You mentioning Blood Meridian and the Great American Novel (I can't NOT capitalize that term for whatever reason) immediately made me think of Moby Dick. No idea if you've ever picked it up but I can't heap enough praise on it. I avoided that book my entire life, assuming a snooze fest awaited me but boy was I wrong.
It feels like every aspect of what it means to be human gets explored at some point. It's also just wild to feel so connected to something that's pushing 200 years old and realizing that for all that's changed since then, people are still the same in so many beautiful and terrifying ways.
I think you perfectly encapsulated the feeling I was looking for in my next read. "The Sparrow" is entertaining, but it doesn't have that thing you describe. I'm definitely adding Moby Dick to my list. I've done Old Man and the Sea and that was precisely the emotional journey I recall having with that book. Speaking of long ass reads, have you ever done Lonesome Dove? It's been on my list.
Funnily enough, reading Old Man and the Sea last summer was what made that Moby Dick light bulb go off in my head.
And I've got unfinished business with Lonesome Dove! Started it a few years back but never made it through. I grew up watching the series with my grandpa & adore that story so the book's always been on my to-do list.
You mentioning Blood Meridian and the Great American Novel (I can't NOT capitalize that term for whatever reason) immediately made me think of Moby Dick. No idea if you've ever picked it up but I can't heap enough praise on it. I avoided that book my entire life, assuming a snooze fest awaited me but boy was I wrong.
It feels like every aspect of what it means to be human gets explored at some point. It's also just wild to feel so connected to something that's pushing 200 years old and realizing that for all that's changed since then, people are still the same in so many beautiful and terrifying ways.
I think you perfectly encapsulated the feeling I was looking for in my next read. "The Sparrow" is entertaining, but it doesn't have that thing you describe. I'm definitely adding Moby Dick to my list. I've done Old Man and the Sea and that was precisely the emotional journey I recall having with that book. Speaking of long ass reads, have you ever done Lonesome Dove? It's been on my list.
Funnily enough, reading Old Man and the Sea last summer was what made that Moby Dick light bulb go off in my head.
And I've got unfinished business with Lonesome Dove! Started it a few years back but never made it through. I grew up watching the series with my grandpa & adore that story so the book's always been on my to-do list.