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When I was recently reading Smith Henderson's disappointing first novel "Fourth Of July Creek," I came across a review suggesting that one of its main characters, Jeremiah Clark, was worse than Judge Holden in "Blood Meridian." It had been awhile since I first read the McCarthy work--one of the best American novels of the twentieth century--that I decided to revisit "Blood Meridian" to see if the Judge is worse.
The answer depends on how you interpret things. Jeremiah Clark in the Henderson book was a real person. Judge Holden comes off as such, at first, but by the time I was coming down the home stretch on this book's last pages, I was not so sure. I believe the Judge to be Satan himself, the embodiment of Evil. Or, at the very least, one of his emissaries.
But the Naked Imbecile, known as James Robert Bell, steals the show! Like Bishop in "The Violent Bear It Away," he is the only character one can have any compassion toward. And if there is ever a movie made of this work, I have my eye on this role! I could score an Oscar nomination, for playing a filthy mess, which is a far cry from what I am, darlings, not to mention making the kinds of sounds that made Patty Duke as Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" seem literate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be warned--this is an extremely violent book. It follows a group of men on a quest journey--hence the epic comparisons--but what they experience is the rawest, most graphic depictions of savagery to man and beast; an allegory suggesting this is what America was built on.
If that is true, then we should all be ashamed! And after "Blood Meridian,"
you are going to need something fun!!!!!!!!! Not Joan Didion!!!!!!!!! Maybe "Anne Of Green Gables!!!!!!!!!!"
But do not miss this novel! If you only read one book by Cormac McCarthy, this is the one to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go West, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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