June 22nd, 2009 / 10:49 am
 Excerpts

Talkin’ Blood Meridian: The Harold Bloom Onion A/V Club Interview

Wonder and delight!!!! (Also: Terror and violence!!!!)

Recently The Onion chose Blood Meridian for their Wrapped Up in Books feature, and then they decided to kick things to the next level by calling up Harold Bloom to talk about it with them in an Onion A/V Club interview not to be missed. And what are the first words out of Professor Bloom’s mouth? “I read it on the recommendation of a friend, Gordon Lish, a New York book editor and a specialist in fiction”

It’s Monday morning and I love life, not just because of the above, but the above sure as damn doesn’t hurt. One more money quote (they’re all money quotes) then you need to go click through and read the whole thing.

The first time I read Blood Meridian, I was so appalled that while I was held, I gave up after about 60 pages. I don’t think I was feeling very well then anyway; my health was going through a bad time, and it was more than I could take. But it intrigued me, because there was no question about the quality of the writing, which is stunning. So I went back a second time, and I got, I don’t remember… 140, 150 pages, and then, I think it was the Judge who got me. He was beginning to give me nightmares just as he gives the kid nightmares. And then the third time, it went off like a shot. I went straight through it and was exhilarated.

Tags: , ,

36 Comments

  1. June 22nd, 2009 / 3:56 pm andy.riverbed—

      i liked that interview.

  2. June 22nd, 2009 / 11:56 am andy.riverbed—

      i liked that interview.

  3. June 22nd, 2009 / 4:08 pm Shya—

      Yes, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

  4. June 22nd, 2009 / 12:08 pm Shya—

      Yes, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

  5. June 22nd, 2009 / 4:54 pm KevinS—

      As of right now, there are 331 comments on that piece. Literary discussion is not dead.

  6. June 22nd, 2009 / 12:54 pm KevinS—

      As of right now, there are 331 comments on that piece. Literary discussion is not dead.

  7. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:02 pm larry—

      I was suggesting Blood Meridian to a friend and flipped through the Modern Library version that has a Harold Bloom intro. Homey drops the biggest spoiler bomb in the second paragraph. It made me a tad angry. So to those out there who haven’t read B.M. watch out….

  8. June 22nd, 2009 / 1:02 pm larry—

      I was suggesting Blood Meridian to a friend and flipped through the Modern Library version that has a Harold Bloom intro. Homey drops the biggest spoiler bomb in the second paragraph. It made me a tad angry. So to those out there who haven’t read B.M. watch out….

  9. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:32 pm Ken Baumann—

      I’m on my 2nd try of it, too. It makes me feel better to think that even the obsessive Bloom would poop out a few times.

  10. June 22nd, 2009 / 1:32 pm Ken Baumann—

      I’m on my 2nd try of it, too. It makes me feel better to think that even the obsessive Bloom would poop out a few times.

  11. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:40 pm Nathan Tyree—

      That is a beautiful interview

  12. June 22nd, 2009 / 1:40 pm Nathan Tyree—

      That is a beautiful interview

  13. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:54 pm Nathan Tyree—

      And some of it counts as actual, intelligent commentary and discussion. This makes me happy.

  14. June 22nd, 2009 / 1:54 pm Nathan Tyree—

      And some of it counts as actual, intelligent commentary and discussion. This makes me happy.

  15. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:55 pm Justin Taylor—

      I made it through on the first try, but that was only after years of not being willing to try at all. Basically, I read it for the same reason Bloom did- Lish said it was important. For me the turning point was Chapter 4–which Bloom talks about in the interview: the first Apache raid. it’s Awe-some, in the Biblical sense.

  16. June 22nd, 2009 / 1:55 pm Justin Taylor—

      I made it through on the first try, but that was only after years of not being willing to try at all. Basically, I read it for the same reason Bloom did- Lish said it was important. For me the turning point was Chapter 4–which Bloom talks about in the interview: the first Apache raid. it’s Awe-some, in the Biblical sense.

  17. June 22nd, 2009 / 6:48 pm Lincoln—

      So brutal

  18. June 22nd, 2009 / 2:48 pm Lincoln—

      So brutal

  19. June 22nd, 2009 / 6:57 pm darby—

      i read bm it didn’t do much for me.

  20. June 22nd, 2009 / 2:57 pm darby—

      i read bm it didn’t do much for me.

  21. June 22nd, 2009 / 8:19 pm Nathan Tyree—

      really? any idea why?

  22. June 22nd, 2009 / 4:19 pm Nathan Tyree—

      really? any idea why?

  23. June 22nd, 2009 / 9:34 pm darby—

      i don’t know. not my thing. i mean i can acknowledge it as genius for what its doing with language and for what its portraying, but it didn’t move me or do anything for me the way it seems to do things to other people.

  24. June 22nd, 2009 / 5:34 pm darby—

      i don’t know. not my thing. i mean i can acknowledge it as genius for what its doing with language and for what its portraying, but it didn’t move me or do anything for me the way it seems to do things to other people.

  25. June 22nd, 2009 / 10:01 pm Nathan Tyree—

      Fair enough

  26. June 22nd, 2009 / 6:01 pm Nathan Tyree—

      Fair enough

  27. June 23rd, 2009 / 12:05 am jimmy j—

      oh come on. bloom is an ass. blood meridian is fantastic and gave me nightmares even after the third time, but the last thing in the world i want is to hear that guy blub on about it.

      he’s a ruiner. someone needs to unplug his hoverround.

  28. June 22nd, 2009 / 8:05 pm jimmy j—

      oh come on. bloom is an ass. blood meridian is fantastic and gave me nightmares even after the third time, but the last thing in the world i want is to hear that guy blub on about it.

      he’s a ruiner. someone needs to unplug his hoverround.

  29. June 23rd, 2009 / 12:24 am Lincoln—

      Bloom is an ass, but the awesome kind of ass.

  30. June 22nd, 2009 / 8:24 pm Lincoln—

      Bloom is an ass, but the awesome kind of ass.

  31. June 23rd, 2009 / 1:21 am Nathan (Nate) Tyree—

      Why do you think Bloom is an ass? This is a serious question. I find his commentary fascinating and infinitely readable.

  32. June 22nd, 2009 / 9:21 pm Nathan (Nate) Tyree—

      Why do you think Bloom is an ass? This is a serious question. I find his commentary fascinating and infinitely readable.

  33. June 23rd, 2009 / 6:42 am jimmy j—

      The guy is pompous and insufferable. He’s kind of witty and he has lots of cool friends, sure, but what kind of asshole reads Harry Potter and counts the cliches (http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/courses/205.03/bloom.html)?

      I wouldn’t sit across from him at the Pizza Hut lunch buffet, that’s all I’m saying.

  34. June 23rd, 2009 / 2:42 am jimmy j—

      The guy is pompous and insufferable. He’s kind of witty and he has lots of cool friends, sure, but what kind of asshole reads Harry Potter and counts the cliches (http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/courses/205.03/bloom.html)?

      I wouldn’t sit across from him at the Pizza Hut lunch buffet, that’s all I’m saying.

  35. June 23rd, 2009 / 9:17 pm reynard seifert—

      anyone else think contempo-bloom looks like a cross between eugene mirman and daniel johnston?

  36. June 23rd, 2009 / 5:17 pm reynard seifert—

      anyone else think contempo-bloom looks like a cross between eugene mirman and daniel johnston?