July 19th, 2009 / 11:58 pm
Random
Blake Butler
Random
Which Kind of Bitch Are You? Wise Blood or Child of God
Inspired today by Lincoln Michel’s tweet: ‘Kryptonite or Stay Fly?,’ over which I’ve been conflicted all day (and all night), another question for ya’lls, perhaps the first in a series of ‘WKoBaY’ heads up battles:
OR 
?
And yet again, if you can sway me on this one, I’d like to hear it (though I think in the end I have go to with my hometown boy over my #1 clique):
OR
?
Tags: child of god, wise blood
I didn’t watch either of those videos, and I either don’t like or else don’t understand how you’re using the word “bitch,” but between Wise Blood and Child of God, I had a lot more fun reading Wise Blood, and I think I got more out of it too. The problem with the early McCarthy novels is that they’re SO proud of themselves as fables that they forget to actually be about anything. This doesn’t matter so much in the later books, especially Blood Meridian, where the language and story are both so powerful that they’re simply transcendent. But the early McCarthy is a lot of training wheels, and working to move forward from where Faulkner left off. At least to me. And not to suggest that starting where Faulkner left off is some mean feat– it’s a triumph in itself, that that’s his baseline, but I think Outer Dark and Child of God are both novels I had more fun thinking about afterwards than I did while I was reading them.
I didn’t watch either of those videos, and I either don’t like or else don’t understand how you’re using the word “bitch,” but between Wise Blood and Child of God, I had a lot more fun reading Wise Blood, and I think I got more out of it too. The problem with the early McCarthy novels is that they’re SO proud of themselves as fables that they forget to actually be about anything. This doesn’t matter so much in the later books, especially Blood Meridian, where the language and story are both so powerful that they’re simply transcendent. But the early McCarthy is a lot of training wheels, and working to move forward from where Faulkner left off. At least to me. And not to suggest that starting where Faulkner left off is some mean feat– it’s a triumph in itself, that that’s his baseline, but I think Outer Dark and Child of God are both novels I had more fun thinking about afterwards than I did while I was reading them.
Kryptonite
Wise Blood
Kryptonite
Wise Blood
bitches, in this context, is a term of endearment for someone showing loyalty.
i can see your stance on the early mccarthy of orchard keeper and outer dark, but i think child of god is its own thing, if still very different from where he’d end up. i never really got the faulkner crossover from him either. but i think i can see what you are saying nonetheless.
at the same time, wise blood seems incomplete to me, whereas with child of god i will never forget.
bitches, in this context, is a term of endearment for someone showing loyalty.
i can see your stance on the early mccarthy of orchard keeper and outer dark, but i think child of god is its own thing, if still very different from where he’d end up. i never really got the faulkner crossover from him either. but i think i can see what you are saying nonetheless.
at the same time, wise blood seems incomplete to me, whereas with child of god i will never forget.
I like the idea of Flannery O’Connor writing against her moral center and all, but find very little pleasure in her sentences. Early McCarthy up through Blood Meridian is pure pleasure for me on every level.
I like the idea of Flannery O’Connor writing against her moral center and all, but find very little pleasure in her sentences. Early McCarthy up through Blood Meridian is pure pleasure for me on every level.
agreed. sentence level, he eats her conflicted head.
agreed. sentence level, he eats her conflicted head.
COG
COG
haha
uh, I think I’m going with kim:
Kryptonite and Wise Blood
haha
uh, I think I’m going with kim:
Kryptonite and Wise Blood
Wait, maybe Stay Fly and Child of God.
Wait, maybe Stay Fly and Child of God.
haha
haha
i think its gotta be stay fly and child of god
i think its gotta be stay fly and child of god
Those have to be the two most bumping southern club bangers entirely about weed. I listened to both about 4 times on my commute to work just now.
It has been a long time since I read wise blood and I hate to admit that as much as I love McCarthy I haven’t read Child of God. Guess I need to get on that.
Those have to be the two most bumping southern club bangers entirely about weed. I listened to both about 4 times on my commute to work just now.
It has been a long time since I read wise blood and I hate to admit that as much as I love McCarthy I haven’t read Child of God. Guess I need to get on that.
Tuesdays with Morrie and Self Destruction by the Stop the Violence Movement.
Tuesdays with Morrie and Self Destruction by the Stop the Violence Movement.
i really like the record “children of god” by swans
i really like the record “children of god” by swans
great band
great band
The Power of Now and Dream On by Aerosmith.
The Power of Now and Dream On by Aerosmith.
Wise Blood isn’t O’Connor writing against her moral center. It’s a conversion novel, about the special kinds of grace to be found at the lowest depths of human misery. Her other novel is *much* darker and morally complex, if only because it asserts that at a certain level, if the cost of certain Christian rituals–specifically, the Baptism–is to be charged in blood, then it is necessary and moral that it should be paid in same. I actually like that novel better. It’s funny and terrifying.
I think of the first 3 McCs I actually prefer the Orchard Keeper, ie the very first one. Again, this isn’t to diss the other 2, much, but since we’re picking favorites… Anyway, have you read much Faulkner? Maybe take a look at his short stories if you want to get a sense of where he links up with McCarthy. If you’re looking at the Collected Stories, start by counter-intuitively reading some of the war stories, like “Lo” and “Ad Astra,” then circle back to stuff like “Barn Burning” and “Red Leaves.” You’ll see it.
Wise Blood isn’t O’Connor writing against her moral center. It’s a conversion novel, about the special kinds of grace to be found at the lowest depths of human misery. Her other novel is *much* darker and morally complex, if only because it asserts that at a certain level, if the cost of certain Christian rituals–specifically, the Baptism–is to be charged in blood, then it is necessary and moral that it should be paid in same. I actually like that novel better. It’s funny and terrifying.
I think of the first 3 McCs I actually prefer the Orchard Keeper, ie the very first one. Again, this isn’t to diss the other 2, much, but since we’re picking favorites… Anyway, have you read much Faulkner? Maybe take a look at his short stories if you want to get a sense of where he links up with McCarthy. If you’re looking at the Collected Stories, start by counter-intuitively reading some of the war stories, like “Lo” and “Ad Astra,” then circle back to stuff like “Barn Burning” and “Red Leaves.” You’ll see it.
you’ve been reading too much bloom yo ;)
you’ve been reading too much bloom yo ;)
i said that just to make you grumble…
but it might be true.
i said that just to make you grumble…
but it might be true.
Oh it’s totally true, but just to prove I’m not a total follower, Bloom–despite the fact that he’d agree with my assessment of early McC (how could he not? it’s basically *his* assessment)–would still endorse McCarthy over O’Connor, hands down 100% of the time. But that’s because the good prof doesn’t share my soft spot for Catholicism. right now i’m working on Omens of Millenium, his book on gnosticism.
Oh it’s totally true, but just to prove I’m not a total follower, Bloom–despite the fact that he’d agree with my assessment of early McC (how could he not? it’s basically *his* assessment)–would still endorse McCarthy over O’Connor, hands down 100% of the time. But that’s because the good prof doesn’t share my soft spot for Catholicism. right now i’m working on Omens of Millenium, his book on gnosticism.
WB
WB