The Road

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

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)

Oh my goodness

In the world of literature, Cormac McCarthy is a God among men. Unfortunately, his name isn't exactly as popular as it ought to be. Here is a man who lives his life at the pool where we all go to find our words, and yet this last week was the first time I'd ever heard of him and it took considerable searching to find a book by him that I was willing to take a chance on. I'm disappointed (and terribly so) that I haven't read more of his books, but we'll get there, I assure you. The Road, McCarthy's latest book, takes place in a post mass-destruction event (Nuclear War, perhaps? McCarthy never elaborates, and it doesn't seem terribly necessary) era, and it focuses on a father and son who realize as winter is coming on that despite the father's ongoing illness, they have to travel south to the warmer coast, where the "father" (I keep calling him that, because McCarthy never actually names him in the book) hopes to find more food and warmer weather. I know, reading my own description of the book's premise now, that it doesn't <i>sound</i> terribly interesting, but look, I'm begging you. Buy the book. Just buy it. Buy it on audio tape (my personal favorite way to devour a good book. The right narrator can make all the difference, as it does in this book). Look, one knows subconsciously that we've heard every word that will be used in a book before we ever pick it up. It's the mastery of putting those words together in such a way that makes the reader feel as though they've never heard any one of the words, ever, ever before. It is in this sense that McCarthy is such a genius. I was marveling at the fashion in which he used simple phrases like "the boy" and "the man". <i>He's that good</i>. I'd make just about any excuse to listen to the lyrical and beautiful style that Cormac writes in again, and I'm sure I'll do it soon.

This won the Pulitzer? You're kidding.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was so-so. The story is silly. It's so over-the-top dark that it's ridiculous at times. Yes, people can be horrible, but the level of horrible in this book is totally overdone. It was not believable, at least to me. And the story becomes highly predictable. The prose is also over the top. It's adjective soup. I'm stunned that this overwrought piece won the Pulitzer. I must be missing something here.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Least interesting was its predictability. I'm trying to think of what I thought was most interesting, but can't.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending, albeit predictable. Can't tell whether I liked it because I was glad the story finally came to an end and I could buy a different book, or because I enjoyed the exchange between the good guy stranger and the boy. Probably a bit of both.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

If you're looking for a good Pulitzer winner, I'd suggest The True Story of Ned Kelly or Olive Kitteridge, but not this. Either I'm off my nut (entirely possible) or the Pulitzer committee was off its.

Road to nearly nowhere

Yes, I like the style of writing. Yes, I loved "No Country for Old Men". Yes, the book engaged me. Yes, I the narrator was fantastic. Yes, there are moments that really caught my interest. Yes, I made it to the end.

No, there was not the expected pay off at the end. It was a like a 6 hour road trip back to the same ash covered parking lot.

You Must Listen to this title

If you're looking for an intricate plot, this book is not for you. If you can appreciate a finely crafted sentence, then you will appreciate this book. Cormac McCarthy is a master of the language and is right up there with Steinbeck and Hemingway. If you liked, "The Memory of Running", you'll like "The Road".

The narration by Tom Stechschulte is amazing. He apparently takes the time to thoroughly understand what he's reading and it really shows in this audio book. He makes this book shine. If I was down to my last credit I would spend it on this book.

Memorable

This is the best book I've read in the last few years.
I'm sure I will remember it the rest of my life.
Pictures of the road are imprinted in my brain.

A Stunning Work

Uncomfortable, relentless, terrifying and beautiful are some of the descriptive words I am able to muster for this masterpiece.

The horror of having to protect your child in an overwhelmingly brutal world makes this novel uncomfortable. It is tense and wrought with sadness. This novel is also beautiful in the way it shows the love a Father has for his Son.

There is light within this dark novel. You may have to recognize it but it is there.

Cormac McCarthy carries the fire. I have no doubt.

Incredibly Great

Absolutely one of the best books I have read. McCarthy's writing style alone just blows me away....so unique and simple. When I was watching the movie 'No country for old men' I did not know it was from one of his books but I kept thinking to myself..."I love the dialogue in this movie"...it is so different...I love the flow of the movie...and then of course when I read the credits...there he was again. Love Love Love this author.

A brilliant dystopia

This is a masterful book. Clearly allegorical, it exists on so many levels one can hardly settle on the one (or two, or three) things it actually means. There is the implied prediction of our future, the love, and sacriface, of a father, and the platicity of the young. The language manages to convey the griminess of the scenario, yet resonate with the universal.

Excellent read!

After hearing the pre-purchase sample, I thought the story line might be a bit too depressing. But the relationship of 'the man' and 'the boy' was so powerful that I was spell-bound the entire 6 plus hours. Very moving. I highly recommend this 'read'.

Riveting

This book was amazing. I now wish I had read it instead of listening, just so it would last longer. It was dark and disturbing for sure, but I can honestly say this is one of the best books I have read in years.