Sopranos like ending! Perfect way to put it. What happens to the kid, happens in what seems like just a few words. If you blink you completely miss it. And you almost aren't even sure if it happened, or if anything happened.
Perhaps the greatest American epic ever told, based on the true story of the Glanton gang. I was inspired to read this greatest of works when the Knockback notification popped up, and boy does this book deliver. Although not a tale for the faint of heart, certainly a tale that imho, should be required reading. Sit with it like a bottle of fine whiskey with a good cigar. It is dense with flavor, striking in it's depiction of frontier savagery, ceaseless in its charm(though bloody and fraught with revolting imagery), and at it's heart, one of the greatest works ever put to page. Rest in peace Mr. McCarthy, and may you live eternally "there past men's knowing, where stars are drowning and whales ferry their vast souls through the black and seamless sea.”
I've been waiting for this one. I got back into reading a few months ago, after not having seriously read a book for decades. I wanted it to read a McCarthy novel, as I love the movie No Country for Old Men. Something drew me to Blood Meridian, and it was my first book I read while getting back into reading. It absolutely blew my mind, and blew up every notion I had about what a book reading experience is. McCarthy has a raw and sobering writing style, that is unlike any other.
One of the best books, but more importantly, one of the best Audio books of all time. Listening to the audio book is like listening to a painting being made in real time. So god damn good
The one part of the book that didn't get discussed here which I found interesting was the campfire conversation between the Kid and Tobin I think it was. The point comes up that at some point everyone in the gang had previously encountered the Judge. It again adds to the almost mystical quality of the Judge, like he had already marked everyone prior to them coming together.
Someone explained Blood Meridian to me as "literary dark chocolate". You take a nibble of it, savour the complex layers of flavour and put it down until tomorrow. It's not a book to just read, it's one to slowly work through night after night, bit by bit. I think I'm going to try and work through this slowly over the course of a year. Will return to this episode when I'm finished, glad you guys are approaching this kind of media with KnockBack.
Judge Holden is such an incredible villian. Hes one that sticks with you long after reading. Mccarthy made such epic villians with The Judge and Anton Chigurh.
I'm pumped you guys did this. I can't wait to listen later today. McCarthy is my favorite writer. I like the border trilogy the most, but I think Blood Meridian is technically his best book. It's a masterwork of prose. Also Colin, don't feel bad about not understanding a lot on your first read. Blood Meridian is a notoriously difficult read. Anybody that says they understood everything about it on a first read is lying to themselves.
Just wanted to say I’m slowly going through the KnockBack backlog but I’m starting to catch up. Keep up what you all are doing it’s awesome! I love Colin and dagens chemistry 😊
I watch your shows Colin and I just paused blood meridian on audible then scrolled through RUclips and this came up... IL listen later as I'm not finished yet but yes this book just seems to be pretty random story wise, the first third was alot more straight forward
Dagan have you read Suttree? It's my third McCarthy book, after loving Blood Meridian and mostly being disappointed by the passenger. I kept reading that suttree was McCarthy's funniest book, the writing and the characters really are quite funny and whimsical at times. Some really brilliant moments that almost make you laugh out loud. The book is usually seen in McCarthy's top five books. *edit - just heard you mention Suttree.
Suttree may be my 2nd favorite of McCarthy's works. An excellent study in character, and it feels like McCarthy, but, it also stands out from the rest of his work somehow. You nailed it I think when you refer to its humor. I always thought the Cohen's captured a little 'Suttree' in their film version of No Country. ; )
27:50 "A man's at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly so. Best not to look in there. It aint the heart of a creature that is bound in the way that God has set for it. You can find meanness in the least of creatures, but when God made man the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make the machine. And evil that can run itself a thousand years, no need to tend it." The greatest american writer, in my humble ignorant opinion. Reading Blood Meridian as, a non english speaker, felt like listening to a song from the desert. The words come together and it feels like music and the meaning of the words echoes in your mind for days after.
Regarding the 'hot off the presses' book printing date around a minute into the video: Amazon prints and ships many books on demand. The binding tends to be bad and I've had novels arrive where every other page is illegible because the ink must have been running low. I've stopped buying books from Amazon.
I have to agree with Colin to an extent. The book is more poetry than novel, which makes it incredibly hard to understand. Each page can demands rereading, which can be frustrating if you go into the book expecting another NCFOM. Its never a good idea to try to make your readers feel stupid, and I definitely think that is why McCarthy never really repeated the verbose style exhibited in this book. That being said, it is one of my favorite books and Ive never read the entire thing start to finish. I kind of page through it, and read a chapter here and there, as if it were some wild west Bible of sorts.
I think Cameron Britton would be great for Judge. In the show, Mindhunters, he plays serial killer Ed Kemper who was a towering 6'9". I like Michael Shannon too but he's so much smaller.
Another RUclipsr named Wendigoon did a 5 hour episode on Blood Meridian. He has a few million followers. I think that is another thing that turned a lot of people onto the book recently. Tons of new members on cormac’s subreddit as well. I first read it about 12 years ago and love the influx of current interest in the book. It’s my fav book by far.
43:06 Almost every native tribe did stuff like that. BUT the Comanche were the masters of warfare on the southern plains. No one could compete with them. They were the reason why it was so tough to settle Texas. And there was one Comanche war chief called Iron Jacket because he wore conquistador armor. -Side note- One Comanche was also described as wearing a blood stained wedding veil It is believed Glanton’s fiancé was raped and killed by natives so that may have been a hint that that was the Comanche that set Glanton on his path.
Disagree with the statements about the WW2 bombs and wish the topic hadnt come up in a discussion about a story of the American frontier. Women trained to use the naginata (not bamboo spear) because they didnt want to be raped by American soldiers, which was what they heard they did (at least as my grandmother, who actually did naginata training, tells it). Theres no way any countries citizens would not take efforts to defend themselves from invaders. That excuse is literal propaganda. The country had already tried to surrender multiple times and it was the threat of being sandwiched by the US and Russia that ultimately caused the surrender, not the bombs. Japan couldnt keep up the war effort and most of its navy was completely destroyed by the time of Iwo Jima. It had no offensive power after Midway and couldnt even defend against fire bombings. A blockade would have been enough to eventually force a surrender (If Russia had not got involved). Also, on if the bombs were deserved based on who attacked first, embargoing an ally is effectively a declaration of war.
I absolutely agree. These guys show a severe lack of education on the topic but it unfortunately echoes the propaganda that the American Education system is drenched in.
Adherence to form. The form is king. A story told by a narrator who is there. A narrator who can't tell you how a character feels or what they think about something. Only what they do. Their actions. Their actions are the framework that the tale is hung upon. Loose in places. But nonexistent without the form. Uncompromising.
You guys really gotta stop calling Native Americans "Indians". Indians are from India. If we can't respect an entire ethnic minority that is victimized in this story, we might as well be applauding the violence in this story.
Another historical inaccuracy suggested here is that European territorial disputes like the Nords vs the Anglos are comparable to the American takeover of this continent. The tech is different, the politics are different, the scale is completely warped in your head if you think that's true. Please stop talking like a history professor if that's not your specialty.
I just finished the book, not impressed tbh. The writing style was good, I'll give him that but most everything else was unimpressive. The pacing was bad, poor character development, the timeline made no sense and why is everyone naked? Were clothes not invented in the mid 1800s lol? I'm a big reader so the use of "10-letter words" didn't bother me, but I feel at times like the writer likes sniffing his own farts so to speak. The judge was an interesting character though, and if his character was expanded on I feel that could have made for a better read. Aside from the Judge, character dialogue was largely dull. If the intention was to contrast the philosophical expositions of the Judge with the 2 or 3 word responses from the likes of the Kid, it didn't work imo.
This was a great discussion but it's so hard to listen to these types of discussions because things like "are people inherently good" and just ignore genetics is just painful. Liberals and conservatives do this. The post WWII era and these binary and incorret ways of looking at the world have killed humanites way of understanding things. As a "fascist" I can easily say American colonialism, bombing Japan, and native American savagery are all bad and I experience no cognitive dissonance in my worldview.i can also say certain races are inherently good and sone are baf but sone can ve taught yo be either and sone cant be taught anything.
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Sopranos like ending! Perfect way to put it. What happens to the kid, happens in what seems like just a few words. If you blink you completely miss it. And you almost aren't even sure if it happened, or if anything happened.
Perhaps the greatest American epic ever told, based on the true story of the Glanton gang. I was inspired to read this greatest of works when the Knockback notification popped up, and boy does this book deliver. Although not a tale for the faint of heart, certainly a tale that imho, should be required reading. Sit with it like a bottle of fine whiskey with a good cigar. It is dense with flavor, striking in it's depiction of frontier savagery, ceaseless in its charm(though bloody and fraught with revolting imagery), and at it's heart, one of the greatest works ever put to page. Rest in peace Mr. McCarthy, and may you live eternally "there past men's knowing, where stars are drowning and whales ferry their vast souls through the black and seamless sea.”
I've been waiting for this one. I got back into reading a few months ago, after not having seriously read a book for decades. I wanted it to read a McCarthy novel, as I love the movie No Country for Old Men. Something drew me to Blood Meridian, and it was my first book I read while getting back into reading. It absolutely blew my mind, and blew up every notion I had about what a book reading experience is. McCarthy has a raw and sobering writing style, that is unlike any other.
One of the best books, but more importantly, one of the best Audio books of all time.
Listening to the audio book is like listening to a painting being made in real time. So god damn good
The one part of the book that didn't get discussed here which I found interesting was the campfire conversation between the Kid and Tobin I think it was. The point comes up that at some point everyone in the gang had previously encountered the Judge. It again adds to the almost mystical quality of the Judge, like he had already marked everyone prior to them coming together.
One of my favorite parts of the novel. So eerie. And the audiobook version of this section of the book is brilliantly acted! ; )
Funny enough… I was getting ready to comment on how funny it is to go from Mighty Ducks to Blood Meridian. Good shit…
Someone explained Blood Meridian to me as "literary dark chocolate". You take a nibble of it, savour the complex layers of flavour and put it down until tomorrow. It's not a book to just read, it's one to slowly work through night after night, bit by bit. I think I'm going to try and work through this slowly over the course of a year. Will return to this episode when I'm finished, glad you guys are approaching this kind of media with KnockBack.
I read about 275 pages of it over around 5 days. Highly recommended if you can really just sit down with it for hours at a time.
The audiobook is an even better experience for this book. You can just close your eyes relax and have a vivid picture painted for you
My favourite novel by McCarthy. Rest in Power King.
LFG. My favorite book by my favorite author, been waiting years for you guys to get around to this!
I listened to the audiobook of this earlier in the year and it was fantastic
EASILY the best audiobook I've ever experienced. ; )
Judge Holden is such an incredible villian. Hes one that sticks with you long after reading. Mccarthy made such epic villians with The Judge and Anton Chigurh.
I agree something truly disturbing about a borderline supernatural murderous behemoth peedo.
He's considered one of the greatest villains in any medium for a reason!
I'm pumped you guys did this. I can't wait to listen later today. McCarthy is my favorite writer. I like the border trilogy the most, but I think Blood Meridian is technically his best book. It's a masterwork of prose.
Also Colin, don't feel bad about not understanding a lot on your first read. Blood Meridian is a notoriously difficult read. Anybody that says they understood everything about it on a first read is lying to themselves.
The knockback book club is wonderful
Im so happy this finally happened! I used to suggest this all the time in the knockback threads
Just wanted to say I’m slowly going through the KnockBack backlog but I’m starting to catch up. Keep up what you all are doing it’s awesome! I love Colin and dagens chemistry 😊
Great book, would love to have an episode on a more gritty author like William Vollmann or Louis Ferdinand Celine
Dagan was the one who got me to read this book years ago. I reached out and told him as much and he actually responded, shout out to the Moriarty's.
Yessss after 2 different podcast teasing this in different subjects we get the complete take 🎉
Am I've never read this... I'm going to have to order it and read it before I watch this.
I watch your shows Colin and I just paused blood meridian on audible then scrolled through RUclips and this came up... IL listen later as I'm not finished yet but yes this book just seems to be pretty random story wise, the first third was alot more straight forward
Dagan have you read Suttree? It's my third McCarthy book, after loving Blood Meridian and mostly being disappointed by the passenger. I kept reading that suttree was McCarthy's funniest book, the writing and the characters really are quite funny and whimsical at times. Some really brilliant moments that almost make you laugh out loud. The book is usually seen in McCarthy's top five books. *edit - just heard you mention Suttree.
Suttree may be my 2nd favorite of McCarthy's works. An excellent study in character, and it feels like McCarthy, but, it also stands out from the rest of his work somehow. You nailed it I think when you refer to its humor. I always thought the Cohen's captured a little 'Suttree' in their film version of No Country. ; )
27:50 "A man's at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly so. Best not to look in there. It aint the heart of a creature that is bound in the way that God has set for it. You can find meanness in the least of creatures, but when God made man the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make the machine. And evil that can run itself a thousand years, no need to tend it."
The greatest american writer, in my humble ignorant opinion. Reading Blood Meridian as, a non english speaker, felt like listening to a song from the desert. The words come together and it feels like music and the meaning of the words echoes in your mind for days after.
I mean, chill-worthy! The most inspired work of fiction we are ever likely to see!
Regarding the 'hot off the presses' book printing date around a minute into the video: Amazon prints and ships many books on demand. The binding tends to be bad and I've had novels arrive where every other page is illegible because the ink must have been running low. I've stopped buying books from Amazon.
I have to agree with Colin to an extent. The book is more poetry than novel, which makes it incredibly hard to understand. Each page can demands rereading, which can be frustrating if you go into the book expecting another NCFOM. Its never a good idea to try to make your readers feel stupid, and I definitely think that is why McCarthy never really repeated the verbose style exhibited in this book. That being said, it is one of my favorite books and Ive never read the entire thing start to finish. I kind of page through it, and read a chapter here and there, as if it were some wild west Bible of sorts.
2:24:56 funniest thing in Knockback history. I love Dagan.
I think Cameron Britton would be great for Judge. In the show, Mindhunters, he plays serial killer Ed Kemper who was a towering 6'9". I like Michael Shannon too but he's so much smaller.
I read this book late last year and suddenly its everywhere.... did i miss something? Why is it suddenly so popular?
Well it was free on Audible, not sure if that had something to do with it.
Another RUclipsr named Wendigoon did a 5 hour episode on Blood Meridian. He has a few million followers. I think that is another thing that turned a lot of people onto the book recently. Tons of new members on cormac’s subreddit as well.
I first read it about 12 years ago and love the influx of current interest in the book. It’s my fav book by far.
Am I right that The Road (Episode #78) is available only on Patreon patrons?
Colin, watch sound of freedom and realize slavery Is still very real and more brutal than ever
43:06
Almost every native tribe did stuff like that. BUT the Comanche were the masters of warfare on the southern plains. No one could compete with them. They were the reason why it was so tough to settle Texas.
And there was one Comanche war chief called Iron Jacket because he wore conquistador armor.
-Side note-
One Comanche was also described as wearing a blood stained wedding veil
It is believed Glanton’s fiancé was raped and killed by natives so that may have been a hint that that was the Comanche that set Glanton on his path.
2:24:55 lmao The brothers Moriarty 🤣
"Dorf"❤
Ive tried listening to this on audiobook but passed on it cause the narrator was kinda bad. I guess I'll just have to pick up the physical copy
It's a fairly short read too. It can honestly be finished in a handful of sessions.
I actually thought Richard Poe did this book justice as the narrator!
Final fantasy 3 ?
Disagree with the statements about the WW2 bombs and wish the topic hadnt come up in a discussion about a story of the American frontier. Women trained to use the naginata (not bamboo spear) because they didnt want to be raped by American soldiers, which was what they heard they did (at least as my grandmother, who actually did naginata training, tells it). Theres no way any countries citizens would not take efforts to defend themselves from invaders. That excuse is literal propaganda.
The country had already tried to surrender multiple times and it was the threat of being sandwiched by the US and Russia that ultimately caused the surrender, not the bombs. Japan couldnt keep up the war effort and most of its navy was completely destroyed by the time of Iwo Jima. It had no offensive power after Midway and couldnt even defend against fire bombings. A blockade would have been enough to eventually force a surrender (If Russia had not got involved).
Also, on if the bombs were deserved based on who attacked first, embargoing an ally is effectively a declaration of war.
I absolutely agree. These guys show a severe lack of education on the topic but it unfortunately echoes the propaganda that the American Education system is drenched in.
Adherence to form. The form is king. A story told by a narrator who is there. A narrator who can't tell you how a character feels or what they think about something. Only what they do. Their actions. Their actions are the framework that the tale is hung upon. Loose in places. But nonexistent without the form. Uncompromising.
The Bering Strait theory is a myth
Land disputes between native peoples do not compare to foreign imperialism.
You guys really gotta stop calling Native Americans "Indians". Indians are from India. If we can't respect an entire ethnic minority that is victimized in this story, we might as well be applauding the violence in this story.
Another historical inaccuracy suggested here is that European territorial disputes like the Nords vs the Anglos are comparable to the American takeover of this continent. The tech is different, the politics are different, the scale is completely warped in your head if you think that's true. Please stop talking like a history professor if that's not your specialty.
Damn, justifying nuking Japan too? These guys are full of bad takes holy shit
They just buy every line the US has ever said about why they did it.
I just finished the book, not impressed tbh. The writing style was good, I'll give him that but most everything else was unimpressive. The pacing was bad, poor character development, the timeline made no sense and why is everyone naked? Were clothes not invented in the mid 1800s lol? I'm a big reader so the use of "10-letter words" didn't bother me, but I feel at times like the writer likes sniffing his own farts so to speak. The judge was an interesting character though, and if his character was expanded on I feel that could have made for a better read. Aside from the Judge, character dialogue was largely dull. If the intention was to contrast the philosophical expositions of the Judge with the 2 or 3 word responses from the likes of the Kid, it didn't work imo.
This was a great discussion but it's so hard to listen to these types of discussions because things like "are people inherently good" and just ignore genetics is just painful. Liberals and conservatives do this. The post WWII era and these binary and incorret ways of looking at the world have killed humanites way of understanding things. As a "fascist" I can easily say American colonialism, bombing Japan, and native American savagery are all bad and I experience no cognitive dissonance in my worldview.i can also say certain races are inherently good and sone are baf but sone can ve taught yo be either and sone cant be taught anything.