Rdrama Bookclub Discussion Thread #17 . Blood Meridian General Discussion

In Chapter 11, the Judge told about the harness-maker who murdered the traveler. At the end, he says that there is a rider to the tale, for the traveler had a wife, pregnant with his son. This son is the true victim of the story. "All his life he carries before him the idol of a perfection to which he can never attain. The father dead has euchred the son out of his patrimony. For it is the death of the father to which the son is entitled and to which he is heir, more so than his goods. He will not hear of the small mean ways that tempered the man in life. He will not see him struggling in follies of his own devising. No. The world which he in inherits bears him false witness. He is broken before a frozen god and he will never find his way." This is fascinating to me. The idea that, as a man, watching your father fail, make mistakes, grow old, and die is paramount to a man's psychological development. I believe it.

This book comes up a lot on here, and I get it. I read it, then read No Country for Old Men as a chaser, then reread it right after. The first time I honestly could not tell what was going on, I had no background knowledge on the book besides "Cormac McCarthy's best prose" so I didn't even know for sure when it took place. I had no idea of the general plot points even as I was reading it, I didn't know why they were walking through the deserts and scalping Mexicans, and getting paid by Mexicans for it... I had to reread certain passages again and again just to figure out what was going on. Still, very much enjoyed it the entire time, especially the entire end once they established the ferry. My favourite part was probably when the kid stayed behind to put down the injured men and got separated in the snow, and ended up being saved by the burning tree with the wildlife around him. Just imagining that sequence now gives me frisson. I also loved the story of how the gang met the judge and recommend it to people as a stand-alone short story.

My second read through was a lot more rewarding I felt because I had a better sense of the general beats of the plot, and a sense of who the characters were as they were introduced (lol Toadvine. Also remember when the judge captured Black Jackson after running away and led him back to the camp naked? What happened there, r*pe?)

The prose is undeniably incredible, and I find his writing style (grammar and syntax specifically) really engaging and fitting for the story. Obviously there are some very disturbing depictions of violence, but I agree with the common take of it being necessary for the story. It never seems gratuitous. It content and grammar makes it a tough book to recommend though, I always feel like I have to give disclaimers when I talk about the book.

I've really enjoyed discussions (reading, I unfortunately haven't been able to participate in any since no one I know irl has read it...) about the themes and characters. I suprisingly ended up sympathizing with the kid throughout the story, I thought the way McCarty never specifically mentioned the acts of violence the kid must have committed very overt. We also very rarely got the kid's reaction to what he was seeing. It told me we were really meant to imagine how we would act if thrust into the situations the kid found himself thrust in to (I felt he never really had agency, he WAS just a kid) and how we would react to what the kid saw. It made me think about how we all are products of circumstance to a degree, and made me reflect on the judge's take that men only truly know themselves when thrust into situations of extreme violence (ie his "we should throw children to the wolves and see who survives" mentality.) It's horrifying to read these acts of violence, it's even more horrifying to realize that we don't know if we are capable of doing the same in those situations. And ultimately, the kid didn't have what the judge claimed was necessary to be an active participant in the world (and neither would most of us) and his horrific end really demonstrates how the fate of most people is entirely out of their control because of their unwillingness to truly embrace the violence and war inherent in human nature.

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I found the story about the cat and the man on page 78 strange. Oh wait, that was just the schizo book I'm reading in my mind. I'm not the author, God is.

People circle jerk over this like they do New Vegas.

Pro tip: after each chapter of Blood Meridian, watch 10 minutes of watchpeopledie.tv

That book taught me to accept . I accept my end which is death. Acceptance is a liberating attitude. I learned to appreciate the beauty of the landscapes around me, I learned to listen to the nature and I finally learned to calm down and chill. Thanks Cormac. If I may share an instantaneous moment I just had right now while writing these words. I am sitting in a café and I saw a young female pass by. I saw her through the multitude of door glasses of the café. She might be a university student because this area is full of them. So she was wearing tight jeans and she had a Jennifer Lopez Type of butt. I mean the one she had in 1994. and she had her belly naked and a brown top that seemed to try to contain fully grown and massive breasts that seemed to want to get out of the clothes, so full of life and energy they were. Her hair was midlong and she seemed to just get out of the hairdresser because the hair was fine as heck. So I am 38 and I thought I have seen my share of things in this life but every once in a while a moment like this leaves me utterly speechless and confused. Toadvine or Brown would have got of their chairs and pursued that beauty and asked her for something or something but I guess I am just me living in 2023.

https://old.reddit.com/r/cormacmccarthy/comments/11f0of6/what_do_you_think_happened_to_toadvine_and_brown/jahpm18?context=8

i only found out there was a bookclub the moment you guys finished the book

On page 52 rn its pretty entertaining

I think the hermit the kid visits in the beginning is the most memorable as I think it really sets the stage for the tone of the rest of the book imo

NONONONONO I HATE THIS PROSE I HATE THIS PROSE I HATE THIS PROSE I WILL NOT READ MCCARTHY I WILL NOT READ NABOKOV

I don't like loli

it is disgusting

r*pe though...