Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West (Vintage International)
One of The Atlantic’s “Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years,” now with a new foreword by Marlon James
Widely considered one of the finest novels by a living writer, Blood Meridian is an epic tale of the violence and corruption that attended America’s westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the “Wild West.” Its wounded hero, the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennessean, must confront the extraordinary brutality of the Glanton gang, a murderous cadre on an official mission to scalp Indians. Seeming to preside over this nightmarish world is the diabolical Judge Holden, one of the most unforgettable characters in American fiction.
Based on historical events that took place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, Blood Meridian represents a genius vision of the historical West, one whose stature has only grown in the years since its publication.
Widely considered one of the finest novels by a living writer, Blood Meridian is an epic tale of the violence and corruption that attended America’s westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the “Wild West.” Its wounded hero, the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennessean, must confront the extraordinary brutality of the Glanton gang, a murderous cadre on an official mission to scalp Indians. Seeming to preside over this nightmarish world is the diabolical Judge Holden, one of the most unforgettable characters in American fiction.
Based on historical events that took place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, Blood Meridian represents a genius vision of the historical West, one whose stature has only grown in the years since its publication.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
No wonder this is considered one of the greatest books of all time. People complaining about the punctuation which is kinda silly Because in Mcarthy’s words: why would I scuff up the pages with a bunch of dots? A lot of the words I had to google, but that made it fun and vocabulary expanding. A lot of people saying The Kid is a “plank of wood,” but that’s literally the point. He’s supposed to be a blank canvas in a hopelessly violent Wild West so the reader can see him any way they want. Whether he is morally good, evil, or neutral is up to the reader’s interpretation. You definitely have to adapt to McCarthy’s writing style, but for me personally, that was no issue despite this being my first McCarthy novel. People saying there is no plot structure are judging a fish on its ability to fly. It’s more about the journey itself and the amazing scenarios that play out. That Comanche scene was one of the best things I’ve experienced in any piece of media. Absolute cinema! The best way I can describe this book is comparing it to a car crash. The things the happen in it is horrific but you can’t look away.
I had heard so many great things about this book. It just didn't do it for me. I had to force myself to read it, instead of looking forward to the experience. It felt like an assignment and not a joy.
I quite liked the book for its frequent allusions of philosophical and existential themes. Considering the criteria of the Western genre, I understood why it's depicted as anti-western. Most Western books (as I read from an article on ArtofManliness) glorify the main character majorly a cowboy, ranger or a hunter). This book is quite the opposite of that the author repeatedly points how how hypocritical the romanticisation of the violence is. I appreciated McCarthy's rich descriptions. also, I wouldn't say the prose was extraordinarily exceptional. People emphasized its experimental nature, so I expected something more unconventional, but I didn't find it to be so. Apart from the lack of punctuation and occasional rhythmic verses, I found it quite mainstream. Overall I thought it was good, but my expectations were too high, so I'd give it 3.75/5
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.