Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

Cormac McCarthy

Aug 2010 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

One of The Atlantic’s “Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years,” now with a new foreword by Marlon James

Widely considered one of the finest novels by a living writer, Blood Meridian is an epic tale of the violence and corruption that attended America’s westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the “Wild West.” Its wounded hero, the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennessean, must confront the extraordinary brutality of the Glanton gang, a murderous cadre on an official mission to scalp Indians. Seeming to preside over this nightmarish world is the diabolical Judge Holden, one of the most unforgettable characters in American fiction.

Based on historical events that took place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, Blood Meridian represents a genius vision of the historical West, one whose stature has only grown in the years since its publication.

Ratings and reviews

Out of three this is his best and most emotionally toiling read. Like training to become an astronaut with little more than what you have in your hands for some, maybe; buy for those who feel the power of the text and what they mean to us... The Judge, his fire his insanity his presence... The Kid, his quest, his simple yet incredibly strong cannon, his monumental ultimate desisions... Long been one of the greatest, most terrifying and poignant reads I've ever taken a part in.

Blood Meridian is a challenging read. McCarthy's unconventional style – minimal punctuation, unclear speakers – can be frustrating. Certain characters, like the "idiot," seem to lack purpose, and overall character development feels minimal. The gang's aimless journeys and overly detailed descriptions of the landscape can be tedious. Despite this, the novel is strangely compelling, particularly the enigmatic Judge. However, the ending proved unsatisfying. While I appreciate McCarthy's skill, his style may not suit me.

This book pulled me out of conventional prose while being educated in Literature. Should Cormac McCarthy ever be taken off any scholastic syllabus that is the first sign. We cannot lose people who smoke unfiltereds seeing faces on the sun bleached skulls littering southern Texas and Northern Mexico. And maybe neither Suttree nor the Reverend are ant/protagonists.

About the author

The novels of the American writer, CORMAC McCARTHY, have received a number of literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road, and No Country for Old Men—the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. He died in 2023.