The Road
October 14th 2007 21:16
It has been 4 days now since I finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and I am still ruminating on what I should tell you about it. My mind goes into arrest when I ponder on this book.
I could, of course, extol the virtues of McCarthy’s minimalist style and how much depth he manages to achieve with so few words. Or about the ingenious way he has of planting you firmly within the setting along side his characters. But maybe we’ll concentrate on the plot itself. Not because it hasn’t been done before, but because I’ve never been so moved, or so shaken by a ‘global annihilation’ book.
A man and his son (they are not given names … names are of no consequence anymore) are on the road, travelling south. It is cold and will soon be dark. Very dark. They have little food, but hope to find more soon. Both are thin. The man coughs. They listen carefully. Ready to hide at the smallest noise.
Civilisation has been destroyed by nuclear war. There are no plants or animals left. The sun is weak behind fallout and the few humans that survive are dangerous hunters. But the man and his son continue down the road, carrying the fire and looking for the good guys.
That is pretty well the main fabric of the book. There is little said between father and son, but their connection is a physical thing that the reader can reach out and touch. And the danger they face on the road crawls under your skin and raises your hackles. At times I needed to put the book down, just to have a break from the tension, and then later find myself approaching it with caution, not sure I wanted to know what happens next!
The Road is a confronting, non-theatrical account of where we could be headed. It could be set 20 years from now, or have taken place 20 years ago. This is not a futuristic fantasy by any stretch … it is human beings trying to survive in a world that we could easily create today. A clear picture emerges, painting a profile of both the dark and the desperate side of human nature. What are we capable of ? At what point is survival not the preferred option? And will we know it when we see it?
I would like to think that a book like this would be enough to turn the tide of change in our World powers … but then I would be living the fantasy, wouldn’t I?
Read this book. Not only will you experience brilliant writing … you will be stretched morally, emotionally and … deliberately.
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Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
This is an excellently written review! You have a real way with book reviews! I'm very impressed! Your words get right to the heart of a book, revealing its essence and evoking many of the emotions one imagines would be felt in such a setting as the one depicted in this story. Bravo! (And, by the way, the book sounds fascinating, as well!)
Don't stop writing!
Jeanne
Comment by Joanne
Open Book
Encouragement can be everything to writing. If you get a chance to read The Road, let me know what you think. All the Pretty Horses is a good one too.