Blood Meridian

Perhaps one of the bleakest and bloodiest texts ever put to print, Blood Meridian is nevertheless a gripping read that hooks the reader and drags them on a bloody odyssey across the wild west. A historical epic, the text follows a nameless young protagonist drafted into the brutal Glanton Gang, cutting a bloody swathe across Mexico, under the eyes of the violent Glanton and his enigmatic,terrifying right-hand man: Judge Holden. McCarthy approaches this period with crushing realism, shining a light on the most brutal and cruel aspects of the era.  There are no good cowboys, no chivalrous lone gunmen, and certainly no heroes.

A book decidedly not for the faint of heart, grappling with pitch black concepts, but a literary masterpiece for those willing to brave it.