The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
287 pgs.
Vintage Books, 2006.
The Road is one of the best books I have read. Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer for this book, and I must say it is well deserved. His story is in no way connected with “end time” cliches, nor is there the proverbial “happy ending” that seems to accompany many thriller or mystery genres. Although the idea of surviving cataclysmic events is not a novel idea, the craftsmanship of McCarthy’s writing, is in stark opposition to anything I’ve noticed thus far. His story is simple: survival in a world that has nothing to offer its inhabitants, and the meaning of life and love within such devastation. Each sentence is rich with meaning, emphasizing primordial questions, examining just how far a person will go in order to survive, as well as the importance and drive of a father’s love for his son. The Road describes the journey of a man and his boy moving from the frozen north towards the warmer south, after surviving apocalyptic happenings. It is the story of every man; it is our story. It would seem that the telling of a father and son’s journey walking a barren road in miserable times could not possibly compare to the fast paced, adventurous novels most publishing houses deliver, but The Road is gripping from start to finish. Simple truths and sobering questions are written in a way that lucidly conveys the heart of a matter. Here is an example: “No sign of life. Cars in the street caked with ash, everything covered with ash and dust. Fossil tracks in the dried sludge. A corpse in a doorway dried to leather. Grimacing at the day. 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 you remember what you want to forget.” Pg. 12.
Wow! In many ways the story is bleak, broken and lifeless, and yet even in moments of possible peace, the reader just has a sense of dread, feeling that trouble and sorrow were waiting to pounce around the next corner. I m looking forward to reading it again!