Some shitty media site made a list of the top ten greatest western novels ever written and it ranked Lonesome Dove at number one, Blood Meridian at number two, and Butcher’s Crossing somewhere farther down the list. Obviously the list errored in not adding another McCarthy book and failing to place a Louis L’Amour at all. But it also fucked up by again comparing Butcher’s Crossing to Blood Meridian.
While both novels could be classified under the “anti-western” genre, the fact remains that these are two very VERY different books. Butcher’s Crossing, written by John Williams, is actually trying to tell a real story. Cormac McCarthy, meanwhile, is trying to haunt your dreams. Their goals are very different. William’s vision of the old west is very much grounded in reality. We also have something called “sympathy” for the main character. In Blood Meridian, every character is a piece of shit and they all deserve their horrible fates. One is telling you how the old west actually was. The other is using words to paint a picture of their nightmares.
And because McCarthy wrote the way he did, his books probably find broader appeal outside of the western genre. He’s a strange taste that a lot of readers have acquired. Which is why it’s not fair to compare Blood Meridian to Butcher’s Crossing. I’m not saying that John Williams was a lesser writer, but I am saying that he’s telling a much more straightforward story with Butcher’s Crossing while McCarthy was aiming more at the abstract and alien. So if you read and enjoyed one and get recommended the other, you’re probably gonna be confused or disappointed.
And now Lonesome Dove. I’m ashamed to say I couldn’t finish it. Larry McMurty’s style goes against everything I believe in as a writer. But clearly the problem is with me and not the book. It consistently ranks as the greatest western novel ever written. Yet I prefer a more focused approach to storytelling; excise unnecessary characters and plot lines; show, don’t tell by revealing the character’s emotions in the moment and not by describing their thoughts or past; every setup must have a payoff. McMurtry is a different writer than me, I get it. But does the book hold a special place because we all loved the mini-series?