Over the weekend, I finally finished reading my most recent book. I’m part of an online book club and this was the September/October selection. The beauty of a book club: I never would have chosen to read this on my own, but I actually really liked it and am glad I read it.
The Road is the story of a man and his son, traveling the road to the coast and just trying to survive after the apocolypse. We don’t know what exactly has happened to the world, but it’s clear from the very beginning that the world has become a very dark and difficult place. We learn that the Earth has been like this for several years, and there are very few people left alive. The boy was not born until after the apocolypse, so while the man remembers life when it was good, the boy knows no different.
This is definitely not a light, fun, beach read or anything like that. But it’s a beautifully written story about the love and the bond between the man and the boy (the author does not give them names).
The first 20-30 pages, I was not convinced that this was such a great book. But I kept reading, and I eventually found that I was hooked. I wanted to know where they would end up next, what they would see, how they would find food to live on. I wanted to know whether they would run into criminals, good people, or if they would ever find the place that they sought.
The author paints a picture of a world that I think we all (to some extent) fear. Imagine a situation in which all you have is your son. Your only mission for each new day is to keep moving and surviving. Your only belongings are the things you find and can fit into a single shopping cart. Your only hope is that you may find some section of the world that has not been destroyed. To find people who are good, not evil.
The Road is set to be released as a movie (starring Viggo Mortensen), most likely sometime in 2009. Do yourself a favor; read the book before seeing the movie!
As I do with almost all of my books, I purchased my copy from amazon.com.
If you do end up reading this (or have read it already), feel free to come back to discuss it in the comments.
2 Responses to Recent Read: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
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About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
Hi. I am a lurker who is going to come out of the shadows now. I followed you on your wedding blog and got attached. I think it’s because I am from Rochester. I love your writing style and you have pointed me in the direction of many delicious recipes.
So now to the point of why I am leaving a comment… What online book club do you participate in?
Thanks for coming out of the dark and commenting. :)
It’s a group of internet friends from one of the boards on The Knot, actually.
You should join goodreads.com. I think there are community groups you can join there. You can match your interests with others (I think). Not to mention, it is just an amazing source for book recommendations and reviews, if you can get yourself hooked up with some “friends” (it’s sort of like Facebook with books).