I've pretty much worked through my collection of reads from the old job at BookSpan. This was one of the books that I put on my bookshelf, and forgot about. I read all the "good stuff." Then I got a little desperate. In one last search of the house, I found THE ROAD by Cormack McCarthy. I have absolutely no idea why I picked up this book to begin with--The cover is extremely boring (mine didn't have the Oprah logo), and I never heard of the author, although he has written 9 or so previous novels. With no other choice, this once overlooked book was now a treasure, that would entertain me for my next few bus rides. Why all the backstory? It sort of fits with the book.
THE ROAD is a story of survival. A man and his son traveling through a burnt out America with whatever they can carry in their backpacks and an old shopping cart. They travel through a blackend landscape and head south where it is warmer. Along the way, they find abandoned, ransacked homes, which they search for some left overs rotten food, drops of oil, dirty blankets to help them survive. Items long discarded were now treasures. People are willing to kill for them.
This book reminds me of my recent read SEEING by Jose Saramago. Not only because they are both stories that explore what happens when people must do what they have to do to survive, but also because of the unique style in which they were written.
I give this surprise read, THE ROAD by Cormack McCarthy, 4 out of 5 stars. I know I am in good company...Oprah liked it too.
<
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
life after john grisham
3 comments:
I am currently reading The Road and thoroughly enjoying it, if you can say "enjoy" when referring to such a bleak read! It was recommended by my therapist....is there a message there? I am actually listening to the book via Audible.com, and the reader really adds to the hopelessness and despair.
I think it is the kind of book that really makes you think...for some time.
Enjoy the reading! Love to hear what other books you like.
I just finished this book last night, and am very glad I read it. I had never heard of it until I came across it on my local library's list of "staff picks". I must admit, I was a little skeptical of a book with such minimal use of punctuation (the first I had seen this style), but it really added to the eerie silence of the book. Punctuation was something used in the old world, a way man dressed up words with unnessessary flair. There is no room for such frivolity is the new world.
Do we need expressive flair.
What's flair.
Something we don't need.
Okay.
After spending my precious reading moments wrapped up in George R.R. Martin's amazingly developed and written Song of Ice and Fire series. While waiting for Mr. Martin to finish his next book, I've been hopping around lately, picking up things that don't hold my attention. This one did, and I flew through it. The short paragraphs kept me wondering what happened next, and gave excellent opportunities for breaks.
Post a Comment