So the question here is this:
Blood Meridian ... yes or no? Should it be in the curriculum of the class or not? Is the difficult reading experience worth the payoff?
In your blog entry you should make your case. I have mixed feelings and am curious to know what you think.
Although Blood Meridian was a challenging read, I can't imagine not reading it as a part of the LATAW class. It gave a more balanced outlook on the American West, while exposing us to a less attractive and more realistic side of it. It was not one of my favorites, however, I thought it was one that needed to be read. Unless, there is a different book that still gives the same impression and viewpoint, that could take its place, I think it should still be kept in the curriculum. The downside of reading Blood Meridian was that it took up quite a bit of the school year. In addition, it wasn't a topic I found particularly interesting, because I prefer the more positive and romanticized styles; so spending five weeks on Blood Meridian, was perhaps two weeks too many. I understand that Blood Meridian was important to read in terms of comparing realistic and romanticized approaches; but if there is a book similar to Blood Meridian that is shorter, perhaps that book would be a good replacement.
ReplyDeleteBlood Meridian was definitely one of my least favorite novels that we read this year. However, I do agree that it was a really important unit to cover this year. It gave me a good point of comparison for western literature in general, especially right after reading a book like Shane. Basically, we read the romanticized version of the classic Western, and then Blood Meridian allowed us to be skeptical and ask ourselves how accurate the classics really were. I also thought it was well-placed in the year; it was important that we read it towards the beginning. All this being said, I feel like maybe if we read All the Pretty Horses and key passages from Blood Meridian, it would successfully accomplish the same purpose. The writing style is very similar in these two novels and I think that All the Pretty Horses touches on some of the same themes that Blood Meridian really gets into. The combination of these two would have the same effect. Also, I like the message/overall understanding that we should have gotten from Blood Meridian, but I think the fact that it is so difficult to read makes a strong case for it to be supplemented with something else.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I did not put in 100% effort into this book, and I really wish I had. I was not up for the challenge, and it ended up hurting me in several different ways. Instead of reading in depth every night, I was that kid who would skim the pages, and hope there was a Sparknotes. My reading analysis is not the strongest, so I really only got a good grasp of the book through discussions in class. However, I believe that this book should be taught in this class because like Meghan said it gave us a good viewpoint of comparison to other Western novels. One thing that I would change though is the time frame which it was introduced to the class. It was definetly a tough read, and I think it should be moved closer to the end of the year when students have hit full stride and are ready to be pushed to the limit. Again, it will be hard to stay focused on the book, but those who are serious about their studies will hopefully stay true to this book.
ReplyDeleteBlood Meridian should stay! Obviously it was challenging and hard to read but it was good for us. I didn't really feel like a I had a confident grasp of it at the end but i do feel like it made me a better reader and analysts when the unit was over. This is a book i will hopefully pick up in a couple years and truly find the time to read, understand, and get a grasp of what I missed out on. I don't feel like every book we read should be easy and in our comfort zone. The only reason i could see you doing away with the book is the violence, but in my mind it still remains a strong part of LATAW and it will be a book i'll always remember reading in your class. Like Sam, it may not have been a rewarding payoff at the end, but it was more about the challenging factor that keeps this book with a positive spirit to pick up again one day. My vote: keep it!
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Blood Meridian was a very challenging read. It's deep underlying connotations exceed the tangible and more familiar themes I feel most of the other book in the curriculum capitalize on. I can hardly relate to much of the senseless, brutal, and graphic descriptions of mutilated bodies that doesn't come close to compare to any other novel we have read thus far. In addition, I never got a sense that a meaningful resolution was reached in the book. The kid was never able to overcome the manipulation of the judge and find a direction that would be beneficial to his character. I believe the plot spiraled out of control at various moments and lost sight of they message any novel that can be considered a western of any kind contains. Ultimately, Blood Meridian should be eliminated from the LATAW course. The large chunk of time it requires isn't worth the confusion I got from reading it.
ReplyDeleteBlood Meridian was definitely a time consuming novel that was hard to read and sometimes hard to understand. But, having said this, the novel should definitely stay for next year. Since it was such a tough book, I think it kept people more engaged and interested on what was going to happen next. Also, it made me a more careful reader. I had to write notes and highlight and analyze every chapter because that is what Blood Meridian requires of a person. Overall the book was an amazing literary achievement and it taught me some new writing skills and techniques. It made me really get into the zone while I was reading, no distractions at all. So, I say you should keep it, and maybe one day we will all re-read it as adults and understand it better a second time.
ReplyDelete-Jacky
Like everyone else, I thought Blood Meridian was a difficult and challenging novel to read. While reading the book was very time consuming, I thought it was an extremely interesting. So I believe that Blood Meridian should be kept in the LAHTAW curriculum. For example, the terrible cruel imagery, the behind the scene sexual hints, the extreme detailed brutality described, all add to how the book is so different then any of the other books we have read. This different approach to the different themes of the American Western is great. To broden one's view of a classic american western is sometimes a great thing, and Blood Meridian is a perfect example of that. Overall, I thought Blood Meridian was an over the top violent book, however it was very interesting to read. The novel is one that I will definitely remember reading. Whether that be a good or bad thing, I am glad to have read it. Therefor, I believe that Blood Meridian should be kept in the LAHTAW class simply because it is so different than anything else we have read so far this year.
ReplyDeleteOver the course of the last few months, I have traveled to the desert often. Every time I find myself on the eight leading towards nowhere, I always think of Blood Meridian. Specifically, I always tell myself that I could never camp in the desert for fear of finding men like the scalp hunters. Although this seems ridiculous, it always crosses my mind. Blood Meridian was a scary book. Though I may be a little bias because I cannot even watch a scary movie without screaming, the book actually terrified me at times. And yet, I kept reading. This novel is easily one of the most interesting I have ever read and I would consider it a shame for nobody else to be able to experience what I did. Despite the fact that this novel is a hard read, it is worth the struggle.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I was a huge fan of the book (perhaps I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I read it at my own pace during my free time), but I just couldn't imagine teaching the LATAW course without including Blood Meridian. Blood Meridian is a very complex book and is refreshing in midst of the many romanticized, genre novels often taught in LATAW courses. I personally took a slight liking to the book, but it is definitely worth the read, regardless of how much one likes the book. The book is so ridiculous at times and filled with so many damn good lines, that I think everyone should read it just for its schock value, not to mention its literary merit.
ReplyDeleteBlood Meridian is an experience. Maybe one I didn't necessarily like, but one that made me better. Cormac' McCarthy's unique writing style, while frustrating at times, expanded my knowledge as a reader and writer. The bloody plot line didn't bother me, I think it was the frustration that came with trying to analyze and understand his writing. But doing that only made me better both as a reader and writer. While I know it might not be realistic, I think more time should be given to this book, because I think the book would be much better received if more time was spent in class reading and directly analyzing what they were reading. The chapter assignments were very helpful, and I definitely think those should happen again, maybe for more books, too. While they're time consuming, they force you to really look at the writing of the story, and that can only help you. I think this book can be the meat of the curriculum, if enough time is spent with it. I don't think this course would be as meaningful or complete without this book.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think it should stay. I think you should explain the book and its themes, maybe take a week reading excerpts from it but i think it was too complicated and difficult as a whole. Plus, it had many of the same themes as other books that we have read this year, so replacing it with something else could be very beneficial. It was fun to read and talk about all of the crazy stuff that happened, but I really do think the negatives outweigh the positives. If you could figure out a way to shorten it down or something similar and make time for other works it would carry just as much weight as reading it form start to finish.
ReplyDeleteI vote agianst Blood Meridian being coordinated into the cirriculum next year. Although I was introduced into a fair share of complex, metaphorical, and gory writing, it was too much. I am glad I had the experience of reading the book but I do not think a whole month should be devoted to it. Personally, I dislike Cormac Mcarthy's writing becuase of its lack of descriptive plot. While Mcarthy is very poetic and descriptive in his writing style he lacks plot. This lost element leads me to loose interest in the book. This same experience occured to me the previous year when reading The Road. Yes events occur but the previous event is always carried with the same level of importance as the next. Additionally the writing was extreley complex. I felt I had to read one paragraph twice in order to understand all of Mcarthy's clues and meanings. In other words, I agree with NEWT that we should read a series of exerpts in class, in order to practice our analytical skills and be exposed to realistic, bloody, cowboy drama.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I thoroughly enjoyed the book. And I definitely believe that it should be part of the curriculum each and every year. I enjoyed it just because of the intensity that is carried throughout the book. Not only is this book very entertaining but the difficulty when reading passages seems essential for a class of high school seniors to prepare for hard literature to come during college. The only recommendation besides keeping the book in the curriculum would be doing the book a little later in the year where people have more time to read and enjoy the book. Although I stayed relatively current with the readings it was hard to really enjoy the book since everything was so busy at the time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough choice because i do believe it is critical to read this book as it adds so much to the course and it is easily referenced, but at the same time it's a hard book to read. I enjoyed the book to an extent, it started off as interesting and good but eventually it got repetitive and boring. I think taking longer to read the book, as it was hard to stay up to date on the reading, would be the best option. Overall though, this book is a must for the class, it is a turn on the typical western but it still connects to many of the same themes in the class. It allows for many discussions, and is a good reference to use in many of our essays.
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