Blood Meridian Discussion

[ArcticBlast]

Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.
These anonymous creatures may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth.
What's a suzerain?
A keeper. A keeper or overlord.
Why not say keeper then?
Because he is a special kind of keeper. A suzerain rules even where there are other rulers. His authority countermands local judgements.

This is my claim, and yet everywhere upon it are pockets of autonomous life. Autonomous. In order for it to be mine nothing must be permitted to occur upon it save by my dispensation.

The man who believes that the secrets of the world are forever hidden lives in mystery and fear. Superstition will drag him down. The rain will erode the deeds of his life. But that man who sets himself the task of singling out the thread of order from the tapestry will by the decision alone have taken charge of the world and it is only by such taking charge that he will effect a way to dictate the terms of his own fate.

The freedom of birds is an insult to me. I'd have them all in zoos.

-the judge
Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy
​

ArcticBlast

 

[Pinball Wizard]

I concur...

 

[ka0tik_kreati0n]

very interesting insight

 

[xinsanewickedx]

interesting indeed

 

[Hal]

oooops!

 

[Hal]

The freedom of birds is an insult to me. I'd have them all in zoos.

-the judge
Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy
​

ArcticBlast

Is that a quote from "Blood Meridian," AB?

Were you able to finish that book? I started it, only got about 80 pages into it. That is one DENSE book, dude. I had to reference a dictionary about 10 times per page...and well over half the words I looked up weren't even in the dictionary! That would be Merriam Webster's, just about the best dictionary out there.

I think many of the words McCarthy used were from the vernacular of the day, and had fallen from use many decades ago.

Anyway, if you were able to finish it...more power to ya and CONGRATS!

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

That stuff about man being the keeper of Earth is pretty funny. Then only a paragraph later, we're admonished to avoid superstition! The key to sidstepping jealousy when regarding birds is to look a bit closer at who they really are, and what their life is really like. I for one, couldn't live such a brutal existance, flight or no.

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah i'm still reading it, its so brutal its not even funny the language and the way he writes is absolutely amazing. like you said, i reference the dictionary quite a bit

mr greengenes: sorry, the quotes were sort of taken out of context. from what i've gathered so far, the judge isn't really superstitious at all. he's explaining to another character why he collects and draws/documents all the various flora and fauna and buildings and other stuff they see in their travels in a notebook.

great book, highly recommended
ArcticBlast

 

[etinarcadiaego]

I fucking love that book

Great passage btw

 

[ArcticBlast]

there's more to come this judge character is wild to me. on the one hand i want to agree with what he says, because he seems knowledgeable and well-spoken, and i can identify with some of the things he's saying. but then he turns around and does some truly monstrous things that i don't condone in the slightest... great book, i'm almost done. Just hit chapter XX last night

ArcticBlast

 

[etinarcadiaego]

there's more to come this judge character is wild to me. on the one hand i want to agree with what he says, because he seems knowledgeable and well-spoken, and i can identify with some of the things he's saying. but then he turns around and does some truly monstrous things that i don't condone in the slightest... great book, i'm almost done. Just hit chapter XX last night

ArcticBlast

Wow, you share my EXACT feeling on that subject! Awesome!

I read his little orations and find myself agreeing with them as though they were gospel, lol, the bit about war . . . how it existed before us, the ultimate trade awaiting it's ultimate practitioner . . .

Much of what he says (the Judge) I confess hit home with me, I have two copies, one I highlight in and make notes, one I keep intact to borrow to those I think may finish it . . . lol.

Either way it is some amazing writing, I completely agree. I loved the part where the bull bearing a Spanish brand charges the mans horse and in falling off it he shoots the bull dead and his company, without a single word spoken, proceed to get him the last horse and all move on without delay.

Or the part at the river crossing where at first they charge whatever you can afford and let you cross, but fall to just robbing and beating them and sending them back off into the desert to die.

Probably the part I've re-read the most what the story early on Tobin tells the Kid about the Judge first came into their lives . . . and how saved them . . . after that I was hooked - I couldn't put it down

I FU@#ING LOVE THIS BOOK!

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah very eerie indeed

i cracked up at the bull part lol! and how the judge was just chillin on the rock, and mcguyvered them all that ammo was just incredible lol

the river crossing was intense, and i was certain that that's how he'd end the book: them getting too comfortable and getting ambushed by the US Army...

as to the judge, and his "wisdom"... i feel the same, like what he was saying was just hitting home with me- EVERY SINGLE QUOTE lol... but his actions were truly fucked. i'm super glad that i don't know him in real life, because i'd probably get sucked right in.

i have plenty more to say on the subject, but i'll let anyone else talk, too

def my favorite book now
ArcticBlast

 

[ArcticBlast]

thanks for the relocation and name change mrs.B! maybe now we can get a few scholars in here for some talking!

ArcticBlast