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comment by humanodon
humanodon  ·  3734 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski Book Club: Blood Meridian: Discussion 2

    To me it merely seems that the world adapts to shape the Judge rather than vice versa. Say not 'equilibrium', but 'his natural state'.

I'm having trouble remembering the details of the environs of the book. I remember they were in the mountains with snow and in the desert, but not exactly what was going on around/within those scenes. When the mercenaries enter the towns and cities, it goes from civilized to debauched in a matter of sentences, but I can't say I recall an instance where I centered that change on the Judge.

    For another, the Judge's monologues seem to be all substance and no style (in the sense that you get also with Ayn Rand when the belief behind the narrative briefly overcomes the narrative in a way that doesn't flow or make sense contextually).

This was one of those books that seemed to be a vehicle for the author to talk about human nature, like 2666. The characters aren't really characters at all, but figures positioned to comment on one thing or another, or to illustrate it. However, I don't feel (from what I remember) that the Judge's monologues really accomplished any direct commentary. It feels like it was supposed to illustrate the kinds of rationales used by individuals who end up being deemed "evil" but without any real exploration of it.

Every piece of writing depends on the writer's sincerity, even if it's a piece of satire or entirely a joke. No doubt McCarthy had ideas about what this story might evoke in a reader, but I don't feel like the book and I succeeded in discovering what that might be.





user-inactivated  ·  3733 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Inre: first part. The environs aren't so much important as is the extremely lawless aspect of the time and place. The Judge has characteristics that couldn't exist in a lot of other places. McCarthy decided to write a book where war could indeed be god, and he set it in a place where that was often true.

I said at the outset that this reminded me a ton of 2666. Same setting, same non-characters like you say. Same commentary on humanity (though done worse in 2666).