I read The Road while doing a lengthy daily commute via train, leading through a kind of lush rural area in western Germany. I vividly remember the stark contrast between the bleak world described in the novel and the vibrant, colorful abundance of life outside the window when I came up for air. It was a very unreal experience, switching back and forth between these two realities.

Blood Meridian was another monstrosity that lured me into a very dark inner space. I think it expresses the USA's relationship to violence better than anything else I have read, fiction or non-fiction. But there is a lot more going on at the same time, and I don't think I ever fully explored that. It didn't help that for a relatively short novel, it's so exhausting to read, both intellectually and emotionally.