Blood Meridian

New York: Random House, 1985 First edition, first printing. Publisher's red cloth-backed red boards with titles in gilt to spine, map of the Old West to title page and verso of half-title page; original maroon dust jacket designed by Richard Adelson, "The Phantom Cart" painting by Salvador Dali to front panel with titles in red, and photo of McCarthy taken by Mark Morrow to rear panel. Near fine book, with some wear to head of spine, red remainder mark to top edge of text-block, a hint of soiling to cloth on front board; good unclipped dust jacket, with some scratches to front panel, light soiling to panels and spine, and light edgewear. Overall, a sturdy copy. Blood Meridian, set in the mid-19th century West, tells the story of a 14-year-old boy called "the kid" who joins The Glanton gang, a ruthless group commissioned by the Mexican governor to collect Apache scalps. None embody the disturbing ethos of the gang better than its second-in-command, Judge Holden, who's described as a "massive, hairless, albino man" and is the story's primary antagonist. While writing the novel, McCarthy moved to Texas and taught himself Spanish to immerse himself in Western culture. The sections on the Glanton gang are derived from My Confessions: The Recollections of a Rogue by Samuel Chamberlain, a first-hand account of Chamberlain's experiences riding with the group that includes references to the real-life Judge Holden. The book is widely considered to be Cormac McCarthy's greatest work, and one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Renowned literary critic Harold Bloom called the novel the "ultimate Western," and "worthy of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.". First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Dust Jacket Included. (Inventory #: CMC021)