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)

This is a great story.

The Road is a story with a dark tone, so be mindful of that if you are considering it for a listen. The entire listen is somewhere around 3-4 hours long, so it can be finished in a morning or evening. It's packed with a lot of content that I felt gave the story a depth that felt longer than it's length. After reading it, I felt that it deserved the Pulitzer Prize.

One of the best books ever

This is one of the most greedy, most harsh books I have ever read. It is beautifully written and extremely well narrated. McCarthy paint such an expensive waste land, shows the breakdown of one’s psyche when they are put to the test in this case, survival. I love every book of Mr. McCarthy‘s but this song is by far my favorite

Beautiful but wrenching

Not a fun read. But deeply moving. The world of the book is so ugly and the relationship between the boy and the man is so beautiful. The narration is superb. I strongly recommend the book but not for a fun beach read. You will be haunted by it.

Good Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, the story touch my feelings. The idea of a protecting father who would do anything to protect his child is overwhelming.

strong, emotional, impacted book.

i was recommended this book by friends.
it started out difficult for me, since i havent read anything else but magazines and online articles for years. but the story is great. I'm glad i took the chance.

Amazing

I couldn't turn this book off. The language was fantastic, the story captivating and the narrator perfect for the job.

One of the greatest father and son stories ever.

I’m at a loss for words. What an amazing book. The movie was amazing but the book was better.

It's the best.

My all time favorite book! I read or listen to it at least once a year

Great book but a brutal apocolpitic experience

Where does The Road rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Road is towards the top of the books that I have listened to, but it could never be at the top because I like some sunshine and happiness in my world. The Road is a barren experience that is exquisitely written, but tears at you and builds a depressing feeling of doom and hopelessness that only mildly recedes at the end. For years I have been a fan of apocalyptic fiction, but this really drags you down into the world in the way it might well be. The scant pleasant moments of life peep through the grey dismal dangerous world. I could only listen for chunks here and there and definitely could not and did not want to pound through it.

What did you like best about this story?

The best thing about the book is the book itself. You are reading a book that is written by probably one of the best American authors of this era. His writing is amazing its own way. I love trashy books and am not a literary snob, but even I can appreciate really special writing when I listen to it.

Any additional comments?

For people like me who want to escape from reality and do not need additional depression in their lives, pick a good time to listen to it. It is not an easy listen that will take you on an escape. It takes you to an apocalyptic nightmare, and when I left I felt it clinging to me like the ash and dirt of the book. Its that type of experience so tread with care. That being said you should definitely listen to it. It is just great writing.

Moving, terrifying, hope at the end.

This is an excellent book, though not one to read or listen to if you’re seeking a cheerful topic. It’s a survival against all odds story, a post-apocalyptic tale of a father’s love for his son and his efforts to keep his boy not only alive and safe, but also hopeful. Any more and I’d give away too much. This is a book I’d listen to more than once. Bonus—the narration is outstanding.