Search - The Road

A plodding book, with no point as far as I can tell. No character development, no explanations for the situation, nothing. The prose is oddly structured and stilted, perhaps in an attempt to be more like prose poetry than story telling. I finished it, but I don't know why. I certainly didn't learn anything from it.

Update on 11/29/08: As I was scrolling through my previous posted reviews I came across this one and a new thought occurred to me. I suspect that if this book had been written by an unknown author it would never have been published, let alone selected by Oprah. The only thing that caused it to get noted at all - because it sure isn't the contents - is the fact that a major, published author wrote it. I suggest reading something else.

This is a work of art. Many people say it is a dark, depressing book. In some ways, that is true, but the beauty of the relationship between the father and son creates a depth and richness contrasting the dire circumstances the characters are facing. Cormac McCarthy writes with ellegance. His text is filled with imagery and often reads like poetry. Quotations and tag lines aren't used and yet because the characters voices are so strong, you have no trouble determining who is speaking. You walk with them on their journey and become so immersed in the world the are in, you will cry when they suffer and wish you could somehow jump in and save them. I couldn't put it down and cried more than once while reading it. It is so powerful, you will feel like you've just lived through this tragic, poignant story yourself.

This is one of the most thought-provoking and well-written books I have read. Yes, it's dark. Yes, it's disturbing. But it's also a beautiful story of a father and son's relationship and determination to survive in a terrifying world. Some of the scenes in the book still haunt me, but this is one of those books that I know I'll read over and over again.

This is one heck of a depressing read, but not so depressing that you can't finish or don't want. The book is set in what would be post destruction of earth. A man and his son, whose names we never learn, are walking the roads just trying to survive in a world where everything has been burned. Not many people are left and those that are left will do most anything to get something to eat. Some have taken to eating humans just to survive. Food is scarce and what they do find is not the best. To me this scenario is scarier than any ghost, goblin, vampire, zombie, or werewolf could ever dream of being.

I thought this was excellent, but I'm not sure I liked it. It's a very dark piece of literature, but it's strangely beautiful at the same time. The stream of consciousness style is perfect for it's story. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic literature, but know that this is not a happy story.

I read this book in less than a day, could not put it down, but could not read it without my kids around me, laughing and playing and being safe. I couldn't read it last night in bed alone, that was too too scary. I love how McCarthy writes so cleanly, I wasn't constantly scribbling down words I don't know that I'd have to look up later; he's just straightforward and raw and somehow strangely beautiful even when he's describing post-apocolyptic carnage. The love between these two characters "the man" and "the boy," was so powerful, so moving.