A Bloody and Barbarous God: The Metaphysics of Cormac McCarthy by Petra Mundik (review)

[...]a metaphysical perspective comes as natural to McCarthy's characters, who to a man possess a dim view of creation and rely upon experience rather than a religious intermediary to know the spiritual world. [...]McCarthy's work seemingly occurs in a world without divine benevolence, whe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South Central Review 2018-07, Vol.35 (2), p.142-145
Main Author: Nemmers, Adam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American literature
Christianity
God
Huxley, Aldous (1894-1963)
McCarthy, Cormac (1933-2023)
Metaphysics
Novels
Reading
Religion
Spirituality
Traditions
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Summary:[...]a metaphysical perspective comes as natural to McCarthy's characters, who to a man possess a dim view of creation and rely upon experience rather than a religious intermediary to know the spiritual world. [...]McCarthy's work seemingly occurs in a world without divine benevolence, wherein characters strive to gain knowledge of their absent and indifferent creator. Chapter Two, for instance—"Suzerain of the Earth"—explores the mysterious Judge Holden, who has been a wellspring of curiosity for readers of Blood Meridian. More than the dozens of critical analyses that have been published regarding Holden, Mundik's chapter exposes the undergirding elements of his character, back to the B. C. E. era, even, linking him with the ancient and atavistic violence inherent to Blood Meridian.
ISSN:0743-6831
1549-3377
1549-3377
0038-321X
DOI:10.1353/scr.2018.0026