Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy

⭐ 6.5/10

(Originally written by Tim)

I loved reading The Godfather so much I thought I would read the book that inspired another great movie - No Country for Old Men. But as I read more about McCarthy, everyone was saying that Blood Meridian was not only his masterpiece, but an American classic. So I had to start with this, right?

I found this book incredibly difficult to read. Not because of the content, which I will get to, but because of his writing style. Run on sentences with little punctuation, almost no named characters, no use of quotes or saying who said what line. This was effective at times, but if there were more than two people in a scene it was so hard to follow. I would have to read paragraphs multiple times just to know what was happening.

Then there is the content. A young man named "the kid" (not even capitalized) is on the run in 1849, joins the Glanton gang (based on a real group, which is terrifying) who was commissioned to kill natives at $100 a scalp. So ya, just some light reading before bed.

This writing style was very effective when describing places, as this group wanders across a barren Mexico/America, through a hell of their own making. He paints some haunting yet beautiful images, and his prose makes it feel almost mythical. And when violence occurs McCarthy steps his game up, with some impressively vivid yet abstract ways to convey the horrors men can inflict on each other.

I think I understand why many would consider this a masterpiece. His style is not for me, but I saw the beauty in it at times. I am sure there are many Biblical and mythical homages, and there have been many articles written on the foundation of America on this bloody stolen land, or what violence and war does to a person. But the level of difficulty had me struggling to connect or understand.

So in the end, not my most enjoyable read. After doing some readings of other people's reactions it seems like it takes a couple reads to really sink in, and I would believe that. Maybe I will go for No Country or The Road next. Having a movie and actors in my mind while reading could make his style more manageable.