The only other book I can compare this to is Les Miserables.
When I first read Les Miserables, I felt it was kind of a slog. I was just trying to get through it. But then a funny thing happened; at the end of the book it all came together. I understood why it was so long. I understood why all the seemingly inconsequential details were there. It all came together and made the ending so powerful and satisfying. It made me want to read it again immediately.
Blood Meridian isn’t insanely long like Les Miserables. But it’s similar in that you may find yourself wondering why it’s paced like it is. Why certain details are included. What’s the point of this? Where is this going?
And then you get to the last chapter and you realize this is probably the best American novel ever written. It rewards re-reads. It defies analysis. It might stick in your mind for months. It might make you want to start a book club just to discuss it with other people.
And of course McCarthy’s prose is epic, stark, mythic and blunt all at once. It reminds you of what humans are capable of in every way.