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Southwestern Writers Collection Series, The Wittliff Collections
Notes on Blood Meridian
Blood Meridian (1985), Cormac McCarthy’s epic tale of an otherwise nameless “kid” who in his teens joins a gang of licensed scalp hunters whose marauding adventures take place across Texas, Chihuahua, Sonora, Arizona, and California during 1849 and 1850, is widely considered to be one of the finest novels of the Old West, as well as McCarthy’s greatest work. The New York Times Book Review ranked it third in a 2006 survey of the “best work of American fiction published in the last twenty-five years,” and in 2005 Time chose it as one of the 100 best novels published since 1923. Yet Blood Meridian’s complexity, as well as its sheer bloodiness, makes it difficult for some readers. To guide all its readers and help them appreciate the novel’s wealth of historically verifiable characters, places, and events, John Sepich compiled what has become the classic reference work, Notes on BLOOD MERIDIAN. Tracing many of the nineteenth-century primary sources that McCarthy used, Notes uncovers the historical roots of Blood Meridian. Originally published in 1993, Notes remained in print for only a few years and has become highly sought-after in the rare book market, with used copies selling for hundreds of dollars. In bringing the book back into print to make it more widely available, Sepich has revised and expanded Notes with a new preface and two new essays that explore key themes and issues in the work. This amplified edition of Notes on BLOOD MERIDIAN is the essential guide for all who seek a fuller understanding and appreciation of McCarthy’s finest work.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 25, 2010
If you are a fan of 'Blood Meridian' this is a must-read. It's basically the recipe for McCarthy's book, characters and events separated and traced back through books and history.
It's one of those wonderful books that dramatically increases your reading list.
For example, one of the main inspirations for 'Blood Meridian' seems to be a confession written by one Samuel Chamberlain, who rode with Glanton's gang and survived the Yuma ferry massacre, a source which is the only historical reference to the terrifying Judge Holden. What Chamberlain has to say about Holden is eery. At one point Chamberlain scoffs at Holden's queer ideas about time and geology, composed of millions of years and a departure from the rest of the gang's 19th century notions of time. Chamberlain describes him as a renaissance man, as able with languages and music and as violent and perverse as McCarthy's character. Holden later steals Chamberlain's horse and threatens that they will all hang before disappearing into history.
Even the meteorite anvil that the Judge lifts over his head is a real artifact present in Arizona in two travel narratives noted here.
These are just a few examples, every important aspect of the book is referenced with past documents.
You also get listings and translations of all the non-English portions of the novel, with annotations on obscure words.
As well as mapping of the character's travels.
And themed concordances.
A whole essay on the Judge's recipe for gunpowder!
The author's postulating on McCarthy's use of Tarot symbolism might overreach, but his points are well-researched if not completely convincing.
I enjoyed reading this book more than 'Blood Meridian', but it has convinced me to reread the novel, since it does such a wonderful job of putting McCarthy's book in historical perspective, and demonstrating the patience and care he took in writing it.
It's one of those wonderful books that dramatically increases your reading list.
For example, one of the main inspirations for 'Blood Meridian' seems to be a confession written by one Samuel Chamberlain, who rode with Glanton's gang and survived the Yuma ferry massacre, a source which is the only historical reference to the terrifying Judge Holden. What Chamberlain has to say about Holden is eery. At one point Chamberlain scoffs at Holden's queer ideas about time and geology, composed of millions of years and a departure from the rest of the gang's 19th century notions of time. Chamberlain describes him as a renaissance man, as able with languages and music and as violent and perverse as McCarthy's character. Holden later steals Chamberlain's horse and threatens that they will all hang before disappearing into history.
Even the meteorite anvil that the Judge lifts over his head is a real artifact present in Arizona in two travel narratives noted here.
These are just a few examples, every important aspect of the book is referenced with past documents.
You also get listings and translations of all the non-English portions of the novel, with annotations on obscure words.
As well as mapping of the character's travels.
And themed concordances.
A whole essay on the Judge's recipe for gunpowder!
The author's postulating on McCarthy's use of Tarot symbolism might overreach, but his points are well-researched if not completely convincing.
I enjoyed reading this book more than 'Blood Meridian', but it has convinced me to reread the novel, since it does such a wonderful job of putting McCarthy's book in historical perspective, and demonstrating the patience and care he took in writing it.
April 15, 2021
Fantastic notes, background, details and essays on Blood Meridian. So interesting, I will read this many more times in my life.
April 22, 2025
This book is kinda like doing really hard homework but on a subject you already love. Adds a lot of context for the original book because it shows the frankly, psychologically distressing amount of research that went into making Blood Meridian.
Provides historical context for some of characters and their inspirations. Explains the geographical phenomena the go on throughout 1833-1878. Shows us what was happening politically and economically in that period of time through the Southern and Western part of the Americas and even helps us delve into the psychology of the characters. And it does this all using the many, MANY books that cover this time period and references them throughout.
That being said, it was uhh… a little tough to read, and that’s being charitable. I can’t really tell if some of the wording choices are stupid are not because I don’t think i’m smart enough to know better. I feel like if you’re compilation of notes are this dense with esoteric language then maybe you should write a “Notes on my notes” book and publish it 😵💫😶🌫️
A fun read if you ever heard “Did you know BM was based on a true story !?” and thought to yourself “what in the fuck, there’s no way that’s true”
Provides historical context for some of characters and their inspirations. Explains the geographical phenomena the go on throughout 1833-1878. Shows us what was happening politically and economically in that period of time through the Southern and Western part of the Americas and even helps us delve into the psychology of the characters. And it does this all using the many, MANY books that cover this time period and references them throughout.
That being said, it was uhh… a little tough to read, and that’s being charitable. I can’t really tell if some of the wording choices are stupid are not because I don’t think i’m smart enough to know better. I feel like if you’re compilation of notes are this dense with esoteric language then maybe you should write a “Notes on my notes” book and publish it 😵💫😶🌫️
A fun read if you ever heard “Did you know BM was based on a true story !?” and thought to yourself “what in the fuck, there’s no way that’s true”
January 2, 2016
Long out of print, I was thrilled to pick up a copy of the UT Press reissue after paging through a copy at the Witliff Collection. Throughout the book, Sepich quotes extensively from primary sources used by McCarthy in constructing his masterpiece. There are a few iffy bits, such as describing Opuntia as barrel cactus when the genus covers various cacti, including prickly pear, and questionable examinations of the occult and symbology. Sepich's rambling essays are speculative, unconvincing and of baffling organization. But the contemporary accounts of the Yuma ferry massacre and assorted descriptions of John Joel Glanton will shatter any Cormackian's mind. From the introduction we learn that McCarthy read several hundred books in preparation of Blood Meridian and that the two corresponded. I highly recommend the book as a window into McCarthy's creative process and I hope any fan with check out Sepich's website which provides concordances for all of McCarthy's ouevre.
May 16, 2023
Notes On Blood Meridian by John Sepich is a book with ten chapters explaining the history behind Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy's historical fiction novel following the events of the Glanton Gang in 1849-1850 after an unnamed protagonist, the kid, joins up during a period of extreme turbulence and violence when scalps garnered rewards by the government.
I'll list the chapters for context:
Chapter 1: Introductions
Chapter 2: Biographies
Chapter 3: Settings and Sources
Chapter 4: Addenda
Chapter 5: Tarot and Divination
Chapter 6: Judge Holden's Gunpowder
Chapter 7: Knitting the Winds
Chapter 8: Why Believe the Judge?
Chapter 9: Concordances
Chapter 10: Massacre Accounts
I most enjoyed learning about the biographies behind the characters that were based on true people (Reverend Green, Judge Holden, John Joel Glanton, Sarah Borginnis) and the settings and sources explanations that delved into the history. Sam Chamberlain's account of the Glanton Gang, My Confession, is fascinating.
I loved Chapter 5 which explained the tarot reading that occurred in chapter 7 of Blood Meridian; it was great to learn more about the foreshadowing and meaning of the tarot cards (the four of cups, the Fool, the four of wands, the Chariot and the High Priestess). I enjoyed the detailed analysis of Judge Holden in Chapter 6 relating him to the devil. I also enjoyed how John Sepich explained McCarthy's sources and what he read while preparing to write this novel.
Blood Meridian is a novel with deep symbolism, metaphor, irony, dark humor, excellent writing, great language, unique style and a horrifying history. I appreciate Sepich for compiling all of this information and offering his own views and analysis.
I'll list the chapters for context:
Chapter 1: Introductions
Chapter 2: Biographies
Chapter 3: Settings and Sources
Chapter 4: Addenda
Chapter 5: Tarot and Divination
Chapter 6: Judge Holden's Gunpowder
Chapter 7: Knitting the Winds
Chapter 8: Why Believe the Judge?
Chapter 9: Concordances
Chapter 10: Massacre Accounts
I most enjoyed learning about the biographies behind the characters that were based on true people (Reverend Green, Judge Holden, John Joel Glanton, Sarah Borginnis) and the settings and sources explanations that delved into the history. Sam Chamberlain's account of the Glanton Gang, My Confession, is fascinating.
I loved Chapter 5 which explained the tarot reading that occurred in chapter 7 of Blood Meridian; it was great to learn more about the foreshadowing and meaning of the tarot cards (the four of cups, the Fool, the four of wands, the Chariot and the High Priestess). I enjoyed the detailed analysis of Judge Holden in Chapter 6 relating him to the devil. I also enjoyed how John Sepich explained McCarthy's sources and what he read while preparing to write this novel.
Blood Meridian is a novel with deep symbolism, metaphor, irony, dark humor, excellent writing, great language, unique style and a horrifying history. I appreciate Sepich for compiling all of this information and offering his own views and analysis.
December 19, 2014
In 2006 the New York Times Book Review ranked Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian 3rd in a 2006 survey of the best American fiction since WWII. But the book's vernacular, complexity, and gory subject matter make it a daunting task for most readers (unless you're a masochist like me). Enter John Sepich's Notes On...Blood Meridian, a vital tool to understanding some of the book's arcane symbolism, historical context, and it's most difficult passages.
Complete with biographies of all the real players, including The Judge and John Glanton, Notes On also has every translation from Spanish to English, essays on themes, and speculation on meanings. I learned so much more about Blood Meridian and the wealth of its rich details, it's a testament to McCarthy's power that it was one of my favorite novels already. If you've been mystified by this masterwork and want to know more about, well, all things Blood Meridian, you must beg borrow or steal this book.
Complete with biographies of all the real players, including The Judge and John Glanton, Notes On also has every translation from Spanish to English, essays on themes, and speculation on meanings. I learned so much more about Blood Meridian and the wealth of its rich details, it's a testament to McCarthy's power that it was one of my favorite novels already. If you've been mystified by this masterwork and want to know more about, well, all things Blood Meridian, you must beg borrow or steal this book.
January 9, 2022
After my second run through Blood Meridian I was searching for a map showing the gang's travels throughout the South West and I saw someone mention this book. I'm so glad I came across it because it adds so much to the fevered experience of reading Blood Meridian. The places, the people, the history - if you had told me what parts of the book were based on reality I wouldn't have believed you until I read John Sepich's detailed investigation of McCarthy's probable sources. Some of the latter essays are a bit too academic for me (I'm not sure what Jung really adds to out understanding of Holden) but this is just my preference. If you have read Blood Meridian at least twice you will definitely enjoy this collection. And if you've only read it once - read it again and then buy 'Notes on Blood Meridian'.
November 3, 2021
Minus the overly-indulgent Jungian speculative interpretation in the latter part of the book, the author’s exhaustive compilation of the historical records, articles, memoirs and trivia that constitute the background of McCarthy’s opus makes this a worthwhile read.
Knowing the historical basis for McCarthy’s depiction of Judge Holden, the Glanton gang, the chronological events and geographical settings will greatly enrich a re-reading of Blood Meridian and a newly established respect for Cormac’s creative mining and use of the available resources.
Knowing the historical basis for McCarthy’s depiction of Judge Holden, the Glanton gang, the chronological events and geographical settings will greatly enrich a re-reading of Blood Meridian and a newly established respect for Cormac’s creative mining and use of the available resources.
October 3, 2015
This book has its origins in a master thesis. It is structured and reads as such. Its academic structure, conforms the information and channels its intellect. This book is insight for novices. For the expert, for the one who has visited the dire realms of the "Blood Meridian" the insights are nuanced and enlightening.
September 8, 2011
certainly one of the more eclectic and discursive reader's guides i've come across. well worth it for fans.
November 5, 2013
Doing battle with the Judge.
February 21, 2018
A very well-researched book that taught me a lot, even though I can't help arguing with its conclusions.
May 20, 2025
Book about a book but just Wild the amount of historical detail in novel. Information travels faster today but richer in a novel. Spooky world. Tarot and divination. Gunpowder. Why believe the judge. Vast void egghead. Never sleeps. He says that he will never die. Before man was, war waited for him. Parts of this are a skim but rich novel. Felt like there was a secular modernism buffered vs pre model porousness reading of it all. Rational vs irrational.
Final words:
Holden is as psychologically human as a book character can be. Paradoxically, he is compelling precisely because he does not change, whereas fictional characters should capture our interest only when they do change. The war game that is the “vast abhorrence of the judge” will waltz us through cycle after cycle. Holden, like war, kills children without a twinge. Those political leaders who now act with incredibly conscious planning, who shower us with arguments of destiny, redress, security—call it what they will—toss us the lures of wishful projection, and in the world-frame the eventualities are horrifying. That men and women are at their finest for these causes—and they are, foot by bloody foot, friend by bloody friend—is as true as it is heartbreaking. Holden is right: judgment is in us eternally.
It’s a book so true I can’t stand it. It’s a book everyone should read. Face the judge. Find a way to stop him. Neumann had his say:
Not until the differentiation into races, nations, tribes, and groups has, by a process of integral personality today experiences as his own self-center, to be one with humanity’s very self, whose coming to birth will finally vanquish and cast out that old serpent, the primordial uroboric dragon. (418)
Two people, two wills, two judgments, will choose each in its own favor: blood ties will spill other bloods. What would Darwin have said of war? Said what Holden said, probably.
Pay attention. Look at him. Don’t say he has no presence, he “ain’t nothing.”
Say something else.
Final words:
Holden is as psychologically human as a book character can be. Paradoxically, he is compelling precisely because he does not change, whereas fictional characters should capture our interest only when they do change. The war game that is the “vast abhorrence of the judge” will waltz us through cycle after cycle. Holden, like war, kills children without a twinge. Those political leaders who now act with incredibly conscious planning, who shower us with arguments of destiny, redress, security—call it what they will—toss us the lures of wishful projection, and in the world-frame the eventualities are horrifying. That men and women are at their finest for these causes—and they are, foot by bloody foot, friend by bloody friend—is as true as it is heartbreaking. Holden is right: judgment is in us eternally.
It’s a book so true I can’t stand it. It’s a book everyone should read. Face the judge. Find a way to stop him. Neumann had his say:
Not until the differentiation into races, nations, tribes, and groups has, by a process of integral personality today experiences as his own self-center, to be one with humanity’s very self, whose coming to birth will finally vanquish and cast out that old serpent, the primordial uroboric dragon. (418)
Two people, two wills, two judgments, will choose each in its own favor: blood ties will spill other bloods. What would Darwin have said of war? Said what Holden said, probably.
Pay attention. Look at him. Don’t say he has no presence, he “ain’t nothing.”
Say something else.
October 30, 2024
A fantastic ressource for fans of blood meridian that wants to deepdive into especially the historical context but also some examinations of thematics and symbolism in the novel. Sepich attempts the daunting task of answering the question of what is the novel all about. And very respectfully he offers several lenses to view the characters and the themes through
This book is a deepdive. I found some parts read a bit dry as it lists historical facts for even side characters , multiple accounts of events, etc etc and mind you that BM is my favorite book of all time. Only reason for not giving it five stars is on account of the readabimitt of those chapters not being very animated. But i am glad they are there and i had many significant disvoceries that i wasnt aware of.
I really enjoyed the chapters that speculate into the themes and how McCarthy brings to life a story larger than itself weaving together numerous thematic threads from archaic symbology, faust, jung, and how we may come to terms with what or who judge holden represents.
I especially liked the chapters on divination and tarot, and on jungs archetype and thoughts on representation of conscious ans unconscious characteristics of Holden and the Kid. Also on why Holden caries such animosity towards the kid, and why he feels the kid betrayed the gang. If you have BM in your top 5 and you sre historically interested, it is a cant-miss book
This book is a deepdive. I found some parts read a bit dry as it lists historical facts for even side characters , multiple accounts of events, etc etc and mind you that BM is my favorite book of all time. Only reason for not giving it five stars is on account of the readabimitt of those chapters not being very animated. But i am glad they are there and i had many significant disvoceries that i wasnt aware of.
I really enjoyed the chapters that speculate into the themes and how McCarthy brings to life a story larger than itself weaving together numerous thematic threads from archaic symbology, faust, jung, and how we may come to terms with what or who judge holden represents.
I especially liked the chapters on divination and tarot, and on jungs archetype and thoughts on representation of conscious ans unconscious characteristics of Holden and the Kid. Also on why Holden caries such animosity towards the kid, and why he feels the kid betrayed the gang. If you have BM in your top 5 and you sre historically interested, it is a cant-miss book
July 2, 2019
A prime example of how intense over-analysis can be so far removed from the source material as to scratch one's head, yet make the book all the more interesting.
I honestly don't like the structure and format to the book, but that's a small sleight.
One one hand, I see Blood Meridian as a realistic, grotesque and visceral summary of the "true" West. It's not romantic, there is no justice, only the strong survive by being terrible brutes, etc.
This book starts seeing ideas like there being meaning in the kids journey. It's not quite a hero's journey (especially with that ending) but perhaps not something so inherently nihilistic. It infers the path is following the tarot. Harold Bloom (not contained within this text) has his interesting Gnostic Archon theory.
To me, these notions are fun--but they're adding mythology to a largely tragic but straightforward story. When supplemented with "Books Are Made Out of Other Books" these concepts did not appear to be something McCarthy had notes on...so they're a stretch.
This book is well-regarded, but it comes off a bit like literary fan theory to me.
I honestly don't like the structure and format to the book, but that's a small sleight.
One one hand, I see Blood Meridian as a realistic, grotesque and visceral summary of the "true" West. It's not romantic, there is no justice, only the strong survive by being terrible brutes, etc.
This book starts seeing ideas like there being meaning in the kids journey. It's not quite a hero's journey (especially with that ending) but perhaps not something so inherently nihilistic. It infers the path is following the tarot. Harold Bloom (not contained within this text) has his interesting Gnostic Archon theory.
To me, these notions are fun--but they're adding mythology to a largely tragic but straightforward story. When supplemented with "Books Are Made Out of Other Books" these concepts did not appear to be something McCarthy had notes on...so they're a stretch.
This book is well-regarded, but it comes off a bit like literary fan theory to me.
October 13, 2020
During my second read of Blood Meridian, I wanted to better understand the route the gang takes. I found an image of a map online and that led me to the book it came from: Notes on Blood Meridian. I immediately ordered it and hoped it would give me more insight into the book's themes and meaning.
While the book does greatly help one understand of some of the book's origin stories and the (possibly) real-life characters and events Blood Meridian draws upon, I found myself disappointed with some of the reaching the author did around the tarot cards and some of the other leaps he made about the meaning of events or dialogue. I scratched my head a few times at the attempts to ascribe meaning to what I thought obvious and it lacked any real inspection into the larger themes of the book which I don't find obvious (hence wanting to read this book), at least in any way that resonated with me. It's an interesting read for the history, the aforementioned map, a deeper inspection of the Judge and the section that translates every Spanish line of text into English. Definitely some valuable and enjoyable information, just not as much as I hoped.
While the book does greatly help one understand of some of the book's origin stories and the (possibly) real-life characters and events Blood Meridian draws upon, I found myself disappointed with some of the reaching the author did around the tarot cards and some of the other leaps he made about the meaning of events or dialogue. I scratched my head a few times at the attempts to ascribe meaning to what I thought obvious and it lacked any real inspection into the larger themes of the book which I don't find obvious (hence wanting to read this book), at least in any way that resonated with me. It's an interesting read for the history, the aforementioned map, a deeper inspection of the Judge and the section that translates every Spanish line of text into English. Definitely some valuable and enjoyable information, just not as much as I hoped.
February 21, 2021
This book is a compendium of literary criticism and background information about Cormac McCarthy's magnum opus, Blood Meridian. The contents of the book are divided into ten chapters with the first three providing an introduction, biographies of some of the main characters, and a discussion of the settings and sources for the novel. The remainder of the book includes topical essays; an addenda with translations of portions of the text that are in Spanish, French, and German; and a concordance of words and phrases, concluding with some accounts of historical massacres that are the basis for that aspect of the novel.
Needless to say, this is not a traditional work of literary criticism, but it provides a lot of valuable information for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the sources and potential meanings of the events described in Blood Meridian. That was my experience as I read it in conjunction with a rereading of the novel. It successfully fulfills the mission suggested by the title, Notes on Blood Meridian.
Needless to say, this is not a traditional work of literary criticism, but it provides a lot of valuable information for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the sources and potential meanings of the events described in Blood Meridian. That was my experience as I read it in conjunction with a rereading of the novel. It successfully fulfills the mission suggested by the title, Notes on Blood Meridian.
June 15, 2023
I started this, after bumping into it, right after reading Blood Meridian. It was a slow read, as I was carefully reading all the footnotes and references as I went. After the news of McCarthy's death this week, I went back and finished it.
"Notes" presents a thorough model of literary and historical analysis of sources. Reading Blood Meridian, and I have read a lot of 'western' books over the years, including several of McCarthy's, floods one with unrelenting bloodshed and mindless violence. Sort of like the US today.
"Notes" presents a thorough model of literary and historical analysis of sources. Reading Blood Meridian, and I have read a lot of 'western' books over the years, including several of McCarthy's, floods one with unrelenting bloodshed and mindless violence. Sort of like the US today.
January 9, 2021
This is a bit of a tough one to review. I got a lot of value out of it, but the first two chapters and the final chapter were incredibly dry. I actually almost put the book down because of how uninterested I was in chapters 1 and 2. I'm glad I stuck with it but I really only feel that the middle chapters were worth reading.
September 13, 2022
A very enjoyable piece of literary criticism. This is the first time I came across the idea of the "dance of death" as 'divination' in the text("God will not love ye forever."). It really helped me gain a deeper understanding of the book as a whole. This text also tracks a lot of the non-fiction sources for characters and events in Blood Meridian.
May 30, 2023
в ідеалі цю книженцію треба одразу додавати до "Кривавого меридіану", щоб читач розумів контексти роману (передусім історичний + ще тарологічний). Сепік часто аж надто докладно занурюється в те, звідки і як Маккарті вкрав слово, персонажа чи сцену, але це доводить, яку ґрунтовну роботу провів письменник, пишучи свій маґнум опус.
July 4, 2020
Great information about what sources McCarthy used to inform Blood Meridian and includes some interesting pieces on specific aspects of Blood Meridian. For example, there is an essay on the Tarot imagery and symbolism included in Blood Meridian. A must read for any fan of Evening Redness.
Want to read
July 28, 20197/28/19 Found it in a comment in a Better Than Food vlog review of Blood Meridian
October 28, 2019
An amazing resource. The introduction alone (in which he discusses talking to McCarthy on the phone) is worth the price.
June 21, 2020
Very in-depth and insightful. Makes me realize I understood even less about Blood Meridian than I suspected. Good times!
Read
July 28, 2022A great companion read for the book, I don't give star ratings to lit crit tho...
October 11, 2023
Now I understand Blood Meridian
John Sepich - these notes are essential to understand Blood Meridian. I recommend Aaron Gwyn substack 'The Night Must End' as well.
John Sepich - these notes are essential to understand Blood Meridian. I recommend Aaron Gwyn substack 'The Night Must End' as well.
December 27, 2023
It's absolutely insane how many of the events depicted in Blood Meridian really happened. This book is required reading if you want to know more about the worst people.
January 24, 2024
I know more about Blood Meridian than you do. F*ck you.
Read
October 12, 2024Very insightful notes on Blood Meridian. Highly recommended for anyone who might want to delve deeper in the subtext of one of the greatest books ever written.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews