Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Road - Winner, Fiction, 2007



The Road
By: Cormac McCarthy
Alfred A. Knopf, 2006

When I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Road, I really knew nothing about it. My friend, RC, read the book and provided a great summary, but I decided to put off reading what he had to say until after I read (or listened to) the book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but The Road was NOT what I was expecting. If you don't want to know what the story is before you read the book (or watch the upcoming movie) skip to my last paragraph.

The Road is the story of a man and his son who are living in a post-apocalyptic world that is inhospitable and often quite dangerous. We never find out exactly what has happened and are not even sure exactly where the man and the boy are headed. But, that is not the story. The story is one of survival and of the love between a father and son.

I can't say that I enjoyed this book, necessarily, because that would seem a bit morbid. But, the story captivated me. I wanted to know where they came from and where they were going. I will say that I enjoyed listening to the story as opposed to reading it. I would recommend reading this book - especially if you plan on seeing the film adaptation that will be released this year.

5 comments:

Rebecca said...

I've heard the same thing -- you can't say you liked it, because that's kind of morbid to say. But it certainly does sound powerful (and unforgettable)!

RC said...

glad you liked it...

you're going to LOVE LOVE LOVE The Known World When You Read It.

You're going to HATE HATE HATE The Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao when you read it.

((Speaking of which, I don't think you've read my favorite Pulitzer prize winners yet...Gilead, which you will love -- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, which I'm not sure if you will love, like, hate, or be indifferent too).

AK said...

RC - I have read Gilead - we actually listened to it on a road trip last year. I enjoyed it but think I might have liked reading it better than listening to it. I wrote about it in March 2008.

Loren Eaton said...

Just got done reading this one myself, and the last 15 or so pages really made it for me. It's only at the end that you realize McCarthy is trying to develop a theology of the imago Dei, and it doesn't quite work, but it's fascinating to watch him try.

RC said...

oh yea, i forgot your read gilead...i can see how that one would work much better on paper than audio book style.