# Reading > Forum Book Club >  November '13 Reading: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

## Scheherazade

*In November, we will be reading Blood Meridian by McCarthy. 

Please share your thoughts and questions here.*

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## Paulclem

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hn.../oldfolks.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Joel_Glanton

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/o...articles/fgl02

I was very surprised to find that McCarthy had based his story upon real events and the character of Joel Glanton. It adds another dimension to the story, and seems to contrast it with the usual US cowboy hero image.

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## neilgee

Thank you for the links Paul it really helped me make more sense of the frenetic pace of the blood-letting in this novel (the novel's title is not at all misleading).

I won't be joining in the discussion because I only read BM a few months ago and I'm a bit McCarthied out at the moment but it's always good when members post things that make a novel's meaning clearer to me.

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## Dreamwoven

I tend to agree, but I have already ordered the book, it should arrive in a week or so and will give it a go. It reminds me of the reversal of history from "how the west was won" to "how the east was lost": i.e. from the native american perspective - something I've always been interested in.

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## Paulclem

> I tend to agree, but I have already ordered the book, it should arrive in a week or so and will give it a go. It reminds me of the reversal of history from "how the west was won" to "how the east was lost": i.e. from the native american perspective - something I've always been interested in.


for any Brits - HMV are selling Blood meridian, The Crossing, Suttree and more for £1.99.

Bargain. (I've picked up a couple of Hunter S Thompson's for the same).

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## Scheherazade

> for any Brits - HMV are selling Blood meridian, The Crossing, Suttree and more for £1.99.
> 
> Bargain. (I've picked up a couple of Hunter S Thompson's for the same).


All in one volume or separately, Paul?

Thanks for the heas up!  :Smile:

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## Paulclem

> All in one volume or separately, Paul?
> 
> Thanks for the heas up!


No separate volumes. Still cheap. There are other ckassics on sale too like Catch 22 andThe Great Gatsby.

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## Dreamwoven

Second hand books can be got cheaply in the internet, I bought my Blood Meridian for SEK 8.80. The postage was an extra SEK 47, which Brits presumably don't have to pay for if the bookseller is in the UK.

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## Scheherazade

> No separate volumes. Still cheap. There are other ckassics on sale too like Catch 22 andThe Great Gatsby.


I like separate volumes better! Omnibus editions are too bulky poor paper quality and tiny fonts usually.

Going there tomorrow. Maybe manage to get couple of presents (myself included  :Biggrin:  )

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## Paulclem

> I like separate volumes better! Omnibus editions are too bulky poor paper quality and tiny fonts usually.
> 
> Going there tomorrow. Maybe manage to get couple of presents (myself included  )


Yes, me too. I ended up popping in again yesterday and picking up a Hunter S Thompson. Most of the ones I saw were single volumes.

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