[Book Rant] The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road. Where do I even begin speaking about The Road? Should I start with the simplistic, yet emotionally charged poetry disguised as prose? What about the complex characterization of characters that remain nameless even at the very end? Oh and the brutal, powerful wasteland backdrop. Can't forget about that.

The Road centers about a father and son pair as they wander around a destitute and dying earth. It isn't what one expects from a traditional dystopian novel in that there isn't a sense of adventure or of a protagonist "saving" the world.

There isn't much of a plot actually. Just a whole lot of feels. Rather than events, it's raw emotion that is the driving force in this novel. Fear, regret, grief, anger. Shining brightly through these darker feelings is a beam of hope and love. That is what keeps not only the boy and his father going, but it's what keeps readers reading as well.

The most impressive aspect of the novel, attesting to McCarthy's skill, is that even with minimal character detail (heck, we never even get names), I was able to forge a incredibly strong connection with the boy and his papa and felt deep concern for them. (I call this the McCarthy Effect, which is minimal words=maximum feels.) For 200+ pages, my heart was lodged in my throat as I breathlessly read, hoping that the two of them would somehow find their place in this horrid version of their previous world. And when that happened at the end . . . I was far too invested to be able to control the tears in my eyes.

Final Verdict: 

Princess Reads A Lot absolutely LOVES this book! She is captivated, enamored, enchanted, and fascinated, otherwise irrevocably in love. She has found yet another literary prince charming and is in bliss. 

 

The Road isn't the most exciting read if you're looking for something plot-driven. I can understand why I wasn't able to finish it in high school. I wasn't ready for it back then. The power of McCarthy's writing is in that the alternation from dense, descriptions of a harsh setting to simple, raw interactions between the father and son and back. It's the juxtaposition of desolate landscape and beating hearts, desertion and companionship, death and love that grabs hold of a reader and doesn't let go even days after turning the final page.

At the core, The Road is a powerful work about survival, hope, and love in the midst of utter devastation. For that alone, it is a worthy read.

Now the question that remains is whether or not my poor, tender heart can handle watching the movie. I don't think I can! That trailer though. Take a look below:

Currently Reading: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.

Until next rant,
Fatuma