A Godless Meridian

Blood Meridian is one of Cormac McCarthy’s most celebrated novels, and for those who love 19th-century westerns or want a soul-crushing read, I couldn’t recommend this book more. I took some time before I had the courage to read it, as reviews had warned me about its relentless portrayal of violence. Many events and passages faithfully reconstruct the brutality of America’s border with Mexico, and echoes of these events feel alarmingly present today.

Every so often, the characters feel too distant. We can’t understand their inner worlds. They lack moral integrity and embody savagery. They find a sense of belonging by joining a gang and committing atrocious acts. They suffer. They are afraid. They have resigned and expect no salvation.

The violence often feels suffocating, yet McCarthy gives moments of reprieve through painterly descriptions of the landscape. The “steely mornings in the Colorado River region” and the “Chihuahuan desert’s pure blue in the dawn” feel alien and timeless. These vivid passages create a striking contrast with the cruelty of the characters, as their struggles and resilience intertwine with the harsh natural world.

As many critics have pointed out, the lack of moral judgment in any of the characters is unsettling. Reading the Glanton gang’s final chapters leaves no sense of closure, and the ending can haunt the reader for weeks. This absence of resolution amplifies the novel’s brutality and underscores the godless world McCarthy depicts.

That said, I would willingly return to Judge Holden’s world. This is one of those novels that rewards rereading. McCarthy’s universe is not a cautionary tale in the traditional sense — none of the characters feel remorse, and neither do we — but it is worth exploring as a reflection on humanity’s darkest impulses. We are as captivated by the violence as we are by the landscapes, simultaneously repelled and fascinated, cheering when fate spares them and recoiling at the horrors they commit. This is not an easy novel to digest. I would sincerely recommend reading it during a quiet moment, when reflection is possible.

I got a paperback copy, but I full hardcover is totally worth it, since you’ll be coming back and forth to re read some of the gory passages or the scenery in the novel.

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