Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

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.

Respected literary professor Harold Bloom called Blood Meridian "the ultimate Western". It is and it's much more than that, it may be the ultimate novel. I don't think I've read or will other read another book that truly captures the essence of what we are as humans more than Blood Meridian. The constant, indescribable violence and depravity that is this novel cannot be summarized, you havew to read it for comprehension. I don't think I've read or will ever read another book that is as well written as Blood Meridian. You read McCarthy's descriptions of the landscape, his character's dialogue, and his eerie prose and you can't help but look up and wonder in complete awe. The Biblical-style writing is so soaring and incredible you don't know how it was written. And his characters, his characters- the kid, who takes the horror of the world around him so passively, and the Judge, who is the greatest character in the history of fiction- again, so evil it's indescribable. Basically, if there's one book you have to read in your lifetime, it's Blood Meridian.