The Road

The Road
by Cormac McCarthy

Amazon link

Published in 2007. 287 pages.


Genre: Fiction - Adventure, Literature

What its about (taken from amazon.com): *NATIONAL BESTSELLER, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, A New York Times Notable Book, One of the Best Books of the Year, Oprah's Book Club*
In this stunning departure from his previous work, McCarthy envisions an unspecified post-apocalyptic scenario. Cities have been destroyed, plants and animals have died, and few humans survive. The sun is hidden by ash, and it is winter. With every scrap of food looted, many of the living have turned to cannibalism. A nameless man and his young son plod toward the sea. The man remembers the world before; as his memories die, so, too dies that world. The boy was born after everything changed. The man has a fierce paternal love and will to survive. Although the holocaust is never explained, this is the kind of grim warning that leads to nightmares. Its spare, precise language is rich with other explorations, too: hope in the face of hopelessness, the ephemeral nature of our existence, the vanishing worlds we all carry within us. Hypnotic and haunting, relentlessly dark, this is a novel to read in late-night solitude. Though the focus never leaves the two travelers, they carry our humanity, and we can't help but feel the world hangs in the balance of their hopeless quest. A masterpiece.

My thoughts: The sole reason I read this book was because of my brother Brian. I had actually gotten it for him for Christmas (just because he asked for it). He read it so quickly and immediately contacted me to tell me how much he loved it and how in a way, it had changed his way of thinking and his appreciation for life. From that point on, my interest was piqued. So, finally, I decided to take the plunge. About 50 pages into it, I contacted Brian with a bunch of questions, as I was considering putting the book down and not finishing. It seemed so dark and bleak, hopeless. These nameless characters were difficult for me to 'bond' with or even care about. With some input and lots of encouragement from Brian, I decided to continue. By the halfway point, I was hooked. Although it continued to be a dark novel, there is definitely more to it than you initially realize. Throughout the book, there are ups and downs and you begin to feel as though you are right there with them on this journey. I saw a few themes such as: Never give up, we need human contact, Unconditional love for your child, Fear, trust and desperation, Glimpses of hope and coming to terms with death. The reason I did not give The Road a higher score is because of the tough time I had getting into it at the beginning. I believe everyone who reads this book, will think about it days, months, maybe even years after completing it. It is one of those books. It will leave an impression on you that you wont soon forget!

Overall score: 4/5

When I finished it: May 31, 2008

What I'm reading now: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch