Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy
334 pages, read in soft-cover
'Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West' was our first group read, book club if you will. It was randomly selected when one of my friends was attempting, and failing, to get through another piece of Cormac McCarthy's 'All the Pretty Horses.' Let's face it that was a terrible decision. I refuse to read a book that’s explicitly a lie in the title. In any event with 'All the Pretty Horses' a run-a-way cowboy in Mexico that’s regarded as the author’s first foray into romanticism was probably not a good idea. Oh well, you can't always pick winners. It's really no different than picking a bad movie to watch, save the time invested.
I wanted to wait to post up my thoughts and review after we had had a chance to congregate and meet to discuss. I have also, after the synopsis, decided to list your scores and a few thoughts from each of you.
It shall be noted that Cormac McCarthy is hard to read and probably should be avoided for people that are not strong readers. His resentment for standard grammar does not help and makes the delivery hard to swallow. Run on sentences and confusing dialog is standard issue from Mr. McCarthy.
The story itself follows a 14 year old boy, named by the author as The Kid, throughout his adventures through Texas, Arizona, and California. When we first come across the Kid, he is heading west and destitute. Through a series of violent interactions and interesting actions he finds his way into Glanton's Band. Glanton's band has recently been tasked with collecting scalps, paid handsomely for those acquired. Over the course of the bands existence, they commit a series of brutal raids on Indian encampments and than descend into a gang. As a gang, they indiscriminately start scalping and brutalizing anyone at random. Finally they make it to a ferry crossing in which the gang exacts their savagery and power over people wishing to cross the river and the ferry owner. At this point they make a small fortune before Glanton and much of the band come to an excruciating end. Throughout the course of their savagery the band is accompanied by the form of The Judge. Judge Holden is first encountered by the Kid early in the book, in which he lies about a priests previous activities and stirs the crowd that the preacher is preaching to the point in which they actually murder the priest. Judge Holden appears in the story again when the Kid joins Glanton's outfit and over the course of the story, Judge Holden, becomes the antagonist. He is sophisticated, intelligent, schooled, a child killer, and at times morally reprehensible. Naturally, as the story closes, we are directed to a stage that widely concerns the Kid and the Judge.
As I was reading the book, I found myself wondering how this is one of my friends favorite books. Often, especially in the beginning, I wondered at the need for such graphic violence, distant dialog often in a language I am not familiar with, and long descriptions of the terrain the characters traversed through. After I completed though, I let the book simmer. I allowed myself to wallow in the descriptions and connect the events. After a few weeks I have a fondness for the book and a greater appreciation of its contents. While I would say that this is definitely not my favorite book, I have a really hard time saying that I didn’t like it. In fact the fondness for this book is only growing as time passes. Would I recommend it? Only to people that I know could handle the subject matter and prose as it is delivered.
Since it was our first group read, I also wanted to throw in some of the other readers opinions.
While not as many people finished as I had hoped, we did get five completions. Joy! So proud of you all.
Nearly complete agreement that Judge Holden was everyone's favorite character, save one for Ex-Priest Tobin.
Peoples favorite moments included (potential spoilers):
The first celebration when the band rolls in and takes over the town to celebrate.
When the Natives take back the Ferry from the gang.
The Kid's first encounter with the Judge and the end of Reverend Green
When Tobin is recounting how they came upon the Judge sitting on the boulder, waiting.
The Judge attempting to get the Kid out from hiding as he parades around with the imbacile.
Most memorable moments (potential spoilers):
The dancing bear and the soliloquy of the Judge in the tavern.
The Judge slaying children.
The significance of the end, what it all means if anything.
Tarot Card Reading of the band before their decline to a gang.
Scoring from one to ten:
Dust: 7
AndyCoug: 7
SS: 9
Th3ee: 8
Hylen: 7
Average Lucid Book Club Rating of: 7.6
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