Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

21 reviews

ddavare's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

This is a purely violent book. I did not enjoy this at all. It's supposedly considered a great American novel?? I understand what the author was trying to convey (fate vs. free will, humanity's taste for violence, hipocrisy of Christianity), but this could have been done with at least 70% less violence. Whatever happened to the power of suggestion? JEEZ!!! - I mean the author suggests what happens to the protagonist (I use the word "protagonist" very lightly) at the end and leaves it up to the audience to imagine it. I would not recommend this book (as a person who is not white or a man) as it's triggering in every regard. Unless you are a lit major, writer, or enjoy reading literary challenges (the writing is interesting and challenging), I don't recommend. I think the average reader would not draw out the author's point, and would not be able to see through all this violence. This has not added any value to my knowledge and just created unnecessary stress and disappointment in Western culture (and I'm already disappointed with our political climate). This is a rant. I was set up to read this as part of a group read, and I am not happy about it and am using Storygraph as a way to vent.

taicantfly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

"Two years ago we pulled out from Griffin for a last hunt. We ransacked the country. Six weeks. Finally found a herd of eight animals and we killed them and come in. They're gone. Ever one of them that God ever made is gone as if they'd never been at all."

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.

 

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Content Warnings

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

bheller77's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Rape, Xenophobia, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, War, Excrement, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racism, and Stalking

Very dark. Violent. Gory.

asililydying's review against another edition

4.5

depraved.  The 'wild west' and manifest destiny created a Level of atrocities probably greater than the dark ages. Enlightenment was only bringing pure hateful fire to the darkness.

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Content Warnings

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

themagpiereads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A stunning and brutal indictment of Manifest Destiny. A tough read in many ways: the writing is dense, the subject matter is harrowing, the characters are detestable. Yet, it is a propulsive read as well, difficult to put down in spite of its brutality. Did I like this book? Not really. Did I think this book was good? Absolutely. Take heed of all the content warnings if you're going to pick this one up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Excrement, Misogyny, Rape, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and War

angryoppossum's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury

eabosch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Child abuse, Genocide, Murder, Sexual content, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pedophilia, Racism, Excrement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, and Alcoholism

ajlct's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, War, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ak9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Brutal and disgusting but beautiful and poignant 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Xenophobia

benjiaprout's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I will bet money on this being the most violent book you'll read. McCarthy writes like no other, if you're going to read this, don't half arse it. I intend to re-read this once I have the capacity to take it in entirely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, War, and Rape