Blood Meridian

[Cheshire]

I just finished reading this book and am a little bit confused. What I get out of the book is that it is the story of a violent kid growing up to be a lot less violent. The Kid becomes less violent as a result of seeing the massive amounts of violence done by the members of the scalping party he is a part of. For example at the beginning he fights a stranger solely for being in his way (the fight in the mud) and at the end he puts up with the kid from the buffalo bones gathering party calling him a liar and gives the kid every chance not to get killed.

I really do not understand the ending where the judge rambles on about dancing then the Kid leaves and the judge is waiting for him somewhere. Am I supposed to assume that they fight to the death or something? I also do not understand what is happening in the epilogue.

On a side note it seems like the Judge keeps people for pets a few times throughout the book am I supposed to get something out of this? People he keeps as pets: the little Indian boy, the young girl at the ferry and then the idiot.

Generally, I am a bit confused why people love this book. Also is there some major thing I am missing?