Blood Meridian (1985)

[Krypt]

This is perhaps the finest novel that I have ever had the privilege to read. It’s a spellbinding work that is almost certainly influenced by an interesting primary source account of the Glanton Gang (scalphunting crusaders in the SW circa 1849) titled My Confession by Samuel Chamberlain. I don’t have this book, the only available copies are used and north of $200, but it’s apparently a captivating historical account that also contains some genteel and capable watercolors of the environment in which these stories take place. This primary source account by Chamberlain also contains the inspiration for one of literature’s most malevolent figures, the Judge.

Blood Meridian is atmospheric, dark, ultra-violent, and depraved. And yet it is profoundly beautiful. This book, invariably, will prove too difficult a read for the majority here (low IQs, not well read, etc.), but for the few who can manage it’s a rewarding experience.

The great literary critic and Yale professor, Harold Bloom, believes Blood Meridian is a late twentieth century masterpiece (I agree):

[sonatine]

cormac is such a miracle. his hobby is collecting old letters from the eras he writes about.


this is weirdly enjoyable:






i wonder what he has in store for us, or if he has anything at all in store for us at this point.


his last screenplay was the forgettable 'the counselor' which seems to be an entire movie hung off of three absolutely legendary scenes:

the mexican narco baron explaining to the counselor that he will not know a happy ending and why and somehow making it sound like the natural order of things

the facilitator explaining how narcos have kidnappers on retainer who will snatch innocent girls off the streets for their bosses to rape/murder because when you get that wealthy and powerful, thats all you have left for fun basically

the same facilitator meeting his end


but is it a good movie? no... javiar bardem and cam diaz are game as fuck, there are no weak links per se, but it seems too uneven for the material. no country was of course based on a book and helmed by the coen brothers, the counselor did not have these advantages. its not bad but.. its just something of a misfire.


and thats so unusual, to have cormac involved with something that didnt bloom outright, i wonder if hes ever going to return to his old stomping grounds?




by the by the story of the film rights to blood meridian is absolutely bizarre unto itself and if you look hard enough in torrent land you can find the james franco movie 'based' on it.. ive deliberately avoided watching it out of solemn respect for the source material but someday... someday... maybe..

[sonatine]

christ i just looked up how much first editions of blood meridian sell for...

[Krypt]

Suttree and Outer Dark are next on my list

[shoeshine box]

Thank you for the recommendation of > "My Confession by Samuel Chamberlain"

Scored a 1st edition Jan. 1st 1956 copy for 180 bucks.

Def. shall read before "Blood Meridian".

Dec. 31, 2020 - Jan. 8, 2021
Estimated delivery
My Confession

I am excited

[Krypt]

Thank you for the recommendation of > "My Confession by Samuel Chamberlain"

Scored a 1st edition Jan. 1st 1956 copy for 180 bucks.

Def. shall read before "Blood Meridian".

Dec. 31, 2020 - Jan. 8, 2021
Estimated delivery
My Confession

I am excited

nice score man... it’d be great if you could share some pics of inside the book once it arrives. I will ultimately buy it as well I think.

[limitles]

This is perhaps the finest novel that I have ever had the privilege to read. It’s a spellbinding work that is almost certainly influenced by an interesting primary source account of the Glanton Gang (scalphunting crusaders in the SW circa 1849) titled My Confession by Samuel Chamberlain. I don’t have this book, the only available copies are used and north of $200, but it’s apparently a captivating historical account that also contains some genteel and capable watercolors of the environment in which these stories take place. This primary source account by Chamberlain also contains the inspiration for one of literature’s most malevolent figures, the Judge.

Blood Meridian is atmospheric, dark, ultra-violent, and depraved. And yet it is profoundly beautiful. This book, invariably, will prove too difficult a read for the majority here (low IQs, not well read, etc.), but for the few who can manage it’s a rewarding experience.

The great literary critic and Yale professor, Harold Bloom, believes Blood Meridian is a late twentieth century masterpiece (I agree):

It seems like everything you've just read, watched or heard about it is finest work of art.
Just sayin.

[Crowe Diddly]

It was a Krypt post that finally got me to read Dune, I feel like I have no choice but to read Blood Meridian now. A quick Kindle store purchase locks me in.

Only other book by this guy I've read was No Country For Old Men, in late 2018. It was for a book club edition of an mma podcast patreon episode, as you might expect.

[Sloppy Joe]

It was a Krypt post that finally got me to read Dune, I feel like I have no choice but to read Blood Meridian now. A quick Kindle store purchase locks me in.

Only other book by this guy I've read was No Country For Old Men, in late 2018. It was for a book club edition of an mma podcast patreon episode, as you might expect.

Let us know what you think.

I made my way through 2/3 of it on a 10 day trek in the Annapurna range of Nepal and it was one of the more memorable literary experiences of my life, sinking into it every night after busting my ass all day.

[Wiganer]

I don’t have this book, the only available copies are used and north of $200

Eh?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Merid...s%2C149&sr=8-1

[Krypt]

I don’t have this book, the only available copies are used and north of $200

Eh?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Merid...s%2C149&sr=8-1

I was referencing physical copies of the Samuel Chamberlaine book

BTW if you don’t want to spend the $200, I found the digital copy of the book for free here thanks to the Library of Congress:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet...e/n21/mode/1up

[Wiganer]

Eh?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Merid...s%2C149&sr=8-1

I was referencing physical copies of the Samuel Chamberlaine book

BTW if you don’t want to spend the $200, I found the digital copy of the book for free here thanks to the Library of Congress:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet...e/n21/mode/1up

Thanks, I was being an idiot.

[mickeycrimm]

Just bought Blood Meridian for Kindle. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Krypt]

Can the Saudi Prince (MBS) please commission Paul Thomas Anderson to direct the movie

[sonatine]

Can the Saudi Prince (MBS) please commission Paul Thomas Anderson to direct the movie

it may be another Naked Lunch situation... "the film would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and instantly be banned in every civilized country"

[Tellafriend]

cormac is such a miracle. his hobby is collecting old letters from the eras he writes about.


this is weirdly enjoyable:






i wonder what he has in store for us, or if he has anything at all in store for us at this point.


his last screenplay was the forgettable 'the counselor' which seems to be an entire movie hung off of three absolutely legendary scenes:

the mexican narco baron explaining to the counselor that he will not know a happy ending and why and somehow making it sound like the natural order of things

the facilitator explaining how narcos have kidnappers on retainer who will snatch innocent girls off the streets for their bosses to rape/murder because when you get that wealthy and powerful, thats all you have left for fun basically

the same facilitator meeting his end


but is it a good movie? no... javiar bardem and cam diaz are game as fuck, there are no weak links per se, but it seems too uneven for the material. no country was of course based on a book and helmed by the coen brothers, the counselor did not have these advantages. its not bad but.. its just something of a misfire.


and thats so unusual, to have cormac involved with something that didnt bloom outright, i wonder if hes ever going to return to his old stomping grounds?




by the by the story of the film rights to blood meridian is absolutely bizarre unto itself and if you look hard enough in torrent land you can find the james franco movie 'based' on it.. ive deliberately avoided watching it out of solemn respect for the source material but someday... someday... maybe..

Years ago I wrote of how much I enjoyed the movie. I caught some flack for it which I didn’t understand. I’ve watched it numerous times and found new tidbits here and there each time. Anyway, for those who haven’t watched it, invest the time- you will be glad you did.

And tine, the abogado explaining why the counselor was going to die was one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen. You described it perfectly.

[Krypt]

about halfway through the book, the judge is explaining to the company that, “before man was, war waited for him” and then he says something that practically blew my polyester socks right off.

The Judge, continuing his line on why war has and will continue to permeate through time, asserts, “war endures because young men love it and old men love it in them”

fk that was A1

[Sloppy Joe]

Can the Saudi Prince (MBS) please commission Paul Thomas Anderson to direct the movie

I am as big of a PTA stan that I know and still somehow don't want this to ever happen.

[Tellafriend]

cormac is such a miracle. his hobby is collecting old letters from the eras he writes about.


this is weirdly enjoyable:






i wonder what he has in store for us, or if he has anything at all in store for us at this point.


his last screenplay was the forgettable 'the counselor' which seems to be an entire movie hung off of three absolutely legendary scenes:

the mexican narco baron explaining to the counselor that he will not know a happy ending and why and somehow making it sound like the natural order of things

the facilitator explaining how narcos have kidnappers on retainer who will snatch innocent girls off the streets for their bosses to rape/murder because when you get that wealthy and powerful, thats all you have left for fun basically

the same facilitator meeting his end


but is it a good movie? no... javiar bardem and cam diaz are game as fuck, there are no weak links per se, but it seems too uneven for the material. no country was of course based on a book and helmed by the coen brothers, the counselor did not have these advantages. its not bad but.. its just something of a misfire.


and thats so unusual, to have cormac involved with something that didnt bloom outright, i wonder if hes ever going to return to his old stomping grounds?




by the by the story of the film rights to blood meridian is absolutely bizarre unto itself and if you look hard enough in torrent land you can find the james franco movie 'based' on it.. ive deliberately avoided watching it out of solemn respect for the source material but someday... someday... maybe..

Years ago I wrote of how much I enjoyed the movie. I caught some flack for it which I didn’t understand. I’ve watched it numerous times and found new tidbits here and there each time. Anyway, for those who haven’t watched it, invest the time- you will be glad you did.

And tine, the abogado explaining why the counselor was going to die was one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen. You described it perfectly.

I feel the need to share the underpinning of our conversation:

Jefe : Machado would have traded every word, every poem, every verse he ever wrote for one more hour with his beloved. And that is because when it comes to grief, the normal rules of exchange do not apply, because grief transcends value. A man would give entire nations to lift grief off his heart. And yet, you cannot buy anything with grief, because grief is worthless.

Counselor : Why are you telling me this?

Jefe : Because you continue to deny the reality of the world you're in. Do you love your wife so much, so completely, that you would exchange places with her upon the wheel? And I don't mean dying, because dying is easy.

Counselor : Yes! Yes, damn you!

Jefe : Well, that is good to hear, Counselor.

Counselor : What are you saying? Are you saying this is a possibility?

Jefe : No. It's impossible.

Counselor : You said I was that man - at that crossing.

Jefe : Yes. At the understanding that life is not going to take you back. You are the world you have created. And when you cease to exist, this world that you have created will also cease to exist. But for those with the understanding that they're living the last days of the world, death acquires a different meaning. The extinction of all reality is a concept no resignation can encompass. And then, all the grand designs and all the grand plans will be finally exposed and revealed for what they are. And now, Counselor, I have to go, because I have to make other calls. If I have time, I think I'll take a small nap.

[hangs up]

[sonatine]

honestly ive always believed that there are some works of literature, film, theater which hang off one moment that the author realized was so perfect that they simply draped an entire work around it.

for me, that was the scene that gave birth to 'the counselor'.