Blood Meridian

Or the Evening Redness in the West

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Richard Poe

Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Author of the National Book Award-winning All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy is one of the most provocative American stylists to emerge in the last century. The striking novel Blood Meridian offers an unflinching narrative of the brutality that accompanied the push west on the 1850s Texas frontier.

©1985 Cormac McCarthy (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“The authentic American apocalyptic novel…I venture that no other living American novelist, not even Pynchon, has given us a book as strong and memorable as Blood Meridian.” (Harold Bloom)

"McCarthy is a writer to be read, to be admired, and quite honestly envied." (Ralph Ellison)

"McCarthy is a born narrator, and his writing has, line by line, the stab of actuality. He is here to stay." (Robert Penn Warren)

A dark and sad statement on humanity

Narration was good to excellent. This is a long and bloody book, but we'll with the listen, and maybe more with the read.

Violence against children

Some of the reviews here hint at this, but this book is about scalpers, and these men (who are the closest things we get to protagonists in this story) slaughter men, women, and children. There are places where the murders and infanticides are described in great detail. While this may be historically accurate, it may not be something you want to read about or listen to. If I had known I would have some of these images placed in my head I may have never tried to listen to this book.

I just want people to know upfront about the violence against children and babies in case there are others who have a hard time with that sort of thing.

Excellent, multiple listens required.

The prose is beautiful, the scenery is vivid and sticks in your mind, the violence is brutal and dispassionate, and the Judge is a character I could listen to for hours.

This was a difficult listen, as the language is very hard to understand and the descriptions are incredibly detailed and long. Many times I had to go back and re-listen to understand what I just heard. This is not a knock against the book though; I enjoyed the challenge and consistently felt that there were multiple layers to everything that was said. It does not hold your hand and I appreciate that. The story is fairly simple but even so, the book drew me in and wouldn't let go. The narration is excellent (especially the Judge's voice) and I'll have to absorb this for awhile, but will definitely be listening again.

great book, amazing narrarator

title says it all. if you're checking out this book you already know it's worth reading. Poe does an amazing job of reading it.

Fantastic performance and novel

What did you love best about Blood Meridian?

The vivid descriptions and the performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The grit and the craziness.

Which scene was your favorite?

Haven't finished it yet.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

TBA

Any additional comments?

This is superb. I put it up there with Frank Mueller reading Moby Dick, which is incredible.

Great book, perfect narrator.

Would you listen to Blood Meridian again? Why?

Absolutely. Richard Poe's narration really brings to life an already vivid book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Blood Meridian?

Attacked by Comanches. They wore the wedding dresses of the brides they killed.

Which scene was your favorite?

Every scene with The Judge.

If you could rename Blood Meridian, what would you call it?

The name is already Perfect.

Any additional comments?

I first bought Blood Meridian, the actual book, a few years ago. It was my first Cormac McCarthy book. His writing style was so different from the authors I normally read and I found the book to be a difficult read and did not finish it. A few years later I read No Country for Old men and love it, then I read The Road and loved that as well and decided to give Blood Meridian another go. I work in a factory that lets me listen to my iPod all day so I bought this audio book and was, to a degree, blown away. I've listened to it multiple times and have since read the physical book as well. I think most people first getting into McCarthy should start with No Country for Old Men, its an easy way to break into his earlier work and his heavily Faulkner-influenced prose.

Great story, hard to follow through listening

I will have to go back and read the book someday. The story is excellent and the performance also great, however it requires a steely constitution and focused attention to follow through and audio format. It was far to easy to lose track of the story.

unforgettable novel

One of the finest and most inimitable novels in American letters, Blood Meridian is a showcase of stunning language and evocation of humanity at its most savage and landscape at its least inviting. I'm constantly in wonder at McCarthy's eye for detail, his fluency in bringing to life the processes of nature, and the colors and textures of landscape. The characters he employs over this backdrop are unforgettably portrayed as they wreak havoc, speculate on the nature of truth, act in silent harmony and then in profound enmity. One of the great books despite its deep violence. I especially want to commend Richard Poe for his reading—his feel for era and place, the various vocal tones, cadences, and locales is tremendous. Outstanding recording of an outstanding book.

Phenomenal yet Difficult novel

Most Memorable Moment

The story told by the Judge of the crazy Hermit in Appalachia, his meeting a Traveler & the two sons.

This novel speaks directly to the American Regeneration thru violence in an almost Orouboros-styled narration. Not for everyone and you need to give every sentence your full attention but possibly my favorite McCarthy novel narrated with precision.

Sensational!

"If God meant to interfere in the degeneracy of mankind would He not have done so by now."
Arguably my favorite book and this performance does it justice.