The Road - Outside of a Dog

241 pages

English language

Published Jan. 22, 2006

ISBN:: 9780307265432
Goodreads:: 6288

(1 review)

A searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best …

A searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation. (front flap)

15 editions

JasonsGrooveMachine reviewed The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Tragic and Perfect

5 stars

This is the first McCarthy I've read. I've seen No Country but that's another story, literally.

I got a lot of Stephen King vibes from this. Not just that we're in a post apocalyptic world and follow survivors (The Stand, The Dark Tower, Night Surf, etc.), but the writing style is similar. Cormac uses a lot of the same phrases repeatedly in this story and King does the same in most of his, they even both use "You know that, don't you?" pretty frequently.

I feel for the father. I feel for the boy. I wanted to know more about Eli and some of the other characters. I want to know more about what happened to get us to where we are now.

I do feel like serendipity was a little too kind to our heroes at times. Just when they were at their lowest things always turned around with …

This is the first McCarthy I've read. I've seen No Country but that's another story, literally.

I got a lot of Stephen King vibes from this. Not just that we're in a post apocalyptic world and follow survivors (The Stand, The Dark Tower, Night Surf, etc.), but the writing style is similar. Cormac uses a lot of the same phrases repeatedly in this story and King does the same in most of his, they even both use "You know that, don't you?" pretty frequently.

I feel for the father. I feel for the boy. I wanted to know more about Eli and some of the other characters. I want to know more about what happened to get us to where we are now.

I do feel like serendipity was a little too kind to our heroes at times. Just when they were at their lowest things always turned around with a boon. But that did allow me more time with the two.

I'm glad I read it.