The Road

I recently ( a few hours ago) finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

I honestly have to say that I loved it. It was a unique experience for me. This book breaks almost every rule of literature I can think of. There is hardly any punctuation, the dialogue can be confusing especially if a third character is present, there is no discernible beginning, or middle. Just the end, which is contained in about the last 10 or so pages. I started the book and wondered when he would stop establishing the status quo, and introduce the main plot. It didn't dawn on me until maybe page 40 that he did start it way back on page one.

The only driving force is the characters. The Man, and The Boy. Not only are they the only driving force for the narrative, but also for each other. Either one of them would like to just lay down and die at any given moment, but they can't because they have to live for the other.

McCarthy does a good job of installing an emotional investment for his characters into you. The Man is a decent enough guy, who's only reason for living is to protect and provide for his son. The Boy is, well, just a boy. He's innocent and kind hearted and while he understand the situation they're in, that doesn't stop him from trying to change it for the better. At one point they come across an old man. This old man is starving, like most others in the world, and will probably die soon. The Man knows that there is nothing that they can do for him, but that does not stop the boy from trying. This is why you love them both. The Man tells it like it is, and the realist in all of us can sympathise with that. The Boy though, likes to believe that there's more to life than it's harsh reality. In the boy, the idea of humanity itself is still alive.

I guess you can think of The Man as the middle point of a spectrum. On one side, are the antagonists, the people who have turned to murder and canabalism to survive. On the other, is The Boy who thinks that it's more important to help others than to just survive. In the middle is The Man, who will do just about anything to survive, but not for him, for his son. He won't take what belongs to someone who's alive, and he won't hurt you unless you give him a reason to, but if he finds a reason he will end you without a 2nd thought.


I couldn't help but feel more apart of this world than any other I'd encountered in a long time. When they found the smallest of treasures, I felt proud and overjoyed. When they encountered a hardship I was nervious and frightened for them. Everyone they met on the road I wondered if this might be the end for them, or a new begining. When they found a place to rest for a few days, I was happy to see them warm and out of danger, but similarly to how The Man thought, I knew they still were in danger. If they found this shelter, someone else might too, and those people probably aren't friendly.

Again, I have to just say how much I enjoyed this book. Once I got into it, I had a hard time putting it down. Nothing about the idea of it is really all that unique. Post-apocalyps has been done, father and son stories have been done, but not in a style and with an emphasis on the harsh reality of life like this. I could go on, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone that hasn't read this yet and I certainly hope I haven't already.