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jimbo_cheezemas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Blood, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Hate crime, Genocide, Cursing, Child death, Death, Gore, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Homophobia
taicantfly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A heartbreaking book about the violence and wretchedness that went into building the American southwest. From the infamous monologue (that which exists without my knowledge...) to the Judge scappling away ancient paintings to the seemingly random genocide of whole tribes and their traditions, this book will desensitize you with its overwhelming and needless violence and cruelty and then it will be swept under the rug as the bones of vultures in the desert.
In the end the Judge asks if there were any witnesses to what had been. If apart from him and the Kid anyone had known or seen Glanton, the Jacksons, Toadvine, Bathcat, Tobin, Tate, Shelby. As he pulls the kid into the outhouse, we now know that all of that is lost to the arrow of time and no matter what, as says the Judge:
"Men's memories are uncertain and the past that was differs from the past that was not."
Judge Holden is the centrepiece around which the violence unfolds, a near-omniscient possibly-immortal god (or at least prophet) of war. Shocking character and completely unimitable.
This was the first McCarthy book I read and I was by no means disappointed. A flawless, soul-crushing and very difficult read which I would not recommend to anyone struggling with misanthropic thoughts.
I will be seeing a 7 foot tall bald albino in my nightmares for the rest of my life.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Blood, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Sexual content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, and Pedophilia
asililydying's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Excrement, Ableism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Violence, Body shaming, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Stalking, Antisemitism, Body horror, Hate crime, Torture, Vomit, Suicide, Addiction, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, and Xenophobia