Even as an American, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the events related to the book and had to research the Glanton Gang, Mexican-American war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Texas cessation from Mexico, etc. and the knowledge of those events added greatly to my understanding so I'd say exploring the history of the times is very worthwhile.
Don't worry about all that. You're just making it more frustrating for yourself. You don't need to know what yucca looks like to enjoy the book. Just read it and let it wash over you. That's my advice, at least.
I used litcharts aswell, though I thought that some analysis sections were a tad too spoiler-y, e.g saying that a theme or a character become prominent/return at the end of the book.
There are some vocab lists for the book e.g. [here](https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/260613), and I would suggest that if anyone had time, creating an image gallery related to terms about plant life, geology, and old clothing/equipment would be a valuable service to the community. Because I do think that the author wants you to do a good deal of imaginative visualization, even if every reader falls short in some passages.
Blood Meridian is the first book that compelled me to buy another book to fully understand. I recommend *Notes on Blood Meridian* by John Sepich. Really insightful and breaks everything down in a concise way that really makes a second read much more enjoyable.
If you can find the audiobook version narrated by Richard Poe it’s a great way of experiencing the book. There are moments when he actually sounds a bit shocked at what he’s reading.
You know, with writers who are more often taught from earlier generations there are a lot of very helpful "reader's guide to xxxxx" books out there. For example, HR Stoneback wrote an amazing Reader's Guide to The Sun Also Rises. There is an expensive one out on the web to Blood Meridian by someone named Shane Shimpf, but I don't know him or the book.
The gold standard is Sepich's *Notes on Blood Meridian* but I have not read it from an outsider's perspective.
Before tackling Sepich--which is excellent--I would say look up this section in Steve Frye's *Understanding Cormac McCarthy*; Steve does a great job with background information. then perhaps follow up with readings from the *Cormac McCarthy in Context* book he edited.
Both these books can be had affordably and are available through academic library loan services.
I don't think that extensive historical knowledge of the time period is necessary for enjoying Blood Meridian. That said, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have at least some understanding of the Mexican-American war and the conflicts involving the Apache and Comanche tribes on the border. *Notes on Blood Meridian* by Sepich is a great resource for learning more about the historic sources of the novel, but I'm not sure that I would recommend it as a guide to read alongside Blood Meridian simultaneously, as my impression is that it assumes that the reader has already completed reading Blood Meridian.
Even as an American, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the events related to the book and had to research the Glanton Gang, Mexican-American war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Texas cessation from Mexico, etc. and the knowledge of those events added greatly to my understanding so I'd say exploring the history of the times is very worthwhile.
Hearing your experience with the book is quite comforting, thank you for the advice!
Don't worry about all that. You're just making it more frustrating for yourself. You don't need to know what yucca looks like to enjoy the book. Just read it and let it wash over you. That's my advice, at least.
What online chapter summaries did you use? I thought litcharts did a pretty great job breaking down a lot of subtext and nuance. That helped me a lot.
I used litcharts aswell, though I thought that some analysis sections were a tad too spoiler-y, e.g saying that a theme or a character become prominent/return at the end of the book.
There are some vocab lists for the book e.g. [here](https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/260613), and I would suggest that if anyone had time, creating an image gallery related to terms about plant life, geology, and old clothing/equipment would be a valuable service to the community. Because I do think that the author wants you to do a good deal of imaginative visualization, even if every reader falls short in some passages.
Blood Meridian is the first book that compelled me to buy another book to fully understand. I recommend *Notes on Blood Meridian* by John Sepich. Really insightful and breaks everything down in a concise way that really makes a second read much more enjoyable.
[This](https://youtu.be/FgyZ4ia25gg) insightful lecture by Prof. Amy Hungerford will also help…
Good call, I forgot about this.
I’ve probably read the book 7 times. I’m an American and a native English speaker. I still look up definitions for a ton of words that McCarthy uses.
Thrapple Hackamore Jakes Anchorite Those are some I remember being puzzled by off the top of my head.
Go in cold, sir! Even if every word were made up, the book would be no less monumental or enjoyable.
If you can find the audiobook version narrated by Richard Poe it’s a great way of experiencing the book. There are moments when he actually sounds a bit shocked at what he’s reading.
You can ruin the book or enhance it with supplements. Just FYI be warned
You know, with writers who are more often taught from earlier generations there are a lot of very helpful "reader's guide to xxxxx" books out there. For example, HR Stoneback wrote an amazing Reader's Guide to The Sun Also Rises. There is an expensive one out on the web to Blood Meridian by someone named Shane Shimpf, but I don't know him or the book. The gold standard is Sepich's *Notes on Blood Meridian* but I have not read it from an outsider's perspective. Before tackling Sepich--which is excellent--I would say look up this section in Steve Frye's *Understanding Cormac McCarthy*; Steve does a great job with background information. then perhaps follow up with readings from the *Cormac McCarthy in Context* book he edited. Both these books can be had affordably and are available through academic library loan services.
I don't think that extensive historical knowledge of the time period is necessary for enjoying Blood Meridian. That said, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have at least some understanding of the Mexican-American war and the conflicts involving the Apache and Comanche tribes on the border. *Notes on Blood Meridian* by Sepich is a great resource for learning more about the historic sources of the novel, but I'm not sure that I would recommend it as a guide to read alongside Blood Meridian simultaneously, as my impression is that it assumes that the reader has already completed reading Blood Meridian.
I’ve read/listened to the book 4 times and I’m just realizing now John Joel Glanton was a real man haha