Great synopsis Truman!
The Judge certainly is the most difficult character to get to grips with. He is obviously highly intellectual, a linguist (he seems to know half a dozen different languages) and eloquent, surely traits that separates man from the rest of the animal kingdom, but at the same time is most a vile, evil individual.
I do find McCarthy's style of writing a little unusual in that he does not use quotation marks to distinguish dialogue. Perhaps that is because of that crappy old typewriter he used for nearly all of his working life.