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Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West,
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I just finished Blood Meridian; have not read No Country for Old Men or any other McCarthy book. My short answer is, appropriate age range 15+, maybe even 16-17+.
Longer answer is, I have a 7 year old, also an avid reader, and at dinnertime, I love telling him about the books I read as I progress through them each night. Some I describe in more detail than others, some very loosely - and then now and then there's a book I can't describe at all because it's too graphic and/or it's overarching theme is beyond his ken. And he has a lot of ken already, mind you. I'm sure there's a way Blood Meridian could be watered down to retell to a 7yo but I'm just too lazy for that. Plus before "giving away" too much of this one I'd rather he read it and form his own interpretation. I think I'd feel comfortable with him reading it when he's around 15, maybe 16. I suspect he'll see the book in an entirely different light than I have and pick up on entirely different things than I did, reading it at a much older age.
Longer answer is, I have a 7 year old, also an avid reader, and at dinnertime, I love telling him about the books I read as I progress through them each night. Some I describe in more detail than others, some very loosely - and then now and then there's a book I can't describe at all because it's too graphic and/or it's overarching theme is beyond his ken. And he has a lot of ken already, mind you. I'm sure there's a way Blood Meridian could be watered down to retell to a 7yo but I'm just too lazy for that. Plus before "giving away" too much of this one I'd rather he read it and form his own interpretation. I think I'd feel comfortable with him reading it when he's around 15, maybe 16. I suspect he'll see the book in an entirely different light than I have and pick up on entirely different things than I did, reading it at a much older age.
Kari Kesonen
The description of violent and unpleasant acts and moments is very strong and leaves strong mental images. Even slightly heavier than your aforementioned books.
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