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The Road
The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
NATIONAL BESTSELLERPULITZER PRIZE WINNERNational Book Critic's Circle Award FinalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the YearThe Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Denver Post, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, ...  more »

The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food -- and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

ISBN-13: 9780307476319
ISBN-10: 0307476316
Publication Date: 11/24/2009
Pages: 304
Edition: Reprint
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 204

3.8 stars, based on 204 ratings
Publisher: Vintage
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Road on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 44
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.
iluvlibros avatar reviewed The Road on + 73 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 37
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.
reviewed The Road on + 57 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 23
I couldn't put the book down even though it was one of the most depressing books I've ever read. I kept waiting for something good to happen. The end was not as uplifting as I had hoped for. I would not recomend this to a friend. That's why I'm posting it.
jeffp avatar reviewed The Road on + 201 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 22
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.
reviewed The Road on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 21
This book is dark and disturbing but, I just could not put it down. I read it in a day and am haunted by the images floating around in my head. The book is a testament to a father's love and the lengths a person will go to when faced with the most desperate situation. It will make you think of things you never want to think about.
Read All 313 Book Reviews of "The Road"

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Bernelli avatar reviewed The Road on + 266 more book reviews
Depressing and oppressive and made me wonder WHY someone would write such a sad and gut wrenching tale. I think the author wanted readers to consider how we deal love and faith in the most dire of circumstances. How would we protect what we love most -- and would that protection end up causing more harm? Great book for discussion, but certainly not something I'd recommend in general.
adamwaitt avatar reviewed The Road on + 2 more book reviews
Long dark and arduous; you can feel the gray ash. Cormac has a unique way of phrasing his sentences; the future's equivalent of Old English. I finished this book in 24 hours, granted I had a lot time on my hands. Not sure if it was Pulitzer worthy but I enjoyed it immensely regardless. 4 1/2 stars.
Farmerswife avatar reviewed The Road on + 52 more book reviews
This book was well-written but soooooooooo depressing I could not bring myself to finish it. I don't require books to be all sunshine and roses, but this was too much gloom and doom for me to take!
angelatres avatar reviewed The Road on + 72 more book reviews
Very very good and very sad, dark and depressing. It was terrifying to see what human beings did to each other when faced with starvation and when there were no laws to abide by. The scariest parts of the book were when the father and son saw other people. The ending was so sad, I wanted to believe the boys life would eventually get better but the sad truth is that it never would. This is definately one of those books that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. I would recommend this.
reviewed The Road on + 343 more book reviews
Great book on many levels. He can paint pictures with words. A sad story of a Dad trying to save his son in a post apodotic world. It ends on a hint of hope.
kickerdad avatar reviewed The Road on + 114 more book reviews
"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy is set in a post apocalyptic, burned out America. A father and young son trekking on foot across the frozen, burned out land - heading somewhere, with nowhere to go - pushing their possessions in a shopping cart.
McCarthy's style - the sentence structure, staccato dialog, detailed non-descript places, total lack of proper nouns - all blend to create a tale that is both bland and vibrant, is subtly familiar yet undeniably other worldly, is heart warming and deeply haunting. Highly recommend [5/5]
reviewed The Road on + 50 more book reviews
I read this book for my book club. We haven't met to discuss it yet but I am looking forward to the conversation. Difficult to say that I loved the book as the subject matter is so bleak but it was extremely well done. The prose and the subject matter meshed beautifully. The dearth of color in the book made me appreciate our colorful world the more. There was beauty in the love between the man and his son and beauty in the nature of the son. But I was hoping for just a sprig of green to give hope to the world.
escapeartistk avatar reviewed The Road on + 207 more book reviews
I've never before gotten through a Cormac McCarthy novel. His writing style doesn't appeal to me; it feels a bit self-indulgent. In spite of this, I could not put down 'The Road' once I started reading it. Is it bleak? Yes: it's McCarthy, after all, and a post-apocalyptic setting to boot. Particularly impressive, though: it's a page-turner in which very little actually happens. And the characterization of the son is pitch-perfect. I am glad that I read it.
slothmold avatar reviewed The Road on + 38 more book reviews
Intensely readable, but at the same time frustrating. You want to keep reading to try to piece together what's happened, but it's futile, which is probably one of McCarthy's points.
reviewed The Road on + 4 more book reviews
I like futuristic comments on society, but this novel lacked plot. It did make me think and question the current world, but I was bored with the story 50 pages into the book.
hardtack avatar reviewed The Road on + 2535 more book reviews
Certainly an interesting book, but don't read it if you get depressed easily.

I still worry about all those naked people in the basement.
Bikerbob avatar reviewed The Road on + 14 more book reviews
OMG! this book was riveting. I simply could not put it down.
reviewed The Road on + 10 more book reviews
I was hesitant about reading this book due to it's depressing plot, my husband gave it to me for a gift. However, once I did start to read it, I couldn't put the book down. It's more than just a survival story, it's a touching story about a father's love for his son and everything he is willing to do to see to it that his son lives on in dire circumstances. Well written and very believable.
reviewed The Road on + 343 more book reviews
A different and good book. A story of a man's love for his son in a time of an unexplained end of the world times. Unsettling and dark, but with a glimmer of light at the end. A Pulitzer Prize winner.
Yoni avatar reviewed The Road on + 327 more book reviews
This is an amazing book. I don't know what to say about it. In all its horror is a beautifully written survival tale. It is disturbing and depressing, and definitely not for everyone. However I was glued to every page. This one is going to haunt me. I will never forget this book.
jramir13 avatar reviewed The Road on + 3 more book reviews
This was one of the worst books I've ever read! Each page was the exact same as the last with absolutely no character development! I kept waiting for something.... Anything to happen but the next page practically repeated the last. I actually threw the book away it was so not worth my time! Could anyone tell me what they possibly enjoyed about it?

It reminds me of the scene in Tom Sawyer when the townspeople were tricked into seeing the show of the two naked and painted men. The first night 1/2 the people were tricked and they were so embarrassed by bring tricked they said how great the show was and the 2nd night the other 1/2 was tricked. On the third night everyone showed up upset at being suckered and wanted to exact revenge only to be outwitted again! Boy was I suckered by all earlier reviews!
catherineh avatar reviewed The Road on + 10 more book reviews
Haunting. It seems to drag on, yet I couldn't put it down. It was definitely worth the read. The love story between the father and son is heartbreaking and beautiful.
reviewed The Road on + 43 more book reviews
I may be the only person who did not thoroughly enjoy this bleak, dark, drawn out tale of a man and his son traveling through a post apocalyptic America.
maggieminnich avatar reviewed The Road on + 400 more book reviews
An awesome, different, unexpected novel.
reviewed The Road on + 57 more book reviews
Very depressing with a little hope at the end. I don't recommend it.
MamaG1223 avatar reviewed The Road on + 26 more book reviews
A depressing story told poetically and with great hope. I picked the book up and could not put it down.... The bond between father and son if unforgettable.... I highly recommend this book.

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