The Road by Cormac McCarthy

[Indian Boy]

I read this book twice before seeing the movie. I'm going to have to take my stance here and defend, who I think is one of the greatest living writers today, in Cormac McCarthy. The guy is dark and yes, he is also bleak at times. But isn't that what makes him so great? How many books have you read that contain barely any story line, barely any hope, simple dialogue, but still won the pulitzer prize and was made into a movie? Probably none. That's what makes this guy and his book, "The Road" so great. It is dark and it's terrifying and one some other level, it's a story about love and compassion and everything else that is wonderful between a father and his son.

Just to add, I saw the movie the other night. I thought it was pretty good, and stayed pretty true to the book, other than a pointless story line about the mother which adds absolutely nothing to the movie. But for those of you who see it soon, notice that there is no ash in the movie but it's always mentioned in the book. Also, a little off the point but I thought the boy in the movie was absolutely terrible. Poor actor is giving that kid too much credit. Plus, in the movie the boy is about 9 or 10 years old. When I read the book I pictured the boy younger, closer to 4 or 5 years old. How old do you guys think the boy was in the book? I'm curious.

[Virgil]

Yes, I remember the boy being around five, six at the oldest.

[Jozanny]

I am still the odd woman out on Cormac. I like Slate's term for the book, "nuke porn" and as nuke porn I still think it had more stunts than integrity. McCarthy wrote it much in the style of a soft pornography film, in fact, as he is always c--- teasing the reader.

As I posted in the book club thread, it isn't a bad novel, but I in no way bow down to McCarthy's minimalism as a great literature monument; I should have read Blood Meridian first, because The Road so disappointed me that I haven't yet opened his more critically acclaimed work.

I barely have any recognition, but I have been publishing long enough to know a hack job when I see one; I am guilty of the same, and there are hack jobs that are nearly great literary works, like The Count of Monte Cristo--because this represents Dumas at the apex of his ability.

The Road is McCarthy capitalizing on his fame, name recognition, and style for money, and he wasn't trying very hard to do anything else. I could hear the subtext in every chapter, "I'm coy and I'm cute and you, my reader, love my little tap dance here..."

But I couldn't really buy his courtship.

***
Let me expand on these sentiments now that the cats have eaten and I am on my coffee waiting for my plumbing to settle:

The Road is obviously the work of a master craftsman, that is evident to anyone trained and seasoned in the literary arts as long as I've been. It has a careful sequential structure locked in upon itself--something Kingsolver could pick up on if she cared--and it is in some respects a brilliant homage to survivalist literature. Virgil and I found a number of goodies on that score.

But a homage, and a narrative that enjoys using its allusions to toy with its audience, to me does not a great work of literature make--and my nose knows that Cormac is capable of exerting himself beyond the conventions that he uses to hook and bait. This is exactly what disappoints me. The man is capable of breaking some eggs, and I wish he had truly tried--but he chose to rest on his laurels.

[sixsmith]

***
Let me expand on these sentiments now that the cats have eaten and I am on my coffee waiting for my plumbing to settle:

The Road is obviously the work of a master craftsman, that is evident to anyone trained and seasoned in the literary arts as long as I've been. It has a careful sequential structure locked in upon itself--something Kingsolver could pick up on if she cared--and it is in some respects a brilliant homage to survivalist literature. Virgil and I found a number of goodies on that score.

But a homage, and a narrative that enjoys using its allusions to toy with its audience, to me does not a great work of literature make--and my nose knows that Cormac is capable of exerting himself beyond the conventions that he uses to hook and bait. This is exactly what disappoints me. The man is capable of breaking some eggs, and I wish he had truly tried--but he chose to rest on his laurels.

I think I remarked earlier that 'The Road' was somewhere in the vicinity of 'Suttree' and 'Blood Meridian' but upon a re-reading, I suspect that that statement was ill considered. I think the cloying approbation afforded to 'The Road' is partly due to McCarthy being under- read for so long. Nevertheless, I can't entirely share your cynicism here Jozanny. I see the conventions to which you refer and i grant that the narrative perhaps treads a fine line at times. But i think McCarthy's prose, his imagery, and ultimately his commitment to an unflinching portrayal of the human condition, makes 'The Road' a powerful and illuminating, if not a great, novel.

[Veho]

I'm reading this book at the moment, nearly half way through, but I'm just curious to know what people would feel in this situation. I know it's all hypothetical because, ultimately, we're not, but would you want to keep surviving? I know it's easy for me to say this, considering I'm not in that situation, but I'd rather die. I just couldn't live with the constant threat and fear of being taken by the 'bad guys'.

I think McCarthy does a excellent job in maintaining the desolation and bleakness. It unceasing and terrible.

[Dark Muse]

On the one hand I would feel the continuing to live would just prove to be ultimately rather pointless in that situation. But on the other hand I am a fight to the bitter end kind of person. It is in my nature to be a survivor and never admit defeat so for personal reasons I proably wouldn't just let myself die.

It would be tempting to become one of the cannibals, but I don't imagine human's taste very good, and they can be so disgusting and dirty I would be afraid of catching a disease from eating them.

But it would be coold to start up my own barbarian clan.

[neilgee]

I finished this novel today and I was pleasantly surprised by it because I wasn't impressed with the sparseness of McCarthy's style in the beginning [although his style grew on me as the novel progressed] and there was an element of that "Oh no, not another post-nuclear-war fantasy".

I liked the way McCarthy describes the survivors and how social order breaks down to the extent that even a "good guy" like the Father in the novel can kill first and ask questions later. Survival of the fittest and all that it means when it's every man for himself.

Was nobody else struck by the scene where the boy appears to have a glow around him? I know it's the father's delirium but I thought there was an association with the halo of Jesus Christ in all that. The boy is the only one in the novel who shows any pity for his fellow survivors. It's not impossible to read into it that the boy is the Second Coming if you take into account the chaos the world is in. Even if you remove all the Biblical associations it still seems like the boy is the nearest thing to a "pure" human being that the World is capable of producing in those kind of social conditions.

Despite McCarthy's brevity I thought it was still an incredibly moving and I'm not ashamed to admit there were tears in my eyes as the boy says "I'm really scared" to his father on his death bed.

I thought it was terrific stuff and I will look out for his other novel now.

[Dark Muse]

Was nobody else struck by the scene where the boy appears to have a glow around him? I know it's the father's delirium but I thought there was an association with the halo of Jesus Christ in all that. The boy is the only one in the novel who shows any pity for his fellow survivors. It's not impossible to read into it that the boy is the Second Coming if you take into account the chaos the world is in. Even if you remove all the Biblical associations it still seems like the boy is the nearest thing to a "pure" human being that the World is capable of producing in those kind of social conditions.

I agree, I saw the boy as representing something of the last hope for humanity within the story. Particuarly there was that currious repition of the idea of "the fire inside" which the father spoke of to the boy, but was never really explained to the readers.

[Virgil]

I finished this novel today and I was pleasantly surprised by it because I wasn't impressed with the sparseness of McCarthy's style in the beginning [although his style grew on me as the novel progressed] and there was an element of that "Oh no, not another post-nuclear-war fantasy".

I liked the way McCarthy describes the survivors and how social order breaks down to the extent that even a "good guy" like the Father in the novel can kill first and ask questions later. Survival of the fittest and all that it means when it's every man for himself.

Was nobody else struck by the scene where the boy appears to have a glow around him? I know it's the father's delirium but I thought there was an association with the halo of Jesus Christ in all that. The boy is the only one in the novel who shows any pity for his fellow survivors. It's not impossible to read into it that the boy is the Second Coming if you take into account the chaos the world is in. Even if you remove all the Biblical associations it still seems like the boy is the nearest thing to a "pure" human being that the World is capable of producing in those kind of social conditions.

Despite McCarthy's brevity I thought it was still an incredibly moving and I'm not ashamed to admit there were tears in my eyes as the boy says "I'm really scared" to his father on his death bed.

I thought it was terrific stuff and I will look out for his other novel now.

I don't know about Jesus, but it is a religious allusion.

[dfloyd]

No Country for Old Men, The Road, and Blood Meridian and in that order Enjoyed No Country and Blood Meridian, but felt The Road was not up to the other two. Way too much repetition, and there have been other and better books about a nuclear holocaust. There are a couple of other McCarthy novels I want to read, but he is by no means as great as some would have you believe. Hemingway is certainly a better writer.

McCarthy is an easy and fast read and capable of building excitement. I certainly like him better than Philip Roth or Don DeLilo, but i"m not into post modernism all that much. I'd rather read Dostoevsky, Dickens, or Tolstoy if there are any left I haven't read.

[ennison]

Oops Ennison. Can't you spell. Surely you mean pared down.
"All The Pretty Horses" is brilliant but "Outer Dark" is better - grim symbolic gothic beautiful

[Bandanna]

I feel like I'm not going to come across a book as great as this in a while. My English teacher recommended I read it and we eventually had to read it for class. I would really just like to talk about it with someone, no one in my family really enjoys a novel the way I do. It would be especially hard to talk with them about a book such as this one without them focusing on the superficiality of the novel and not understanding the theme of it. Does any one else like this book as much as I do?

[Virgil]

It's a great read. There are several discussion threads already on this. If you do a search you will come up with them.

[Indian Boy]

Can't say if I liked the book more than you, but I did enjoy the book enough that I've read it three times. I've read several Cormac McCarthy books and the best way I'd describe him is dark. Everything about his stories are dark and I especially like that. I also find it admirable that as an author he slightly strays from the typical story book ending and from all of the books I've read by him, they end in a way that's unfullfilling to some.

In The Road I loved they way CM hung such a dead and hopeless world in the readers imagination and then had a loving father and son as the characters having to endure it.

I'd have to say my favorite part of the book is when the father and son enter the house with the white pillars and they find the people in the cellar. One of the creepiest images I think I've ever had from a book.

So by all means if you post some thoughts on this book I'd love to hear them.