Hey guys - If you're interested in reading Blood Meridian with a group, and making your way through the novel with a guided reading, the self-paced lecture series has started over at the book club. The conversation that has opened up is wonderful, as can be expected from McCarthy fans! Here are links to our first two lectures: 📚Title, Epigraph, & Reading Assignments: cutt.ly/qGnpViL 📚Lecture One: See the Child (Ch.1-5): cutt.ly/UGnp9IJ Happy reading! - Ben
I’ve been reading this book aloud to my dog in the afternoon. He has no idea of the beautifully written horrors being read to him but we are very much enjoying the process. Thanks for the tips and videos. Cheers!
It might be time to reread it. But the first time, I was maybe a quarter of the way in when it hit me: I will be a different person when I finish this book.
Benjamin McEvoy is a brilliant man, a real literary analyst, extremely articulate. His reading of Blood Meridian can not be matched by anyone who dares to do this on the internet. I was a professor of American literature at the University of New Mexico for 40 years. I follow what he says, but I could never have made a classroom presentation like this one. He covers all the areas, like language, symbolism, history, themes, allusions to other great works. McEvoy must be a professor/tutor at some university in Great Britain.I really appreciate his lecture here: it’s great. Thank you so much for giving this book the deep appreciation it deserves. His presentation humbles me.
Ukrainian here. You know, I started rereading Blood Meridian in the first days of invasion. This book for me is a totally different beast now, than it was couple years ago. It does read like a bible of war. I guess I immersed myself into it way to far, but I realize it’s the most important book in my life right now. I read a chapter a day. Almost like bits of dark chocolate, a little at a time.
Stay safe, Pavlo. My thoughts couldn't help but turn to the current crisis as I was discussing the theme of war and violence in this video. In a sense, it would be a blessing if one couldn't appreciate Blood Meridian. The fact that the work has become so important to you really speaks to the immense tragedy of current events. I hope you and yours are safe, my friend, and thank you for sharing this with us.
I hope that you and your loved ones stay safe, Pavlo. Ukrainian-Canadian here. Growing up in North America, in suburbs, I inhabited a world so completely alien from what is described in Blood Meridian, and from what you are experiencing now in Ukraine. The sort of "normal" that we are used to was never sustainable, in my opinion, and now our culture will have a harder time psychologically adjusting to the reality of the world than countries like Ukraine. Miguel de Unamuno talked about the "tragic sense of life": the concept that everything you hold dear can vanish in an instant, and that deep meaning is to be found in embracing this truth. In the west, we have grown so used to peace and prosperity and all the while becoming less tolerant of normal, daily hardships. The west has very little grasp of the notion of the "tragic sense of life", which is why, I believe, that people here were more prone to raiding supermarket shelves for toilet paper when the pandemic begun. When I read Blood Meridian, it was like a forceful awakening to the types of violence and suffering that is much closer to the average human experience throughout human history on earth. It felt like a necessary corrective, especially as it's become clear that the peace and prosperity we grew used to is not going to sustain. How else is one to get into contact with these realities without experiencing such hardships first hand? Blood Meridian has been, for me, one of the most powerful lenses for which to deeply consider the past and present of the human condition. The book is so dense and layered and difficult to read at first, so reading it like one would eat small bits of dark chocolate is a wonderful strategy! I also highly suggest companion books like "Notes on Blood Meridian". Though hard to access initially, this depth and initial difficulty in getting used to the language makes this book so highly rewarding when I re-read it. And like you said, Pavlov, I believe it to be the most important book in my life. It is not glorifying violence but forcing us to deeply consider what we should do with our violent tendencies. In the west, we've successfully reduced violence and suffering to a large extent. We've gone so far as to encourage neurosis in our youth. Consider how western countries have the phenomena of "safetyism" (aka "helicopter parenting" or "coddling") where parents over protect the kids from daily struggles and conflicts and stunt the child's ability to develop "distress tolerance" and resilience. A mental health crisis started around 2012-2013 and the main factors that the research have identified are the culture of safteyism and "coddling", as well as the increased use of social media (negative social comparisons, bullying). See Jean Twenge's research or the wonderful book "The Coddling of The American Mind" by J Haidt/G Lukianoff for a more in depth treatment. I work at a kid's hospital as a mental health therapist. We've seen a huge surge in youth mental health admissions since the summer of 2020. Mainly the admissions are for suicide attempts, overdoses, eating disorders, anxiety/mood disorders and psychosis. This trend has been seen in most western countries that had long school closures, encouraged kids to isolate from their peers and so on (ie. countries with a high degree of "safteyism culture"). Interestingly, there was not a similar surge in youth mental health admissions in Nordic countries. In these countries there is a higher degree of tolerance for risk to kids and they recognized that kids were not at much risk from covid. They did not have that overwhelming sense of fear towards kids being exposed to harm that was part of why western countries adopted such harmful covid policies for kids. Ironically in the west, our fear of kids being exposed to harm exposed them to, in my opinion, even greater harms in the form of psychological suffering. It was in Blood Meridian where I first encountered this sort of concept. The idea that violence and suffering is inherently tied to the human experience, that we ought to be less confident in our ability to fully eradicate violence. In the west, we've reduced it to such an extent but we have not accounted for our growing fear of suffering. The paradox here is that the less suffering we are exposed to, the less well we are able to accept it and deal with it when it arises (this is the concept of anti-fragility, like how our immune systems and bones become stronger through being tested and weaker through being over protected). This lowered tolerance to pain and suffering is not a big deal if we continue down a path of less and less risk and violence in our lives. However, western countries are now being exposed to increasing levels of suffering and risk and with a lowered tolerance to this risk. I believe this explains the hysteria we now see, that we had been losing contact with deep wisdom as a result of our delusion of that we would be able to indefinitely create more and more safety. The one epigram at the start of Blood Meridian hits on this concept, the one from Paul Valery. The quote is actually from an essay by Valery in which a european diplomat travels to China and meets with a Chinese diplomat around the time of the first Sino-Japanese war (around 1894). The european diplomat remarks how Japan has been sending their young men overseas to learn western technologies, particularly those related to warfare, and then bringing the knowledge back and boosting their military might. The Chinese diplomat scoffs at the remark and launches into a diatribe comparing eastern culture to western culture and mocking the west for it's infatuation with the intellect and disconnect from history. The excerpt from this essay, which makes up the epigram, is as follows: “You are in love with intelligence, until it frightens you. For your ideas are terrifying and your hearts are faint. Your acts of pity and cruelty are absurd, committed with no calm, as if they were irresistible. Finally, you fear blood more and more. Blood and time.” - Paul Valery This quote always stuck with me but, like Blood Meridian, took a while to fully unpack. It seems as thought it would be different for Ukrainians as your history has not allowed your citizens to forget the "tragic sense of life" If you are interested, the link for the essay is below. It's a dense read much like Blood Meridian, but these sorts of literature are so much more rich than the types of media most people consume these days. Everything is so hyper-presentist, only aware of what happened last week, constant overload of information that makes it harder for people to have historical perspective and engage in broad, ranging discussions. For these reasons and more, Blood Meridian is a very important book. I must say, like you, Pavlo, that it is the most important book in my life. Paul Valery - The Yalu drive.google.com/file/d/16gud4fPsQJWkMD_JFKhya07OdEUTeSKb/view
Cormac McCarthy has said that ‘books are made out of books’, so it seems certain that he was influenced by Mexican War veteran Samuel Chamberlain’s ‘My Confession’. Among other things, it’s the story of Chamberlain’s days with the Glanton Gang and his acquaintance with the dreaded Judge Holden. Fascinating to see life so directly reflected in art.
it's based on a lot of things, he spent 15 years researching for this book. shit, he learned a whole new language, spanish obviously, just for blood meridian. rumor has it he walked the exact path the fictionalized glanton gang of the book took on their apocalyptic journey, and it wouldn't surprise me if that were true given how the landscapes are so beautifully described that it almost seems impossible without firsthand experience.
Such an incredibly sad loss. I feel blessed that we could experience the books whilst he was still publishing them. One of the greatest writers of our time!
I just listened to the audiobook version as narrated by Richard Poe. I highly highly recommend it to anyone who likes audiobook format. He did an amazing job of bringing everything to life.
Richard Poe is a fantastic narrator. I have such great memories of listening to his Blood Meridian narration whilst cycling in the evening. Good times :)
I've been working on this audiobook version for a while now. It is fantastic. I have the book too, but the narration makes it more digestible for me. I have the book too, but it's very difficult for me to follow. After watching this lecture I'll probably put it on my "re-read" pile.
Absolutely agree on Richard Poe’s magnificent narration. I’ve never done this before, but I (re)read large chunks of the text, simultaneous with listening to Poe’s narration on earbuds.
I'm 85. So, I have had time to decide that there is a GOD. I know that I will find the brutality and blood will be difficult. It will be my first time to read it.
I love this book. It's beautiful, it's poetic, and it's goddamned horrific. What a nightmare of a read. I can still "see" certain scenes in my mind even after all these years. I'm due for a second read. Currently working my way through Melville's Moby-Dick before I attempt (again) Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!- annnnnnd I love this channel. Cheers!
I've read this probably 15 times, listened to it probably 40 times. It's like a masterpiece album of music to me. Just love this novel. I have never ever understood why people get hung up on the violence. The beauty and essence is in the written word and McCarthy's amazing ability to paint pictures, moving pictures with nothing other than words. It's just beautiful
I'm the same way. I've read the book maybe half a dozen times, but I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to the audiobook. I recently spent 4 weeks camping out in the American Southwest, and the Richard Poe audio was on constant repeat. It's so beautiful and so intricate and each listen only reveals some new detail which makes me want start it again.
Same here. I reread it multiple times and listen to it multiple times and never seem to tire of the nuggets of gorgeousness I find. For example, when Glanton picks up a piece of fallen leaf and, “beauty is not lost to him.”
I can say that I've read it twice and I didn't find it all that difficult cognitively, but man...the violence is absolutely unrelenting and sickening. The only other equivalent in the McCarthy canon is 'The Road.' Both say something important about the darkest elements of people. But it is absolutely beautiful and horrible at the same time.
“By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp.” I read this and sat back to contemplate the profound and intense imagery it had provoked...This line has stayed in my mind for 3 years since I read “The Road”. To be honest I am fearful about reading “Blood Meridium” After reading “The Road”, I viewed some UA-cam commentaries. These guys talked about, how the world got this way, are there other survivors, why did it happen? Who is the enemy? These guys missed the point entirely.. It was about one doomed man's desperate attempt to preserve the life of his son. He confessed to himself, if it weren't for the boy he would lay down and die but as long as the boy was alive, he couldn't. I had never read a book in one sitting before. Thank you, Benjamin, your commentaries are brilliant.
I savored the book, I read it slowly over a month's time. I found some similarities to Steinbeck's (The Grapes of Wrath) including the Bible and Moby Dick as you mentioned. Thank you Benjamin I enjoy your narratives very much.
Thank you for the video. Very helpful. I am halfway through reading Blood Meridian for the first time. What helped me to crack the book was pairing it with audiobook. The narrator makes it easier to understand the different voices. That is your point, reading it aloud or listening it being read. However, I think that listening audiobook is passive and different than traditional reading. But this time I will get myself acquainted with the book and reread on paper to deepen the understanding. I chose the Kindle edition because of the dictionary feature. Also, have you read Books Are Made Out of Books by Michael Lynn Crews? It is about McCarthy’s literary influences. I enjoy reading it alongside Blood Meridian.
Those are really great tips! For one of my readings, I listened to the Richard Poe audiobook whilst listening simultaneously. Incredible experience. Using the dictionary feature on the kindle is inspired! I would definitely encourage readers to be liberal with how much they look up. I haven’t read Books Are Made Out Of Books, but it sounds like a fantastic recommendation - thank you very much, I’ll check it out!
I read about 300 pages of BM, in French (I'm from Belgium) and it's incredibly hard to read and understand what's going on (especially the geography for me) but it's so well written and hypnotising that I could not stop myself to read it. It's an unusual way of writing to me, but at the same time it's so addictive. Your video help me a lot! I bought the road and no country for old men, can't wait to start those too.
That's so cool. Is the French translation brutally beautiful too? I'd love to check it out myself. I've found a paperback edition online of Méridien de sang, ou Le rougeolement du soir dans l'Ouest :) I hope you enjoy The Road and No Country for Old Men - in many ways much easier to break into, and both brilliant in their own right!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Totally! However, I have the impression that french tends to make things less brutal and raw than english. It's not a translation issue, because the book was translated by François Hirsch (who was a brilliant and famous french translator) it's more like a difference in the musicality of the languages! It's not really a huge difference and I can enjoy this masterpiece with no problems! The violence is here, the stunning descriptions of scenery is here and the complex portrait of each character is great! I will finish BM and then read many of the recommandations you've made and re-read BM again, I have the feeling that this book will bring me so much knowledges and fun! Thank you again for this video, new subscriber here!
I'm so grateful I stumbled into this video. You pushed me to reread the book - which I binged the first time - slow and aloud and I'm getting so much more. Now I long for a discussion from you on both judge Holden and Anton Chigurh :)
Just finished listening to Blood Meridian for the third time. I had been searching for this novel in a audio format for nearly 35 years so when it appeared on You Tube it made my year. I most highly recommend this version of the book to all your listeners. I enjoy all your video's Ben and i wonder if you would rank this masterpiece in your own top 100....Cheers
I indeed started reading the book years ago and at some point got distracted. The violence didn't deter me. But due to the fact that McCarthy is essentially recreating a Western book from the 19th Century it requires real concentration. (I have read many of the kinds of books he is referencing.) But alas something in my life came up; thus I never finished it. So this year I started again, but I changed tactics. I have a room to completely remodel, a lot of repetitious removing of wallpaper etc. So I found through UA-cam the entire audio version of the book, which is very well read, and thus I accomplished the blasted journey across the Blood Meridian. And I must say there were moments that absolutely stunned me in description and American Gothic beauty and terror. And I found, much like listening to Shakespeare, listening to the whole book really made it come alive, and the distraction factor was zero. And when done with a chapter I would run over to the text and savor it again. For instance crossing the wasteland in chapter 4, which I had read before. This time I felt I was in a fever dream. Thanks for tackling this masterpiece. By the way I have an old 78 rpm album of selections Moby Dick as read by Charles Laughton. A great actor can do wonders with a great book.
Thank you! :) I think he can be hard to read even for native speakers. But it depends on the book. 'The Road' is much easier to read than 'Blood Meridian'.
7:10 I’ve only read ‘Blood Meridian’, ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and I’m currently reading ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. But can someone explain how there is any “Hemingway tradition” in ‘Blood Meridian’?
On the influence of the King James Bible and polysyndaton - Biblical Hebrew has no punctuation: the Hebrew "AND" signals the beginning of a sentence as a period signals the end of a sentence in modern European languages. The translator of the King James' Bible, may well have been carrying this linguistic feature of Biblical Hebrew over into the English text.
One of my favorite books. I read it straight through the first time I picked it up. Yes, it's often gruesome, but McCarthy's such a fantastic author. This book is such a beautiful and mesmerizing read wrapped in deceptively simple language that is sheer magnificence itself. BTW I copied out some of his prose from this book as well as some from Moby Dick (and others)-- I discovered there are quite a few easy comparisons to be made here. In fact I contend that if you take out most of the punctuation of the language Melville uses, what often remains is a voice very close to McCarthy's-- or the other way around. I must reread this I saw the and, and, and obviously-- you can't miss it, but I didn't attribute it to the KJV. I've got my homework cut out for me. So, you really think that the Judge is even more evil than Iago? Yes, I suppose the Judge is more prolific in many ways, but I've (for whatever reason) always thought of Iago atop the all time larger than life heap of evil. Thank you for this.
I read it several years ago I went into blind and powered through it in a few days and it gnawed at my brain for a long time so I reread it after a year or so much slower and deliberately translating Spanish looking up words and jotting definitions in the margins stoping to contemplate and got much more out of it. I just went through it for a third time but this time i listened to the audio book and it was and used my book as reference it was by far the a better experience the language is definitely meant to be spoken not read.
It was my third crack before I could finish Blood Meridian. My biggest gripe the first two attempts was the dialogue without quotations. It just drove me nuts. For some reason I decided to give a third go after finding a copy at a secondhand shot (I have purchased the book three times). Had it packed for a trip to Montana two days before McCarthy died. Not sure if his passing softened my bias or simply the third time being the charm.
It's really not worth the effort, a painful tiresome experience with no real reward at the end. Do yourself a favour and read ' No Country For Old Men '.
One more comment,then I'll try an zip it. Gotta offer up some gratitude! This is the best discussion of BM I've found. Thanks for a very good (and zero arrogance and "this is what McCarthy means" baloney that so many tend to pedal in their self-aggrandizing attempts.) Really appreciate your deeply studied, informed, and humble introductions for so many into the universe of The Redness
Thank you, my friend! I truly appreciate that so much. Blood Meridian is a very special book to me, so I'm thrilled that other lovers of McCarthy like yourself enjoyed the discussion :)
Honestly, I think depictions of violence in visual media hit much harder and are more disturbing on a visceral level. So if you've weathered visual depictions of violence in media, even mild visual depictions you should be alright. I didn't find the novel that unsettling, in the sense of the depictionsof violencealthough I am a violence-desensitized millenial. What unsettled me is when you dig underneath, what the novel is saying about evil, the nature of evil and its place in the world. Blood Meridian brought me to reading Moby Dick (Cormac's favorite novel) which is where I've been for a while now as I've found it to be a challenge, but a rewarding one. I've also read some of McCarthy's other works. No Country, The Road, Outer Dark, All The Pretty Horses. I also discovered Flannery O'Connor through McCarthy (southern gothic) so I recently bought her Complete Stories. Next up is Suttree, then probably re-read All The Pretty Horses before the other two Border Trilogy novels. McCarthy is my favorite novelist so far, and in my opinion the best living America writer although I haven't read Delilo or Pynchon. I also recently learned about Norman Mailer and I think I moght want to look into him, and Philip Roth, Delilo, Pynchon... This is a great channel that I really enjoy & appreciate, keep it up. Thank you.
I'm with you on that. I think if one is able to stomach a Tarantino film, McCarthy's Blood Meridian should be readable. This does remind me, however, of when I saw Inglorious in the cinema (the day it came out) - that scalping scene... Multiple people got up from their seats and made a rush towards the exit. One of them didn't make it, and fainted in the aisle. I agree with the unsettling thing being on what the novel is saying about evil - there's a huge, important, and unnerving discussion to be had around that. It sounds like your reading is going really well. I love that McCarthy brought you not only to Moby Dick but to the Southern Gothic writers like Flannery O'Connor too. And thank you for the kind words, my friend, I appreciate them :)
I have so far read the wonderful “The Road” and have the Picador edition of “Blood Meridian” (bought very cheaply in the Fopp shop in Cambridge) to read when I have finished some prior bought books. I always find your videos inspiring. Have you not thought of returning to Oriel or similar other institution, to teach English and engage in research? Alternatively, you could offer to coach prospective University students of English Literature.
I've read it at least 5 times. As a fan of McCarthy, Western writing storyrelling, and having grown up in the West living, the life and learning the history... Blood Meridian takes first prize.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Yes. The effort he takes to get it perfect is phenomenal. In all his works. The description of the trucks in No Country. The horse and human bond in the border trilogy. The verbiage. My life was unique for a 70s teenager. I really was lucky. I experienced the true last of some things western. When an author or filmmaker gets it right ? Gold. So many don't. A filmmaker said once, Deadwood series perhaps, the audience appreciates attention to detail and authenticity, even if they don't realize it.
It is a difficult read, but I was engrossed immediately. Probably due to my love for Dostoyevsky. The part where the hermit explains the human heart in his shack is so chilling, evocative of human evil and non apologetic.
Fantastic video. I’m about to start my third read through of BM, and you’ve convinced me to take a much slower approach. Thank you for not only the content and analysis, but your practical reading advice. I look forward to watching more of your videos.
All The Pretty Horses was my favorite. I’m looking forward to reviewing Blood Meridian in the book club as I started it but put it down. Awesome video. Benjamin you are the absolute best. I watch for your new posts daily.
I love All The Pretty Horses! And I’m thrilled to hear you’ll be reviewing Blood Meridian with us, Kandy. Thank you for your kind words - I really appreciate them :)
Benjamin, I just want to thank you for this channel. I'm an American who spent far too many years avoiding much of the great literature, and I now find myself with an urgent need to dive in. You are an inspiration. I also have a son wanting to be a writer and preparing to return to college as a lit major. I'll be doing my best to get him hooked on you as well. I've loved what I've read of McCarthy, The Road and The Border Trilogy. After watching this, I'm going to give BM a try. Thank you again and keep the videos coming!
Ben,,,, again thanks so much for this Mccarthy podcast,,, thats a brilliant philosophical statement about censoring real violence but glorifying the "make-believe ❤
I want to voice an alternate opinion on how to read Blood Meridian for the first time - don't try to understand it. Instead, feel it. Feel in yourself what emotions are at play, and then give yourself over to those emotions. Beginning to feel depressed? Disgusted? Sink into that black well willingly. Be uncomfortable. Surround yourself in the despair. Push through. Read on. Sip whisky or wine, read in a dream-like haze, get drunk, keep pushing through the dark. You will emerge on the other side, at some point, reborn. Only then go back and read Blood Meridian slowly. Only then sit with a dictionary at your side. Only then search for meaning. And let that meaning - if there's any to be found - be your own, and let your feelings of the first reading influence that meaning, that conclusion, let it be as bias as possible. And then read Suttre. It's the better novel in my opinion.
I've given a copy of this book to just about every person I ever really loved. I dont think any of them have actually read it. I've read this book over a hundred times,and I'm still hoping that someday I'll find someone to share it with.
Wow. I've bought and gifted this book many times over too, and recommended so many to read it. Some will resist reading it, but I will keep reminding them ;)
the book can settle in your head and refuse to leave. I have read the book several times. Currently listening on Audible, it's a very different experience having it read to you. The voice actor is superb. Give this book as a gift, blow some minds
Superb video Benjamin! It is always a pleasure to watch such videos and that you can share your thoughts and experience as well. It was a big coincidence since I’m reading my first McCarthy, which is All the Pretty Horses, and so far I’m enjoying it. I started this morning, and it was indeed a big surprise that sometimes the dialogue is in Spanish; as a native Spanish speaker I couldn’t be happier, haha. 😁☺️
Thank you, Axl! And very nice coincidence :) I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying it so far. All the Pretty Horses is a solid McCarthy to start with. He actually has quite a big following of native Spanish speakers, who appreciate how much Spanish he uses in his novels. It’s one of my favourite things about McCarthy’s writing!
Upon reflection the Judge is the Modern Man, the Superman. But McCarthy is subtler than Judge Holden. His disdain for God is also to be read in opposite. McCarthy isn't a nihilist. (I have written a book where the book is about what is missing from the text.) But then again I suspect we'll get McCarthy's final thoughts on the subject in his new diptych that will be released in December. (I'm assuming you have pre-ordered it.)
Brillant. I am 86 pages in on my first read. Lots of words to look up.I am tempted to write the definitions of many of these words into my book and re read so I don't interrupt the flow. The lack of characterization is a great departure from the books I have been reading prior but I am committed.
I finally read it recently, it took a few times, I needed to mature as a person to really understand what kind of ideas/meanings Cormac McCarthy was exploring with this novel. I love the book. It's true, the utterly disturbing violence is harder to take than the complexity of his prose. The more you read the more you realize the varied meanings of the different kinds of violence throughout the story. I was able to understand and actually somewhat "enjoy" reading the novel after it all clicked together. These videos are great, I'm so glad I found this channel
What a great review! Thank you so much for sharing your rewarding reading experience :) You’re so right that Blood Meridian is a novel that benefits from lived experience. Despite the horrors detailed, the prose seems richer to me every time I return to it!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy As an American, I rank him as our greatest living writer. I love seeing how non-Americans react to his work. I'm learning so much from your channel. You convinced me to read Anna Karenina recently and I am extremely grateful. Tolstoy knows how to make you appreciate the joy of life by showing the best in humanity, McCarthy makes you appreciate the joys in life because of how unfairly brutal the world can be on the cruel and innocent alike
this is te greatamerican novel. captures the american ethos with precision. mccarthy is america's greatest living writer and one of its greatest ever. loved all his novels but esp the crossing.
McCarthy’s planes of linguistic virtuosity and visionary power are so intense, I walk away from his works on a high. Blood Meridian is a dark, evocative masterpiece. I took small breaks from much of the violence, half-day interstitials, very similar to my consumption of Bolaño’s 2666!
@@architchaudhary1285 Yes, I can imagine everything great (and bad) writer he absorbed. He mentioned reading voraciously, anything he could steal, and he was stealing a lot, according to interviews. McCarthy has been unavoidable for decades for anyone at all interested in the second half of the 20th century masters.
Loved the explanation why symbolism is so important. I also remember my grade school teacher talking about Reader Reward. Just started my 2nd read with the internet handy as there is a lot to look up. Anticipate a 3rd read. Thanks for the encouragement to this literature novice. I won't be the same (or will I?) after all this and that will be my reward. Also, can't help but think about Ukraine. Why does it have to be this way?
i read Meridian without any background info or other instruction.........so glad I found this Yt ube channel......it's been great to learn a little more about literature.....inspires me to broaden my horizons.......anyway, I was already pretty good at reading dialects and prose with unusual words so every time I saw the spanish words in the descriptions I just kind of skimmed/glossed over them and read more as a story without thinking about it too much. The ending kind of gave the impression that the "Judge" was kind of a spiritual idea as opposed to a real person to me.
The Road is one of the saddest, most touching novels I have ever read. Check out Virgo Mortenson’s reading of an excerpt on You Tube. He explains it beautifully.
He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die.
Number One Tip: do not read Harold Bloom's intro/preface. In it he delivers one of the worst spoilers ever. Yes, read Harold Bloom. Yes, read the intro/preface to Blood Meridian after reading the text itself. But do not read his preface before reading Blood Meridian.
Harold Bloom has spoiled tons of books for me... This is incredibly good advice. He will tell you the ending just one or two sentences into his reviews without warning. Lol.. It can be pretty devastating.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you. Sometimes, here in innernet land, I get so little feedback, and of what little feedback there is often much of it makes me think I'm typing in a foreign language when I think I'm typing in English, or I'm being gaslighted. Your response is one proof that I'm not insane, that Bloom really did reveal a crucial part of "Blood Meridian" that he probably shouldn't have revealed. Thanks for the warning--that he is a cereal spoiler. (Fruit Loops. Wheaties. Corn flakes. Oatmeal.)
Haven’t read McCarthy yet but I can’t wait to start. Especially now, after you compared his prose style to the bible, so I’m really curious to see how he was translated to Hebrew, because the English and Hebrew biblical prose style aren’t really comparable. For an example the “and… and…and” doesn’t sound as weird cause “and” isn’t really a word(it’s more like a single letter at a start of a word) and the verb comes before the noun. Of course there are a lot more differences, but these are the main ones.
Read this for the first time today and loved it. Finished in two days. Your comments about needing to hear the words are spot on. I read this with the audiobook and it was so much easier to follow.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Carlos has written a consistent series of 11(or 12) books about the teachings of the Mexican Indians. So start with the first book "The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" (1968), then follow chronologically. It seems to me that this is quite unusual literature with a very extraordinary effect from reading itself. It will be interesting to know your opinion about this.
Such a great video... I've tried to read Blood Meridian and not gotten through it due to its stylistic complexities, not its violence. From what I recall, there are deep echoes of Joyce in the prose - perhaps I'm wrong in that, I'm no expert - and I don't think that helped me. But this video seriously makes me want to go back and re-read, so thanks. PS. Do you have a video on 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'? a book I love and I would love to see your take and critical perspective.
You're absolutely right about the echoes of Joyce, Jack. Cormac McCarthy has actually spoken about Joyce being a good model. And a writer who is consciously indebted to Joyce is definitely going to pose some difficulties. As for The French Lieutenant's Woman, I can't say that I've read it. But I'll check it out and would be happy to let you know my thoughts :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Without knowing you personally, I can't guess how much you'll like it or not. But I think you might, as it's a great, almost encyclopaedic, post-modern take on 19th Century literature whilst telling a love story.
I just started reading it today and right away I knew this one would not be easy. These days I only read for pleasure and entertainment. Real life is stressful and harrowing enough.
Thank you, John! I appreciate that so much. And I think you're right to have that uneasy feeling. Blood Meridian, unfortunately, is incredibly relevant!
12:15 you’re actually right. I’ve read Blood Meridian years ago and I didn’t like it. It left me very confused on what was going on. But recently after listening to the audiobook version, it’s a literal masterpiece. I can picture all of the scenes vividly as if I was watching a movie in my mind. It definitely helps to listen to the audio version
I kept hearing about this "must read" book, so I am listening to it on Audiobooks (which I now do). It is haunting, chilling, disturbing. At times, treacherously slow & plodding. I've considered stopping reading, but I can't. I must go on. I live in the American west, and it causes one to think about war, blood in the earth of this Manifest Destiny we learn in school. This is a very different kind of book for me to read, and though I don't think it is "the greatest" American novel or even in my top 10, it will stay with me. I urge others to do it audio--having it read to you is very chilling &, I think, really stirs the imagination and makes it even more "visual". Anyway, it's about a 7 1/2 hour read and I'm down to the final 1 hour. Blood, gore, inhumanity, brutality, where is God, this is horrific...all. very profound
From the first page some 10 years ago, I have been engrossed by this book. I have subsequently read it at least ten times and listened to Richard Poe's perfect narration of same. It's the juxtaposition of brutality and beauty of the landscape. Mostly mc Carthy's mastery of the English language.
Perfectly put, Margaret! It's that juxtaposition of brutality and beauty that, for me, makes Blood Meridian such a disorienting experience - and yet it's a book I cannot help but return to over and over again!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you Benjamin. For years I was sure no one else read this great book but me. I find a similar beauty in his Outer Dark and certainly The Road.
Superb pointers in here plus a few close reading samples. I hadn't really considered the contextual aspects of writing traditions that permeate the prose of this text, but taking these tips, particularly the ones around post-modern variables, one is probably more mobilized to venture along with the gang. I also noticed shiny little permutations of Faulkner vs. Hemingway,, the ambiguity that is born of the simple poetical style. And of course, the massive vertebrae of Moby Dick arches across the plot line.
Watched before reading. Skipped a few parts more story related... Returning after my read.... Wow. Deep. Plain. Horrible. Simple. Complex. Beautiful. Horrifying. What is YOUR perception of Holden? Is he more than a man? An essence almost? Would love to hear your thoughts.
I'm really glad it's not just me having a hard time reading it lol. Not really because of the content (I am going so slow I haven't really gotten to anything really really bad yet), but because it's so dense. I got through The Road so easily but this is totally different.
I DNF'ed it halfway through because the lack of a plot or internal dialogue was just boring me, as beautiful as the descriptive scenic prose and violence were
When i was younger i read this, & when I finished it, I didn't know what I read! I had to read it again, immediately!; & I did. Lol. Thanks for this.👍-
Thanks for that! A nice work to read accompanying "Blood Meridian" is "The Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke" by R.M. Rilke. "And they rode on" reminded me of Rilkes "reiten, reiten, reiten" and the terrible emptiness of an unknown land before the riders, the loss of meaning or trust in that there may be something good "out there".
I read this compelling, shocking novel years ago; the hairs still stand up on the back of my neck just thinking about it now. I held on to this book, just can't let it go.
I have listened to this on Audible a number of times. The Richard Poe reading is also a work of Art. His tone and inflection helps so much with understanding the brilliant writing.
Vernen has some resembles of me and recently asked about him and said you are no longer there. Certainly we need freedom with real meaning All about Manipulation, utter greed and survival of me and my family culture. We must see the end of this torture or Shall we destroy all of us And arisen after metamorphosis. Because in my blood degrading people without any valid of any human mankind Purely because of religions And forgetting about basic. human needs Greedy leaders are leading boasting themselves as great leaders All are concern about human rights particulary in China disguising themselves as as sheep Who is in that Dummy? What sort of puppets they are ?
I just started reading this from watching these videos. I am wondering if there is something wrong with me because I really like it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m from the Southwestern US, or I’m American, or I understand history is violent and bloody.
I didn't mind the bloodshed. But the prose is just a bitch to get through. The sentences just go on and on and meander in a haze that makes it hard to understand what is actually going on minute to minute, page to page, chapter to chapter.
When I read Blood Meridian I can’t help but feel like McCarthy describes his settings and characters throughly and vaguely all at the same time. It’s as if he has left room for the reader to reason out what he is saying, with a beautiful suggestion than a hard map. What do you think?
Hi there Ive just found your channel. I'd class myself as a casual reader and a slow reader but I'm now trying to read more I have 3 books im currently reading/listening to. I'm currently reading for whom the bell tolls by Hemingway I'm really enjoying it so far it's very easy to read i like his writing style. I'm also listening to anne of green gables and dostoyevskys the idiot it would take me forever to read. You say your blind spot is Chinese literature I can highly recommend journey to the west by Wu Cheng'en published in 1592 it is regarded as one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. its a short book and its fun to read I think you will like it. I have the penguin classics edition
Thank you for watching, Gary! Hemingway's terrific. I'm so happy you're enjoying his work. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend the Ken Burns PBS documentary on Hemingway. We also have a Hardcore Literature Podcast episode (25) breaking down three of his best short stories. And thank you for the recommendation - what a coincidence! I am actually reading this at the moment. I'm loving it. I'm also enjoying Romance of the Three Kingdoms too :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy hi Benjamin wow that is a strange coincidence I'm pleased you are enjoying it its certainly not for everyone. I do need to check out the other great works ill get to them eventually . I'll try and check out the hemingway documentary and the podcast once I've read more of his works. thanks for the recommendation. He's a new discovery I like the way he writes I can read it much quicker than other works he doesn't use a lot of complex words or long descriptions. I'm enjoying the book so far I'm up to the part where the fascists are getting murdered in the square it's pretty horrific.
For my taste, the style of reading aloud demonstrated here is too British, overly dramatic. He says to slow down, but something is lost by going too slow.
This book is an intense experience. To me the violence is not off putting surrounded by the stunning beauty of the language. Thank you for introducing me to Tolstoy and his view of history and for Dostoyevsky and his views on religion and spirituality. They are my guides and support here. Thank you for introducing me to the concept of a literary Canon. All these works twine about each other, play off one another. It is like an expanding view. All because of you.
Hi, Benjamin. You might find interesting too that the tone of McCarthy in Blood Meridian, this reluctance for commas that make sentences apparently longer and quite musical, is also an imprint of Samuel Beckett's 'Company', published in the late seventies. If you read that one you'll find that they're cousins. I wonder if McCarthy read it or it is just a coincidence. Thank you for this guide, by the way. I'm following most of your advices to read this book, quite slowly. It is a wonder.
![Blood Meridian Movie Adaptation EXPLAINED [2024]](/img/n.gif)
Hey guys - If you're interested in reading Blood Meridian with a group, and making your way through the novel with a guided reading, the self-paced lecture series has started over at the book club. The conversation that has opened up is wonderful, as can be expected from McCarthy fans! Here are links to our first two lectures:
📚Title, Epigraph, & Reading Assignments: cutt.ly/qGnpViL
📚Lecture One: See the Child (Ch.1-5): cutt.ly/UGnp9IJ
Happy reading!
- Ben
I’ve been reading this book aloud to my dog in the afternoon. He has no idea of the beautifully written horrors being read to him but we are very much enjoying the process. Thanks for the tips and videos. Cheers!
You are proof that man is dog’s best friend, Jacob! You’ve inspired me to treat my skittish golden retriever to some McCarthy this evening too :)
Would’ve gone with The Crossing for obvious reasons, but hey; why not go with the slaughter fest that is Blood Meridian 😂
To each their own.
Just don’t traumatize him with the episode about the judge and the puppies he bought…
It's all fun and games until your dog starts talking back.
"Every doggie treat that exists without my knowledge, exists without my consent."
It might be time to reread it. But the first time, I was maybe a quarter of the way in when it hit me: I will be a different person when I finish this book.
A very profound realisation!
Benjamin McEvoy is a brilliant man, a real literary analyst, extremely articulate. His reading of Blood Meridian can not be matched by anyone who dares to do this on the internet. I was a professor of American literature at the University of New Mexico for 40 years. I follow what he says, but I could never have made a classroom presentation like this one. He covers all the areas, like language, symbolism, history, themes, allusions to other great works. McEvoy must be a professor/tutor at some university in Great Britain.I really appreciate his lecture here: it’s great. Thank you so much for giving this book the deep appreciation it deserves. His presentation humbles me.
Ukrainian here. You know, I started rereading Blood Meridian in the first days of invasion. This book for me is a totally different beast now, than it was couple years ago. It does read like a bible of war. I guess I immersed myself into it way to far, but I realize it’s the most important book in my life right now. I read a chapter a day. Almost like bits of dark chocolate, a little at a time.
Stay well friend.
Stay safe, Pavlo. My thoughts couldn't help but turn to the current crisis as I was discussing the theme of war and violence in this video. In a sense, it would be a blessing if one couldn't appreciate Blood Meridian. The fact that the work has become so important to you really speaks to the immense tragedy of current events. I hope you and yours are safe, my friend, and thank you for sharing this with us.
I hope that you and your loved ones stay safe, Pavlo. Ukrainian-Canadian here. Growing up in North America, in suburbs, I inhabited a world so completely alien from what is described in Blood Meridian, and from what you are experiencing now in Ukraine. The sort of "normal" that we are used to was never sustainable, in my opinion, and now our culture will have a harder time psychologically adjusting to the reality of the world than countries like Ukraine.
Miguel de Unamuno talked about the "tragic sense of life": the concept that everything you hold dear can vanish in an instant, and that deep meaning is to be found in embracing this truth. In the west, we have grown so used to peace and prosperity and all the while becoming less tolerant of normal, daily hardships. The west has very little grasp of the notion of the "tragic sense of life", which is why, I believe, that people here were more prone to raiding supermarket shelves for toilet paper when the pandemic begun.
When I read Blood Meridian, it was like a forceful awakening to the types of violence and suffering that is much closer to the average human experience throughout human history on earth. It felt like a necessary corrective, especially as it's become clear that the peace and prosperity we grew used to is not going to sustain. How else is one to get into contact with these realities without experiencing such hardships first hand? Blood Meridian has been, for me, one of the most powerful lenses for which to deeply consider the past and present of the human condition.
The book is so dense and layered and difficult to read at first, so reading it like one would eat small bits of dark chocolate is a wonderful strategy! I also highly suggest companion books like "Notes on Blood Meridian". Though hard to access initially, this depth and initial difficulty in getting used to the language makes this book so highly rewarding when I re-read it.
And like you said, Pavlov, I believe it to be the most important book in my life. It is not glorifying violence but forcing us to deeply consider what we should do with our violent tendencies. In the west, we've successfully reduced violence and suffering to a large extent. We've gone so far as to encourage neurosis in our youth. Consider how western countries have the phenomena of "safetyism" (aka "helicopter parenting" or "coddling") where parents over protect the kids from daily struggles and conflicts and stunt the child's ability to develop "distress tolerance" and resilience. A mental health crisis started around 2012-2013 and the main factors that the research have identified are the culture of safteyism and "coddling", as well as the increased use of social media (negative social comparisons, bullying). See Jean Twenge's research or the wonderful book "The Coddling of The American Mind" by J Haidt/G Lukianoff for a more in depth treatment.
I work at a kid's hospital as a mental health therapist. We've seen a huge surge in youth mental health admissions since the summer of 2020. Mainly the admissions are for suicide attempts, overdoses, eating disorders, anxiety/mood disorders and psychosis. This trend has been seen in most western countries that had long school closures, encouraged kids to isolate from their peers and so on (ie. countries with a high degree of "safteyism culture"). Interestingly, there was not a similar surge in youth mental health admissions in Nordic countries. In these countries there is a higher degree of tolerance for risk to kids and they recognized that kids were not at much risk from covid. They did not have that overwhelming sense of fear towards kids being exposed to harm that was part of why western countries adopted such harmful covid policies for kids. Ironically in the west, our fear of kids being exposed to harm exposed them to, in my opinion, even greater harms in the form of psychological suffering.
It was in Blood Meridian where I first encountered this sort of concept. The idea that violence and suffering is inherently tied to the human experience, that we ought to be less confident in our ability to fully eradicate violence. In the west, we've reduced it to such an extent but we have not accounted for our growing fear of suffering. The paradox here is that the less suffering we are exposed to, the less well we are able to accept it and deal with it when it arises (this is the concept of anti-fragility, like how our immune systems and bones become stronger through being tested and weaker through being over protected). This lowered tolerance to pain and suffering is not a big deal if we continue down a path of less and less risk and violence in our lives. However, western countries are now being exposed to increasing levels of suffering and risk and with a lowered tolerance to this risk. I believe this explains the hysteria we now see, that we had been losing contact with deep wisdom as a result of our delusion of that we would be able to indefinitely create more and more safety.
The one epigram at the start of Blood Meridian hits on this concept, the one from Paul Valery. The quote is actually from an essay by Valery in which a european diplomat travels to China and meets with a Chinese diplomat around the time of the first Sino-Japanese war (around 1894). The european diplomat remarks how Japan has been sending their young men overseas to learn western technologies, particularly those related to warfare, and then bringing the knowledge back and boosting their military might. The Chinese diplomat scoffs at the remark and launches into a diatribe comparing eastern culture to western culture and mocking the west for it's infatuation with the intellect and disconnect from history. The excerpt from this essay, which makes up the epigram, is as follows:
“You are in love with intelligence, until it frightens you. For your ideas are terrifying and your hearts are faint. Your acts of pity and cruelty are absurd, committed with no calm, as if they were irresistible. Finally, you fear blood more and more. Blood and time.” - Paul Valery
This quote always stuck with me but, like Blood Meridian, took a while to fully unpack. It seems as thought it would be different for Ukrainians as your history has not allowed your citizens to forget the "tragic sense of life" If you are interested, the link for the essay is below. It's a dense read much like Blood Meridian, but these sorts of literature are so much more rich than the types of media most people consume these days. Everything is so hyper-presentist, only aware of what happened last week, constant overload of information that makes it harder for people to have historical perspective and engage in broad, ranging discussions. For these reasons and more, Blood Meridian is a very important book. I must say, like you, Pavlo, that it is the most important book in my life.
Paul Valery - The Yalu
drive.google.com/file/d/16gud4fPsQJWkMD_JFKhya07OdEUTeSKb/view
Stay alert and stay alive. We're all hoping you and your country endure and strengthen thru all of this.
Slava Ukraini
Cormac McCarthy has said that ‘books are made out of books’, so it seems certain that he was influenced by Mexican War veteran Samuel Chamberlain’s ‘My Confession’. Among other things, it’s the story of Chamberlain’s days with the Glanton Gang and his acquaintance with the dreaded Judge Holden. Fascinating to see life so directly reflected in art.
i feel this is a pretty well known fact. it was also heavily influenced by the bible, paradise lost, and moby dick
❤
it is common knowledge that it was loosely based on My Confession
it's based on a lot of things, he spent 15 years researching for this book. shit, he learned a whole new language, spanish obviously, just for blood meridian. rumor has it he walked the exact path the fictionalized glanton gang of the book took on their apocalyptic journey, and it wouldn't surprise me if that were true given how the landscapes are so beautifully described that it almost seems impossible without firsthand experience.
RIP Cormick McCarthy. We will probably never again see the likes of this Great Visionary Author.
Such an incredibly sad loss. I feel blessed that we could experience the books whilst he was still publishing them. One of the greatest writers of our time!
I just listened to the audiobook version as narrated by Richard Poe. I highly highly recommend it to anyone who likes audiobook format. He did an amazing job of bringing everything to life.
Richard Poe is a fantastic narrator. I have such great memories of listening to his Blood Meridian narration whilst cycling in the evening. Good times :)
its superb
I've been working on this audiobook version for a while now. It is fantastic. I have the book too, but the narration makes it more digestible for me. I have the book too, but it's very difficult for me to follow. After watching this lecture I'll probably put it on my "re-read" pile.
I listened to it like 3 times before reading the book and I still barley knew what was going on lol
Absolutely agree on Richard Poe’s magnificent narration. I’ve never done this before, but I (re)read large chunks of the text, simultaneous with listening to Poe’s narration on earbuds.
I'm 85. So, I have had time to decide that there is a GOD. I know that I will find the brutality and blood will be difficult. It will be my first time to read it.
Good luck with your reading, Sue. I think you'll get a lot out of it. I'd love to hear what you make of it :)
I love this book. It's beautiful, it's poetic, and it's goddamned horrific. What a nightmare of a read. I can still "see" certain scenes in my mind even after all these years. I'm due for a second read. Currently working my way through Melville's Moby-Dick before I attempt (again) Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!- annnnnnd I love this channel. Cheers!
Reality is yet more disturbing and still it has to be coped with and its meaning discerned.
RIP Cormac McCarthy
My favoritt pass time is to smoke a joint and read this masterpiece out loud to myself
I've read this probably 15 times, listened to it probably 40 times. It's like a masterpiece album of music to me. Just love this novel. I have never ever understood why people get hung up on the violence. The beauty and essence is in the written word and McCarthy's amazing ability to paint pictures, moving pictures with nothing other than words. It's just beautiful
Wow. You must have a very intimate knowledge of the book. I agree with you it's incredibly beautiful.
I'm the same way. I've read the book maybe half a dozen times, but I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to the audiobook. I recently spent 4 weeks camping out in the American Southwest, and the Richard Poe audio was on constant repeat. It's so beautiful and so intricate and each listen only reveals some new detail which makes me want start it again.
Same here. I reread it multiple times and listen to it multiple times and never seem to tire of the nuggets of gorgeousness I find. For example, when Glanton picks up a piece of fallen leaf and, “beauty is not lost to him.”
I can say that I've read it twice and I didn't find it all that difficult cognitively, but man...the violence is absolutely unrelenting and sickening. The only other equivalent in the McCarthy canon is 'The Road.' Both say something important about the darkest elements of people. But it is absolutely beautiful and horrible at the same time.
It's really one you can read infinitely and never tire of it.
Up there with Ulysses in my opinion.
“By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp.”
I read this and sat back to contemplate the profound and intense imagery it had provoked...This line has stayed in my mind for 3 years since I read “The Road”.
To be honest I am fearful about reading “Blood Meridium”
After reading “The Road”, I viewed some UA-cam commentaries. These guys talked about, how the world got this way, are there other survivors, why did it happen? Who is the enemy?
These guys missed the point entirely..
It was about one doomed man's desperate attempt to preserve the life of his son. He confessed to himself, if it weren't for the boy he would lay down and die but as long as the boy was alive, he couldn't.
I had never read a book in one sitting before.
Thank you, Benjamin, your commentaries are brilliant.
I savored the book, I read it slowly over a month's time. I found some similarities to Steinbeck's (The Grapes of Wrath) including the Bible and Moby Dick as you mentioned. Thank you Benjamin I enjoy your narratives very much.
Thank you for the video. Very helpful. I am halfway through reading Blood Meridian for the first time. What helped me to crack the book was pairing it with audiobook. The narrator makes it easier to understand the different voices. That is your point, reading it aloud or listening it being read.
However, I think that listening audiobook is passive and different than traditional reading. But this time I will get myself acquainted with the book and reread on paper to deepen the understanding. I chose the Kindle edition because of the dictionary feature.
Also, have you read Books Are Made Out of Books by Michael Lynn Crews? It is about McCarthy’s literary influences. I enjoy reading it alongside Blood Meridian.
Those are really great tips! For one of my readings, I listened to the Richard Poe audiobook whilst listening simultaneously. Incredible experience. Using the dictionary feature on the kindle is inspired! I would definitely encourage readers to be liberal with how much they look up. I haven’t read Books Are Made Out Of Books, but it sounds like a fantastic recommendation - thank you very much, I’ll check it out!
I read about 300 pages of BM, in French (I'm from Belgium) and it's incredibly hard to read and understand what's going on (especially the geography for me) but it's so well written and hypnotising that I could not stop myself to read it. It's an unusual way of writing to me, but at the same time it's so addictive. Your video help me a lot! I bought the road and no country for old men, can't wait to start those too.
That's so cool. Is the French translation brutally beautiful too? I'd love to check it out myself. I've found a paperback edition online of Méridien de sang, ou Le rougeolement du soir dans l'Ouest :) I hope you enjoy The Road and No Country for Old Men - in many ways much easier to break into, and both brilliant in their own right!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Totally! However, I have the impression that french tends to make things less brutal and raw than english. It's not a translation issue, because the book was translated by François Hirsch (who was a brilliant and famous french translator) it's more like a difference in the musicality of the languages! It's not really a huge difference and I can enjoy this masterpiece with no problems! The violence is here, the stunning descriptions of scenery is here and the complex portrait of each character is great! I will finish BM and then read many of the recommandations you've made and re-read BM again, I have the feeling that this book will bring me so much knowledges and fun! Thank you again for this video, new subscriber here!
So true. Many say they cant finish it.
I'm so grateful I stumbled into this video. You pushed me to reread the book - which I binged the first time - slow and aloud and I'm getting so much more. Now I long for a discussion from you on both judge Holden and Anton Chigurh :)
Just finished listening to Blood Meridian for the third time. I had been searching for this novel in a audio format for nearly 35 years so when it appeared on You Tube it made my year. I most highly recommend this version of the book to all your listeners. I enjoy all your video's Ben and i wonder if you would rank this masterpiece in your own top 100....Cheers
I indeed started reading the book years ago and at some point got distracted. The violence didn't deter me. But due to the fact that McCarthy is essentially recreating a Western book from the 19th Century it requires real concentration. (I have read many of the kinds of books he is referencing.) But alas something in my life came up; thus I never finished it. So this year I started again, but I changed tactics. I have a room to completely remodel, a lot of repetitious removing of wallpaper etc. So I found through UA-cam the entire audio version of the book, which is very well read, and thus I accomplished the blasted journey across the Blood Meridian. And I must say there were moments that absolutely stunned me in description and American Gothic beauty and terror. And I found, much like listening to Shakespeare, listening to the whole book really made it come alive, and the distraction factor was zero. And when done with a chapter I would run over to the text and savor it again. For instance crossing the wasteland in chapter 4, which I had read before. This time I felt I was in a fever dream. Thanks for tackling this masterpiece.
By the way I have an old 78 rpm album of selections Moby Dick as read by Charles Laughton. A great actor can do wonders with a great book.
I looked into that moby dick performance. Lots of high praise. Will check out.
Love your videos. Is cormac McCarthy hard to read for a non-english speaker?
Thank you! :) I think he can be hard to read even for native speakers. But it depends on the book. 'The Road' is much easier to read than 'Blood Meridian'.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy oh god thanks so much for replying. You don't know how much i love you!!❤️
7:10 I’ve only read ‘Blood Meridian’, ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and I’m currently reading ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. But can someone explain how there is any “Hemingway tradition” in ‘Blood Meridian’?
On the influence of the King James Bible and polysyndaton - Biblical Hebrew has no punctuation: the Hebrew "AND" signals the beginning of a sentence as a period signals the end of a sentence in modern European languages. The translator of the King James' Bible, may well have been carrying this linguistic feature of Biblical Hebrew over into the English text.
One of my favorite books. I read it straight through the first time I picked it up. Yes, it's often gruesome, but McCarthy's such a fantastic author. This book is such a beautiful and mesmerizing read wrapped in deceptively simple language that is sheer magnificence itself. BTW I copied out some of his prose from this book as well as some from Moby Dick (and others)-- I discovered there are quite a few easy comparisons to be made here. In fact I contend that if you take out most of the punctuation of the language Melville uses, what often remains is a voice very close to McCarthy's-- or the other way around.
I must reread this I saw the and, and, and obviously-- you can't miss it, but I didn't attribute it to the KJV. I've got my homework cut out for me.
So, you really think that the Judge is even more evil than Iago? Yes, I suppose the Judge is more prolific in many ways, but I've (for whatever reason) always thought of Iago atop the all time larger than life heap of evil.
Thank you for this.
The only problem I have with Blood Meridian, is what to read next. How does one follow that? Wow. Fantastic read.
Judge Holden is the scariest villain ever if you don't count the "temperamental God of the Old Testament"---ouch, hilarious! 😂
I read it several years ago I went into blind and powered through it in a few days and it gnawed at my brain for a long time so I reread it after a year or so much slower and deliberately translating Spanish looking up words and jotting definitions in the margins stoping to contemplate and got much more out of it. I just went through it for a third time but this time i listened to the audio book and it was and used my book as reference it was by far the a better experience the language is definitely meant to be spoken not read.
It was my third crack before I could finish Blood Meridian. My biggest gripe the first two attempts was the dialogue without quotations. It just drove me nuts. For some reason I decided to give a third go after finding a copy at a secondhand shot (I have purchased the book three times). Had it packed for a trip to Montana two days before McCarthy died. Not sure if his passing softened my bias or simply the third time being the charm.
It's really not worth the effort, a painful tiresome experience with no real reward at the end. Do yourself a favour and read ' No Country For Old Men '.
Without a doubt the best American novel of the past 50 years. I read it in high school and it completely overwhelmed me.
Completely agree with you :)
David Foster Wallace's review: "Don't even ask." The highest of praise from another great author.
One more comment,then I'll try an zip it. Gotta offer up some gratitude! This is the best discussion of BM I've found. Thanks for a very good (and zero arrogance and "this is what McCarthy means" baloney that so many tend to pedal in their self-aggrandizing attempts.) Really appreciate your deeply studied, informed, and humble introductions for so many into the universe of The Redness
Thank you, my friend! I truly appreciate that so much. Blood Meridian is a very special book to me, so I'm thrilled that other lovers of McCarthy like yourself enjoyed the discussion :)
'They rode on...' (McCarthy) 'And so it goes...' (Vonnegut)
Honestly, I think depictions of violence in visual media hit much harder and are more disturbing on a visceral level. So if you've weathered visual depictions of violence in media, even mild visual depictions you should be alright. I didn't find the novel that unsettling, in the sense of the depictionsof violencealthough I am a violence-desensitized millenial. What unsettled me is when you dig underneath, what the novel is saying about evil, the nature of evil and its place in the world. Blood Meridian brought me to reading Moby Dick (Cormac's favorite novel) which is where I've been for a while now as I've found it to be a challenge, but a rewarding one. I've also read some of McCarthy's other works. No Country, The Road, Outer Dark, All The Pretty Horses. I also discovered Flannery O'Connor through McCarthy (southern gothic) so I recently bought her Complete Stories. Next up is Suttree, then probably re-read All The Pretty Horses before the other two Border Trilogy novels. McCarthy is my favorite novelist so far, and in my opinion the best living America writer although I haven't read Delilo or Pynchon. I also recently learned about Norman Mailer and I think I moght want to look into him, and Philip Roth, Delilo, Pynchon... This is a great channel that I really enjoy & appreciate, keep it up. Thank you.
I'm with you on that. I think if one is able to stomach a Tarantino film, McCarthy's Blood Meridian should be readable. This does remind me, however, of when I saw Inglorious in the cinema (the day it came out) - that scalping scene... Multiple people got up from their seats and made a rush towards the exit. One of them didn't make it, and fainted in the aisle. I agree with the unsettling thing being on what the novel is saying about evil - there's a huge, important, and unnerving discussion to be had around that. It sounds like your reading is going really well. I love that McCarthy brought you not only to Moby Dick but to the Southern Gothic writers like Flannery O'Connor too. And thank you for the kind words, my friend, I appreciate them :)
I have so far read the wonderful “The Road” and have the Picador edition of “Blood Meridian” (bought very cheaply in the Fopp shop in Cambridge) to read when I have finished some prior bought books. I always find your videos inspiring. Have you not thought of returning to Oriel or similar other institution, to teach English and engage in research? Alternatively, you could offer to coach prospective University students of English Literature.
I've read it at least 5 times. As a fan of McCarthy, Western writing storyrelling, and having grown up in the West living, the life and learning the history... Blood Meridian takes first prize.
Nice one, Michael. I'll bet with your background Blood Meridian really hits on a deep level!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Yes. The effort he takes to get it perfect is phenomenal. In all his works. The description of the trucks in No Country. The horse and human bond in the border trilogy. The verbiage. My life was unique for a 70s teenager. I really was lucky. I experienced the true last of some things western. When an author or filmmaker gets it right ? Gold. So many don't. A filmmaker said once, Deadwood series perhaps, the audience appreciates attention to detail and authenticity, even if they don't realize it.
RIP one of the all time American greats
It is a difficult read, but I was engrossed immediately. Probably due to my love for Dostoyevsky. The part where the hermit explains the human heart in his shack is so chilling, evocative of human evil and non apologetic.
Fantastic video. I’m about to start my third read through of BM, and you’ve convinced me to take a much slower approach. Thank you for not only the content and analysis, but your practical reading advice. I look forward to watching more of your videos.
All The Pretty Horses was my favorite. I’m looking forward to reviewing Blood Meridian in the book club as I started it but put it down. Awesome video. Benjamin you are the absolute best. I watch for your new posts daily.
I love All The Pretty Horses! And I’m thrilled to hear you’ll be reviewing Blood Meridian with us, Kandy. Thank you for your kind words - I really appreciate them :)
The part in the book about the two babies being swung down against each other like a pair of clackers still haunts me.
Benjamin, I just want to thank you for this channel. I'm an American who spent far too many years avoiding much of the great literature, and I now find myself with an urgent need to dive in. You are an inspiration. I also have a son wanting to be a writer and preparing to return to college as a lit major. I'll be doing my best to get him hooked on you as well. I've loved what I've read of McCarthy, The Road and The Border Trilogy. After watching this, I'm going to give BM a try. Thank you again and keep the videos coming!
Ben,,,, again thanks so much for this Mccarthy podcast,,, thats a brilliant philosophical statement about censoring real violence but glorifying the "make-believe ❤
Thank you so much, Andrew!! I really appreciate that, my friend! ☺️
I want to voice an alternate opinion on how to read Blood Meridian for the first time - don't try to understand it.
Instead, feel it. Feel in yourself what emotions are at play, and then give yourself over to those emotions. Beginning to feel depressed? Disgusted? Sink into that black well willingly. Be uncomfortable. Surround yourself in the despair. Push through. Read on. Sip whisky or wine, read in a dream-like haze, get drunk, keep pushing through the dark. You will emerge on the other side, at some point, reborn.
Only then go back and read Blood Meridian slowly. Only then sit with a dictionary at your side. Only then search for meaning. And let that meaning - if there's any to be found - be your own, and let your feelings of the first reading influence that meaning, that conclusion, let it be as bias as possible.
And then read Suttre. It's the better novel in my opinion.
I've given a copy of this book to just about every person I ever really loved.
I dont think any of them have actually read it.
I've read this book over a hundred times,and I'm still hoping that someday I'll find someone to share it with.
Wow. I've bought and gifted this book many times over too, and recommended so many to read it. Some will resist reading it, but I will keep reminding them ;)
I would read it contemplatively and with relish. However I must get it myself.. I know no one any longer
@@Edelwiess1066 high on a rocky ledge?
@@whitekony1006 Yes.
the book can settle in your head and refuse to leave. I have read the book several times. Currently listening on Audible, it's a very different experience having it read to you. The voice actor is superb. Give this book as a gift, blow some minds
Superb video Benjamin! It is always a pleasure to watch such videos and that you can share your thoughts and experience as well.
It was a big coincidence since I’m reading my first McCarthy, which is All the Pretty Horses, and so far I’m enjoying it. I started this morning, and it was indeed a big surprise that sometimes the dialogue is in Spanish; as a native Spanish speaker I couldn’t be happier, haha. 😁☺️
Thank you, Axl! And very nice coincidence :) I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying it so far. All the Pretty Horses is a solid McCarthy to start with. He actually has quite a big following of native Spanish speakers, who appreciate how much Spanish he uses in his novels. It’s one of my favourite things about McCarthy’s writing!
I think it’s wonderfully brutal and beautiful
Symbols are the language of the subconscious.
great great great book! like Moby Dick one must read this masterpiece out loud for full experience. Takes time but so worth it!
I completely agree :) I've been reading Blood Meridian aloud consistently for years now, and it never fails to impress me.
Upon reflection the Judge is the Modern Man, the Superman. But McCarthy is subtler than Judge Holden. His disdain for God is also to be read in opposite. McCarthy isn't a nihilist.
(I have written a book where the book is about what is missing from the text.)
But then again I suspect we'll get McCarthy's final thoughts on the subject in his new diptych that will be released in December. (I'm assuming you have pre-ordered it.)
Judge Holden reminded me of both Conrad’s Kurtz and Milton’s Lucifer. He shines and is hairless.
That's a powerful insight! He absolutely has both of them in him!
Brillant. I am 86 pages in on my first read. Lots of words to look up.I am tempted to write the definitions of many of these words into my book and re read so I don't interrupt the flow. The lack of characterization is a great departure from the books I have been reading prior but I am committed.
Nice one, Philip! Your reading sounds very strong to me. I'd love to hear what you make of it once you get to the end :)
I finally read it recently, it took a few times, I needed to mature as a person to really understand what kind of ideas/meanings Cormac McCarthy was exploring with this novel. I love the book. It's true, the utterly disturbing violence is harder to take than the complexity of his prose. The more you read the more you realize the varied meanings of the different kinds of violence throughout the story. I was able to understand and actually somewhat "enjoy" reading the novel after it all clicked together.
These videos are great, I'm so glad I found this channel
What a great review! Thank you so much for sharing your rewarding reading experience :) You’re so right that Blood Meridian is a novel that benefits from lived experience. Despite the horrors detailed, the prose seems richer to me every time I return to it!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy As an American, I rank him as our greatest living writer. I love seeing how non-Americans react to his work. I'm learning so much from your channel. You convinced me to read Anna Karenina recently and I am extremely grateful. Tolstoy knows how to make you appreciate the joy of life by showing the best in humanity, McCarthy makes you appreciate the joys in life because of how unfairly brutal the world can be on the cruel and innocent alike
Literally just started reading it yesterday, perfect time for this video to pop up on my feed. Thank you!
Nice one, Steve! I'd love to know what you make of it!
this is te greatamerican novel. captures the american ethos with precision. mccarthy is america's greatest living writer and one of its greatest ever. loved all his novels but esp the crossing.
I completely agree with you!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy an excellent reading by the way. love your channel. phuket
Wake up babe, Benjamin Mcevoy just dropped another amazing video
Haha ☺️ thank you, Collin :)
McCarthy’s planes of linguistic virtuosity and visionary power are so intense, I walk away from his works on a high. Blood Meridian is a dark, evocative masterpiece. I took small breaks from much of the violence, half-day interstitials, very similar to my consumption of Bolaño’s 2666!
RB was influenced by CM. Amalfitano feels like a homage to Holden, and he put him in his small list of American writers he admires.
@@architchaudhary1285 Yes, I can imagine everything great (and bad) writer he absorbed. He mentioned reading voraciously, anything he could steal, and he was stealing a lot, according to interviews. McCarthy has been unavoidable for decades for anyone at all interested in the second half of the 20th century masters.
I’ll have to revisit BM. I absolutely hated it the first time through. I found there was no character to root for or get behind.
I completely relate to that!
Loved the explanation why symbolism is so important. I also remember my grade school teacher talking about Reader Reward. Just started my 2nd read with the internet handy as there is a lot to look up. Anticipate a 3rd read. Thanks for the encouragement to this literature novice. I won't be the same (or will I?) after all this and that will be my reward. Also, can't help but think about Ukraine. Why does it have to be this way?
Such an insightful and extensive analysis! Thanks for the video. I'll definitely check out your other work!
i read Meridian without any background info or other instruction.........so glad I found this Yt ube channel......it's been great to learn a little more about literature.....inspires me to broaden my horizons.......anyway, I was already pretty good at reading dialects and prose with unusual words so every time I saw the spanish words in the descriptions I just kind of skimmed/glossed over them and read more as a story without thinking about it too much. The ending kind of gave the impression that the "Judge" was kind of a spiritual idea as opposed to a real person to me.
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're here too, my friend :) I love your interpretation of Judge Holden! That's a powerful reading right there!
If you like beautiful copies of books the folio edition of this is amazing. It even contains illustrations unique to the edition.
Cormac McCarthys writing is brilliant and frightening. I had nightmares for a week after reading The Road.
The Road is one of the saddest, most touching novels I have ever read. Check out Virgo Mortenson’s reading of an excerpt on You Tube. He explains it beautifully.
Tell me about it, Stevie!
The audio book ready by Richard Poe it's much better than reading the book. It is overwhelming .
Richard Poe's narration is sublime!
@BenjaminMcEvoy Indeed. Isn't it wonderful to hear Richard Read blood meridian
.He says that he will never die.
He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die.
Number One Tip: do not read Harold Bloom's intro/preface. In it he delivers one of the worst spoilers ever.
Yes, read Harold Bloom. Yes, read the intro/preface to Blood Meridian after reading the text itself. But do not read his preface before reading Blood Meridian.
Harold Bloom has spoiled tons of books for me... This is incredibly good advice. He will tell you the ending just one or two sentences into his reviews without warning. Lol.. It can be pretty devastating.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you. Sometimes, here in innernet land, I get so little feedback, and of what little feedback there is often much of it makes me think I'm typing in a foreign language when I think I'm typing in English, or I'm being gaslighted. Your response is one proof that I'm not insane, that Bloom really did reveal a crucial part of "Blood Meridian" that he probably shouldn't have revealed. Thanks for the warning--that he is a cereal spoiler.
(Fruit Loops. Wheaties. Corn flakes. Oatmeal.)
Haven’t read McCarthy yet but I can’t wait to start. Especially now, after you compared his prose style to the bible, so I’m really curious to see how he was translated to Hebrew, because the English and Hebrew biblical prose style aren’t really comparable.
For an example the “and… and…and” doesn’t sound as weird cause “and” isn’t really a word(it’s more like a single letter at a start of a word) and the verb comes before the noun. Of course there are a lot more differences, but these are the main ones.
That's so cool. Please do let me know what the Hebrew translation is like. I'm fascinated :)
Read this for the first time today and loved it. Finished in two days. Your comments about needing to hear the words are spot on. I read this with the audiobook and it was so much easier to follow.
Benjamin, have you read Carlos Castaneda's books? What do you think about it? How Do you rate his works?
I haven't, but certainly looks up my street! I would love to pick some of his works up. Where would you recommend me to start?
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Carlos has written a consistent series of 11(or 12) books about the teachings of the Mexican Indians. So start with the first book "The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" (1968), then follow chronologically. It seems to me that this is quite unusual literature with a very extraordinary effect from reading itself. It will be interesting to know your opinion about this.
Such a great video... I've tried to read Blood Meridian and not gotten through it due to its stylistic complexities, not its violence. From what I recall, there are deep echoes of Joyce in the prose - perhaps I'm wrong in that, I'm no expert - and I don't think that helped me. But this video seriously makes me want to go back and re-read, so thanks.
PS. Do you have a video on 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'? a book I love and I would love to see your take and critical perspective.
You're absolutely right about the echoes of Joyce, Jack. Cormac McCarthy has actually spoken about Joyce being a good model. And a writer who is consciously indebted to Joyce is definitely going to pose some difficulties. As for The French Lieutenant's Woman, I can't say that I've read it. But I'll check it out and would be happy to let you know my thoughts :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Without knowing you personally, I can't guess how much you'll like it or not. But I think you might, as it's a great, almost encyclopaedic, post-modern take on 19th Century literature whilst telling a love story.
I just started reading it today and right away I knew this one would not be easy.
These days I only read for pleasure and entertainment.
Real life is stressful and harrowing enough.
Benjamin, Your intense and illuminating introduction to Blood Meridian gives me an uneasy feeling of what is happening in the world today...
Thank you, John! I appreciate that so much. And I think you're right to have that uneasy feeling. Blood Meridian, unfortunately, is incredibly relevant!
I'm 50 pages into this book but after watching this I'm starting it over and taking it more slowly
I hate this book. I am over 50% through and want to quit. Hopefully this video can change my mind...
I just finished reading it. A fantastic experience and did read most of it aloud. The ending is unusual, jarring. I have my theories on it.
12:15 you’re actually right. I’ve read Blood Meridian years ago and I didn’t like it. It left me very confused on what was going on.
But recently after listening to the audiobook version, it’s a literal masterpiece. I can picture all of the scenes vividly as if I was watching a movie in my mind. It definitely helps to listen to the audio version
I kept hearing about this "must read" book, so I am listening to it on Audiobooks (which I now do). It is haunting, chilling, disturbing. At times, treacherously slow & plodding. I've considered stopping reading, but I can't. I must go on. I live in the American west, and it causes one to think about war, blood in the earth of this Manifest Destiny we learn in school. This is a very different kind of book for me to read, and though I don't think it is "the greatest" American novel or even in my top 10, it will stay with me. I urge others to do it audio--having it read to you is very chilling &, I think, really stirs the imagination and makes it even more "visual". Anyway, it's about a 7 1/2 hour read and I'm down to the final 1 hour. Blood, gore, inhumanity, brutality, where is God, this is horrific...all. very profound
From the first page some 10 years ago, I have been engrossed by this book. I have subsequently read it at least ten times and listened to Richard Poe's perfect narration of same. It's the juxtaposition of brutality and beauty of the landscape. Mostly mc Carthy's mastery of the English language.
Perfectly put, Margaret! It's that juxtaposition of brutality and beauty that, for me, makes Blood Meridian such a disorienting experience - and yet it's a book I cannot help but return to over and over again!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you Benjamin. For years I was sure no one else read this great book but me. I find a similar beauty in his Outer Dark and certainly The Road.
Superb pointers in here plus a few close reading samples. I hadn't really considered the contextual aspects of writing traditions that permeate the prose of this text, but taking these tips, particularly the ones around post-modern variables, one is probably more mobilized to venture along with the gang. I also noticed shiny little permutations of Faulkner vs. Hemingway,, the ambiguity that is born of the simple poetical style. And of course, the massive vertebrae of Moby Dick arches across the plot line.
Watched before reading. Skipped a few parts more story related...
Returning after my read....
Wow.
Deep. Plain. Horrible. Simple. Complex.
Beautiful. Horrifying.
What is YOUR perception of Holden? Is he more than a man? An essence almost? Would love to hear your thoughts.
I'm really glad it's not just me having a hard time reading it lol. Not really because of the content (I am going so slow I haven't really gotten to anything really really bad yet), but because it's so dense. I got through The Road so easily but this is totally different.
I DNF'ed it halfway through because the lack of a plot or internal dialogue was just boring me, as beautiful as the descriptive scenic prose and violence were
When i was younger i read this, & when I finished it, I didn't know what I read! I had to read it again, immediately!; & I did. Lol. Thanks for this.👍-
Thanks for that!
A nice work to read accompanying "Blood Meridian" is "The Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke" by R.M. Rilke. "And they rode on" reminded me of Rilkes "reiten, reiten, reiten" and the terrible emptiness of an unknown land before the riders, the loss of meaning or trust in that there may be something good "out there".
I read this compelling, shocking novel years ago; the hairs still stand up on the back of my neck just thinking about it now. I held on to this book, just can't let it go.
I have listened to this on Audible a number of times. The Richard Poe reading is also a work of Art. His tone and inflection helps so much with understanding the brilliant writing.
This is helpful, insightful, and a joy to listen to. Thanks!
Vernen has some resembles
of me and recently asked
about him and said you are no longer there.
Certainly we need freedom
with real meaning All about
Manipulation, utter greed and survival of me and my
family culture. We must
see the end of this torture or
Shall we destroy all of us
And arisen after metamorphosis.
Because in my blood
degrading people without
any valid of any human
mankind
Purely because of religions
And forgetting about basic.
human needs
Greedy leaders are leading
boasting themselves as
great leaders All are concern
about human rights particulary in China
disguising themselves as
as sheep Who is in that
Dummy?
What sort of puppets they are ?
The audiobook is a great listen
Completely agree! The audiobook got me through some long cardio sessions!
I adore this book... if adore is the right word. It's deeper than I could ever understand, but I certainly like trying to grasp it.
I adore it too - it's one of the most sublime things I've read! Endlessly rereadable!
I just started reading this from watching these videos. I am wondering if there is something wrong with me because I really like it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m from the Southwestern US, or I’m American, or I understand history is violent and bloody.
I'm happy I found this channel.
I'm happy you found this channel too, Mark :) Thank you for being here!
Are you familiar with Randall Flagg from various King novels? He’s Kings ultimate, faceless and eternal embodiment of evil.
I didn't mind the bloodshed. But the prose is just a bitch to get through. The sentences just go on and on and meander in a haze that makes it hard to understand what is actually going on minute to minute, page to page, chapter to chapter.
Have you read Suttree? I'd love to see you do a video like this of that book.
I have :) Phenomenal work. I'd definitely be keen to discuss Suttree at length in the future!
Constructing long words is how Swedish is written, I would argue more than in German :)
When I read Blood Meridian I can’t help but feel like McCarthy describes his settings and characters throughly and vaguely all at the same time. It’s as if he has left room for the reader to reason out what he is saying, with a beautiful suggestion than a hard map. What do you think?
Hi there Ive just found your channel. I'd class myself as a casual reader and a slow reader but I'm now trying to read more I have 3 books im currently reading/listening to. I'm currently reading for whom the bell tolls by Hemingway I'm really enjoying it so far it's very easy to read i like his writing style. I'm also listening to anne of green gables and dostoyevskys the idiot it would take me forever to read. You say your blind spot is Chinese literature I can highly recommend journey to the west by Wu Cheng'en published in 1592 it is regarded as one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. its a short book and its fun to read I think you will like it. I have the penguin classics edition
Thank you for watching, Gary! Hemingway's terrific. I'm so happy you're enjoying his work. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend the Ken Burns PBS documentary on Hemingway. We also have a Hardcore Literature Podcast episode (25) breaking down three of his best short stories. And thank you for the recommendation - what a coincidence! I am actually reading this at the moment. I'm loving it. I'm also enjoying Romance of the Three Kingdoms too :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy hi Benjamin wow that is a strange coincidence I'm pleased you are enjoying it its certainly not for everyone. I do need to check out the other great works ill get to them eventually . I'll try and check out the hemingway documentary and the podcast once I've read more of his works. thanks for the recommendation. He's a new discovery I like the way he writes I can read it much quicker than other works he doesn't use a lot of complex words or long descriptions. I'm enjoying the book so far I'm up to the part where the fascists are getting murdered in the square it's pretty horrific.
For my taste, the style of reading aloud demonstrated here is too British, overly dramatic. He says to slow down, but something is lost by going too slow.
This book is an intense experience. To me the violence is not off putting surrounded by the stunning beauty of the language.
Thank you for introducing me to Tolstoy and his view of history and for Dostoyevsky and his views on religion and spirituality. They are my guides and support here.
Thank you for introducing me to the concept of a literary Canon. All these works twine about each other, play off one another. It is like an expanding view. All because of you.
Hi, Benjamin. You might find interesting too that the tone of McCarthy in Blood Meridian, this reluctance for commas that make sentences apparently longer and quite musical, is also an imprint of Samuel Beckett's 'Company', published in the late seventies. If you read that one you'll find that they're cousins. I wonder if McCarthy read it or it is just a coincidence. Thank you for this guide, by the way. I'm following most of your advices to read this book, quite slowly. It is a wonder.