Blood meridian is the only book ive ever read twice. Ill read it again in a few years. What got me was the judge was probably right. Might makes right, what young man would have it sny other way.
I really appreciate your book review. I was hesitant to read this because I thought that I would not understand the deeper symbols, but your advice about letting it be a slow process has encouraged me to pick up the book.
Thanks for the comment! Enjoy the book and know it is alright if you don't pick up everything the first time through! I'm sure I missed a lot even on the second read.
Great review, hombre. Concise and insightful. I first read it 2005 and my only memory is the incredible violence peppered throughout the story, I now need to re-read it. Thanks for the inspiration. Good job.
Harold Bloom says the people at the conclusion of Blood Meridian are lead by a Promethean character, another challenger to the rule of the Judge. The leader is trying to get the spark that God put in the stones, like Promethius.
I’ve listened to it many many many times on UA-cam. But you’ve not only gotta read it, you have to STUDY it. You’re not going to know many of the words and trying to really grasp who and what the characters are is a massive (wonderful) challenge.
Trouble is: who needs to be told that humans are capable of unspeakable violence and brutality? Who needs to be told that there seems to be some eternal force of evil, or whatever you want to call it? It's hardly news. Wonderful writing, though.
It’s a rich backdrop to contrast against the multiple truly good actions/characters in the story. Maybe your point would hold more water if the book was purely depicting senseless evil. Instead we see light peppered throughout a dark world. The Mennonite: “Meanness can be found in the least of creatures” - this goes both ways and the book is always hinting at it. Why does the kid outright refuse to leave behind any of his companions? After the ferry incident, why would a cretin like Toadvine refuse to leave the kid? He was deadweight with that arrow in his thigh, the kid even knows it and urges him to go on without him. Most significantly, when does the narrator begin referring to the kid as the man? Immediately following what I would call the spiritual climax of the story. He comes across the eldress in the rocks, and he tells her shell of a corpse that he cannot leave her there to die. A far cry from the young degenerate we follow through most the book.
@@Frogfragger100 Well, that's a thoughtful and insightful take. I don't want to argue about it; just to acknowledge that I've read and considered it, since you went through the trouble of articulating it. Cheers.
So...I think that the Judge eats the man. The Kid/Man may embody the opposite of the Judge as the archetype for the dualistic good. The Judhe consumes all. Everything that is understood or not understood must be under his authority, and thus to understand the nature of the Man, he must embody him and does so in a literal sense
The scale of this novel was huge. Every page and word mean something. I dont think i will ever read something like this again
Yeah I doubt it as well. It had reverence like high you get from it, that is hard to get in any form of art other than music.
Blood meridian is the only book ive ever read twice. Ill read it again in a few years.
What got me was the judge was probably right. Might makes right, what young man would have it sny other way.
One of the few books I've read twice too. I'll read for a third time at some point.
I haven't read it in years, but as an early holiday gift to myself, I just ordered the hardback, set to reread.
That's a great gift! Enjoy!
I really appreciate your book review. I was hesitant to read this because I thought that I would not understand the deeper symbols, but your advice about letting it be a slow process has encouraged me to pick up the book.
Thanks for the comment! Enjoy the book and know it is alright if you don't pick up everything the first time through! I'm sure I missed a lot even on the second read.
Great review, hombre. Concise and insightful. I first read it 2005 and my only memory is the incredible violence peppered throughout the story, I now need to re-read it. Thanks for the inspiration. Good job.
Thanks for the comment! That’s what I remembered from the first time around too. Definitely worth multiple reads. Enjoy!
Harold Bloom says the people at the conclusion of Blood Meridian are lead by a Promethean character, another challenger to the rule of the Judge.
The leader is trying to get the spark that God put in the stones, like Promethius.
That is interesting. I need to read Bloom's take on the book. Read a lot of theory's online but none like that.
I’ve listened to it many many many times on UA-cam. But you’ve not only gotta read it, you have to STUDY it. You’re not going to know many of the words and trying to really grasp who and what the characters are is a massive (wonderful) challenge.
I agree. It is a novel to be studied, devoured, and analyzed.
Trouble is: who needs to be told that humans are capable of unspeakable violence and brutality? Who needs to be told that there seems to be some eternal force of evil, or whatever you want to call it? It's hardly news. Wonderful writing, though.
I'm not sure... but we keep retelling stories of brutality and violence. Might as well read this one too I guess.
It’s a rich backdrop to contrast against the multiple truly good actions/characters in the story. Maybe your point would hold more water if the book was purely depicting senseless evil. Instead we see light peppered throughout a dark world. The Mennonite: “Meanness can be found in the least of creatures” - this goes both ways and the book is always hinting at it. Why does the kid outright refuse to leave behind any of his companions? After the ferry incident, why would a cretin like Toadvine refuse to leave the kid? He was deadweight with that arrow in his thigh, the kid even knows it and urges him to go on without him. Most significantly, when does the narrator begin referring to the kid as the man? Immediately following what I would call the spiritual climax of the story. He comes across the eldress in the rocks, and he tells her shell of a corpse that he cannot leave her there to die. A far cry from the young degenerate we follow through most the book.
@@Frogfragger100 Well, that's a thoughtful and insightful take. I don't want to argue about it; just to acknowledge that I've read and considered it, since you went through the trouble of articulating it. Cheers.
@@hilariousname6826 speakin’ my language 🙏 cheers to you also
So...I think that the Judge eats the man. The Kid/Man may embody the opposite of the Judge as the archetype for the dualistic good. The Judhe consumes all. Everything that is understood or not understood must be under his authority, and thus to understand the nature of the Man, he must embody him and does so in a literal sense
I just imagined the Judge going right for the face like Hannibal.
Astha chodho