The Road in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Feb 11, 2011 Lacey Louwagie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sciencefiction, apocalyptic-postapocalyptic

A friend who's reading opinion I greatly trust once warned me that this was one of the most depressing books he'd ever read. My mom followed up that sentiment when she said, "You just keep wondering if anything GOOD is going to happen to these people." Although I love post-apocalyptic fiction, I'm not a big fan of overly depressing books (which, I admit, may seem like a paradox, but I once read that post-apocalyptic fiction is, by its very nature, hopeful, since it always posits that, even in th A friend who's reading opinion I greatly trust once warned me that this was one of the most depressing books he'd ever read. My mom followed up that sentiment when she said, "You just keep wondering if anything GOOD is going to happen to these people." Although I love post-apocalyptic fiction, I'm not a big fan of overly depressing books (which, I admit, may seem like a paradox, but I once read that post-apocalyptic fiction is, by its very nature, hopeful, since it always posits that, even in the event of an apocalypse, life will go on.) So, I was reluctant to get started on this even though I've had it in my digital library for months.

Seeing an intriguing preview for the movie with my fiance finally motivated me to read the book. And because I'd been forewarned about doom and gloom, I found the book to actually be LESS depressing than I expected. Although, don't get me wrong -- Cormac's view of humanity's response to an apocalypse is incredibly bleak, and some of the haunting images in this book will stay with me forever. But the desolate landscape serves to highlight the pocket of warmth, love, and integrity that exists between the main character and his son, all without ever being overdone or sappy. I did find myself questioning the man's decision to keep himself and his son alive in such a hopeless world (the boy's mother felt it was more merciful for the whole family to die on their own terms), and I really wanted there to be something redeeming that would make that decision worthwhile. I'm not sure I exactly got it, at least, not in as satisfying a way as in other post-apocalyptic books, such as "Life as We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (which did convince me that one should try to "hold on till the end" b/c things COULD get better.)

A few things bugged me about this book -- I didn't like how "fluid" the sense of time was; I wanted a better idea of how long ago the man's flashbacks were from, and how long he and his son had been living the way they're living throughout the book. At first, it felt like a fairly new lifestyle, but there was mention later in the book about having kept it up for at least a year. I also didn't like that there was no hint about what caused the apocalypse, which was in the recent enough past that the father surely would have remembered it, and I didn't find it believable that he would seemingly discuss everything with his son *except* that. Yes, I know I'm getting hung up on details at the expense of the true meaning of the story, which is about father-son love and perseverance -- but what can I say? I'm a detail-oriented girl. ...more

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Apr 07, 2007 lori light rated it really liked it

Shelves: myfavorites

I didn't really know what to expect from this. I certainly did not expect it to be so heavy. But heavy, indeed, it was. I really enjoyed it though.

Favorite quotes:
He pulled the boy closer. Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that.
You forget some things, don't you?
Yes. You forget what you want to remember and remember what you want to forget.

He thought that in the history of the world it might even be that there was mor ...more

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Mar 30, 2007 Kecia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oprah, pulitzer_prize, nbcca_finalist, usa

This is a love story. Pure, poetic, primal. Much has been said about the setting for this story but it could take place in any setting...the real story here is not the setting but the relationship between the man and the boy, the power of love over hate, the power of hope over despair.

It's poetic style and story reminded me of Dante's Divine Comedy as well. A travelor lost in the woods guided through the depths of hell by the older wiser sage...and at the end the woman tells him of God. I actual ...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Clinton rated it it was ok

McCarthy's post-apocalyptical novel provides a distracting weekend page turner. Pulitzer worthy, I question. ...more

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Dec 26, 2008 aimee rated it liked it

eh. margaret attwood did it better in "oryx and crake" ...more

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Apr 02, 2010 Jessica rated it did not like it

This is a stupid book. How did it win a Pulitzer Prize — or get chosen for Oprah's Book Club? I am just happy I was not assigned to read it in school. ...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: recommended-books, favorites, fiction, post-apocalyptic-and-dsytopian

I really enjoyed The Road. It's a remarkably fast read, but there are sentences and phrases that are pure poetry. I loved Cormac McCarthy's amazing portrayal of the young son--he says and does things that all young kids do, even in this post-apocalyptic world. And McCarthy's use of language is amazing--you'd never think the word "Okay" could mean so much on the page. The ending is slightly abrupt, but still a great book. ...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Nick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

It's been a long time since a book has moved me to tears simply through its prose. This is truly a perfect book.

"He'd stop and lean on the cart and the boy would go on and then stop and look back and he would raise his weeping eyes and see him standing there in the road looking back at him from some unimaginable future, glowing in that waste like a tabernacle." ...more

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Nov 04, 2007 Kate rated it it was amazing

At first, I was taken aback by the dark nature of this book. However, as I read on, the relationship between McCarthy's characters--a man and his son--is a beacon of light in the darkness. ...more

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