The Road

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2007

America is a barren landscape of smoldering ashes, devoid of life except for those people still struggling to scratch out some type of existence. Amidst this destruction, a father and his young son walk, always toward the coast, but with no real understanding that circumstances will improve once they arrive. Still, they persevere, and their relationship comes to represent goodness in a world of utter devastation.

Bleak but brilliant, with glimmers of hope and humor, The Road is a stunning allegory and perhaps Cormac McCarthy's finest novel to date. This remarkable departure from his previous works has been hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "novel of horrific beauty, where death is the only truth".

McCarthy, a New York Times best-selling author, is a past recipient of the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. He is widely considered one of America's greatest writers.

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Critic reviews

"McCarthy's prose retains its ability to seduce...and there are nods to the gentler aspects of the human spirit." (The New Yorker)
"One of McCarthy's best novels, probably his most moving and perhaps his most personal...Every moment of The Road is rich with dilemmas that are as shattering as they are unspoken...McCarthy is so accomplished that the reader senses the mysterious and intuitive changes between father and son that can't be articulated, let alone dramatized...Both lyric and savage, both desperate and transcendent, although transcendence is singed around the edges...Tag McCarthy one of the four or five great American novelists of his generation." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

so slow!!!!

it's the best slow book you could hope for

every second feels like ages. it's exactly that reason why this book is so good

every victory feels spectacular!!! each positive moment is a glorious one

The Bleakness of Nothing left but Man

The story is grey and depressing. This isn't an issue when you're expecting this type of storyline. I enjoyed this world and Pappa and his son's slog through death.

Magnificent in every way!

This story and its narration is art. It was perfect. Poignant. Heartfelt. Bleak. Suspenseful. Hopeful. Humanity at its worst and its best. Just listen.

The fall of humanity

The communication between father and son at the end of the world as we know it today

Fantastic Story made even better with Fantastic Narration

I loved everything about the book and the performance of the voice actor. Cormac McCarthy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors

Not Bad, bleak, but not bad

Been wanting to listen to this for a while after a friend suggested it; it was pretty good but left an ashy taste in my mouth after it ended.

when horror books aren't enough

I saw the movie years ago and it stuck with me,whenever I thought apocalypse might be survivable I just thought about the movie. now I have the book in my mind as well,funny thing that, "the man" in this book said to his son many times that anything you put in your mind never leaves,this will never leave you. the apocalypse scenario in this book is never spelled out ,it's not nuclear or biological buy the clues are in the telling that it's either volcanic or a meteor impact. in any case,think of this when you think war is the answer, civilization dies on an empty stomach. I didn't give 5 stars for performance because the narrator was too folksy sounding

So beautifully written

First time reading Cormac McCarthy, what an incredible author and an incredibly poetic writer. Best book I've read in many years

This Book...

I don't often write reviews but this book is so powerful I cannot get it out of my head, and I read it months ago. To be honest, I had a hard time picking it up and continuing to listen because it was so stressful. The situation the man and his son find themselves in is tragic and unthinkable but unfortunately for the world we live in, not unimaginable. The post-apocalyptic landscape is so well described I felt I was walking in it myself. The life and death encounters they had were gut-wrenching and terrifying. All of it reached down and grabbed me on a level that most books cannot.

It's true--it is a hard book to read / listen to, but stick with it. The ending will not disappoint. You read this book to get to the end of The Road.

Sad story

I think this one you need to listen to more than once. I listened to it over a few days but the post apocalyptic view of the world, I don't understand... the whole book has me confused and I'm unsure what to think exactly