A Bloody and Barbarous God: The Metaphysics of Cormac McCarthy

by Petra Mundik

A Bloody and Barbarous God investigates the relationship between gnosticism, a system of thought that argues that the cosmos is evil and that the human spirit must strive for liberation from manifest existence, and the perennial philosophy, a study of the highest common factor in all esoteric religions, and how these traditions have influenced the later novels of Cormac McCarthy, namely, Blood Meridian , All the Pretty Horses , The Crossing , Cities of the Plain , No Country for Old Men , and The Road . Mundik argues that McCarthy continually strives to evolve an explanatory theodicy throughout his work and that his novels are, to a lesser or greater extent, concerned with the meaning of human existence in relation to the presence of evil and the nature of the divine.

Genres: Literary Criticism

432 pages, Hardcover

Published May 15, 2016

Reviews

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and fascinating read of the later works in McCarthy's corpus. Her basic insight, that McCarthy's work reflects a deep preoccupation with Gnostic, Christian, and Buddhist metaphysics, seems right, albeit strained at some points throughout the book. Overall, Mundik is an astoundingly attentive reader, drawing out McCarthy's deep insight from a seemingly random textual detail. Her readings of Blood Meridian (which occupies around a third of the book) and The Road are particularly impressive. This is a must read for anyone interested in a philosophical/theological reading of McCarthy's literature.

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far too dependent on a Gnostic reading of McCarthy which seems to me to be a common (and misguided) trope among not theologically trained literary critics of his novels. McCarthy strikes me as writing theodicy that only makes sense within a somewhat Augustinian framework. If Gnosticism is undergirding it all, the grotesque in his novels “fits”; but he writes them in such a way that the reader knows it doesn’t and shouldn’t. McCarthy’s evil is a humanly-perpetuated affront to otherwise good creation, not the logical result of a wicked demiurge who made an evil material world. The evil in his novels is illogical and incomprehensible, that’s precisely the point. But on a Gnostic reading, the evil would make sense because a wicked god is behind it all. For that an other reasons, Gnosticism can’t underlay McCarthy’s metaphysics and so this book is misguided from the start.

See *In A Vision of the Night: Job, Cormac McCarthy, and the Challenge of Chaos* by Philip S. Thomas for a far better assessment of McCarthy’s theological worldview.

[Richard Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPERB EXEGESIS OF McCARTHY'S GNOSTICISM AND MYSTICISM
This is a superb work of literary analysis by Petra Mundik, a painstaking exegesis. I have recently read all the books she analyzes, so they are fresh in my mind:

Blood Meridian,
All the Pretty Horses,
The Crossing,
Cities of the Plain,
No Country for Old Men, and
The Road.

Mundik focuses on both gnostic and mystic symbolism. I daresay no one could deny the centrality of both to McCarthy after reading this book. She carefully defines the categories at the outset. By mysticism she means what Aldous Huxley called "The Perennial Philosophy," which is an experience of the divine beyond any dogmas. Eventually she reveals that there are two versions of gnosticism, and she finds both in various passages. Both are dark visions of the world.

I'm sure Cormac McCarthy would prefer that readers just read his novels and draw their own conclusions. But I find that Mundik's critical exegesis deepens my understanding and appreciation of some of the best and most important writing of our time.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole book is incredible. But her analysis of The Road's epilogue is absolutely damn golden . . . the way she relates it to William Blake's "The Sick Rose" has got to be my favorite moment in a critical text ever.

[Will Hemby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phewww.. a doozie, but a great deep dive into the spiritual elements of McCarthy’s Southwest novels. If you can stomach lengthy academic writing, this is well worth the time. Excited to go back on Blood Meridian and others with this added perspective.

[Peter Hilsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough reading for the layman but provided an in-depth explanation of the philosophy in McCarthy's writings.

[Dan Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5