Butcher’s Crossing: John Williams’s rougher cut

Back to the novels. This week, the DYEL boys decide to try Butcher's Crossing, the first novel from John Williams, the author famous for writing the so-underrated-it-might-be-overrated-but-probably-is-now-just-correctly-rated novel Stoner.

As to be expected, it's not on the same level of Stoner but we still enjoy it. 

Decline of the buffalo: Rich reminds Cam that we already had this discussion in our episode of Blood Meridian but Cam forgot it and found himself in new disbelief on the staggering decline of the North American Bison. 

Emerson and finding yourself: It turns out Rich went through an Emerson phase. Well, actually more of a Thoreau phase but the both had three names and wrote around the same time so it counts. We discuss Emerson's idea of transcendence and whether this novel is meant as a refutation or embodiment of it. 

Miller: Not on the level of the Judge in Blood Meridian but a memorable character in his own right. Rich has some small gripes with his characterisation.

CHAPTERS

(00:00:01) Intro
(00:06:10) Summary
(00:07:53) Emerson's transcendentalism
(00:17:30) American Buffalo: Decline, hunting, skinning
(00:26:02) Miller's stoicism and characterisation
(00:34:24) Schneider's empty (Chekhov's) gun
(00:41:18) Does Miller's motive make sense?
(00:46:26) Lesser work to Stoner
(00:48:54) Anti-Emerson
(00:53:02) Ending and nihilism
(01:00:15) Outro and next picks

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NEXT ON THE READING LIST:

• James Joyce - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
• Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood