters of the Glanton Gang kill Apache indiscriminately and sell these Native Americans’ scalps for a high price.
Blood Meridian—Our book review
As most of Blood Meridian centers around violence, you’re probably wondering if the author did a compelling job representing the violent scenes. Before reading the novel, many people expect to read run-of-the-mill bloodshed, but that’s not the case.
You can truly discover the meaning of the words “grim” and “gore” through Blood Meridian.
Unlike No Country for Old Men and All The Pretty Horses, this book doesn’t provide any breaks from the chaos. As soon as the kid joins the gang, the carnage virtually doesn’t stop.
The men in this legion of horribles, including an ex-priest, have one goal—scalp any Apache Indian on the road, be they a man, woman, or child. The legion of horribles revels in inflicting harm on others. Shortly after they recruit the kid, you know you’re not into a light-hearted novel.
Additionally, the author has a knack for what can be called “exhausting” with violence in each description. They highlight the depravity of humanity in the most gruesome way possible.
Once you find out that this book is considered historical fiction to an extent, you may feel even worse about the victims. It’s also important to note that the violent acts in this McCarthy book are usually gratuitous. The victims are innocent—the only thing they’re guilty of is being Apache Natives in Mexico.
But unlike some movies, this drawn-out violence serves a clear purpose. The gratuitousness resembles the drawn-out nature of Moby Dick. Just like the event-less life of the vessel in Moby Dick numbs you before reaching a climactic destination, so does Blood Meridian break your spirit. The mercenaries engage in a nonstop onslaught, making you jaded.
At several points in the McCarthy novel, you feel the horrors couldn’t get any worse. However, the author (often compared to William Faulkner) delivers even more gruesome scenes. McCarthy guides you through these horrifying acts using biblical prose. It’s a unique form of writing, which makes the slaughter even more vicious.
He wrote a novel that’s so metaphorical and poetic that you can easily extract multiple meanings from a single section. Therefore, you may need to read the story a few times before getting the complete picture of certain passages.
The author’s language is also subtle, which is why it’s hard to figure out the true meaning. He doesn’t use punctuation or quotation marks very often. Instead, he uses long-winded sentences with lots of repetition.
As for the main character, McCarthy doesn’t follow conventions here, either. In a normal novel, you would root for the protagonist and his company, impatiently waiting for the finale where he’ll trump the opposition.
You won’t feel any of that in most of Blood Meridian. Only the last 50-60 pages may make you empathize with the kid and understand his motivation. His actions are despicable, and he seems to be a child of God shielded by a divine force as he survives every encounter practically unharmed.
A few other characters are archetypal villains. This includes Judge Holden and Glanton, both of whom are compared to several historical figures, such as Richard III.
Due to all the gore and ignorance of conventions in McCarthy’s writing, this book isn’t for everyone. You need to have the stomach for all the gore. There’s standard brutality until halfway through the novel, but the writer takes it to a whole new level from there.
Still, this is one of the best idiosyncratic novels by Cormac McCarthy. Just as Suttree, The Crossing, and The Orchard Keeper redefine the historical and cowboy western genres with a unique style, so does Blood Meridian with its contrasting extremes of themes and style. When you do read Blood Meridian, you’ll find the experience stays with you long after the last page.
Experience Blood Meridian on Speechify Audiobooks
You’ll hardly find anything like Blood Meridian on your bookshelf. Reading it is an otherworldly experience, but the novel might be even more compelling in the audio format.
If you want to listen to this McCarthy work, head to Speechify Audiobooks. The platform features Blood Meridian with immersive narration to help you explore the plot in a new dimension.
When you’re done with Blood Meridian, explore the rest of the library. You’ll find numerous gripping titles, including Wrong Place Wrong Time, Coraline, Roadkill, and Pay Dirt Road.
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FAQ
Is Blood Meridian an easy read?
No. You might need to read Blood Meridian a few times to grasp all the subtleties.
Is Blood Meridian a violent book?
Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is one of the most violent books ever written by Cormac McCarthy. It’s available on Amazon, and you can get the audio version on Speechify Audiobooks.
Is Blood Meridian a masterpiece?
Although it’s not a New York Times bestseller, Blood Merdian is considered a masterpiece due to its mesmerizing style of writing and realistic horror scenes. Harold Bloom and other renowned critics praise this work as one of the best books in the Western-like genre.
What is the purpose of the violence in Blood Meridian?
The violence numbs you to make you feel humanity is innately evil.
Is Blood Meridian a good choice for a book club?
Blood Merdian can be a good option for your American literature book club if you and your friends are into gore titles. It’s also perfect if you want to explore the vicious nature of the Wild West.
Is Blood Meridian a book for children?
No. Blood Merdian isn’t a book recommendation for children.
What is Blood Meridian‘s message?
One of the messages of Blood Merdian is that humans often need no reason to act on unspeakable acts of cruelty.