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• I loved this book & I'd begun to think I was the only person who did, the feedback I've been getting from other readers hasn't been positive in the least. However, I feel vindicated, because here on LT I am only one of the 385 reviewers (at present) who gave this five stars, so we can't be wrong, right? Okay, I will concede that it's not for everyone, anyone who: suffers from depression, worries about the end of the world, has a more than ordinary fear of nuclear holocaust or if you just don't like bleak books will probably not like this book. Even though, it must be said that despite the rather depressing subject matter it is beautifully written. This was my first book by McCarthy and probably my last, a search of his other books left me uninterested. I read this one only because I love post apocalyptic books. They show humanity at it's best and it's worst at the same time. When society breaks down there ceases to be any in between, your either bad or your good. Basically, if you don't go all Jeffrey Dalmer eat anyone then your not a bad guy (or gal). The story is of a father and son walking south, in hopes of warmer weather. They scavenge their way through a landscape ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, carefully avoiding contact with anyone else. It isn't very difficult at first because there is no one else but the farther south they go the more people they meet or in most cases observe through a coveted pair of binoculars. The man, who has no other name but "The Man" in the book, reflects back on the things that happened in the days before, during and after the events that led to the destruction as well as his worries about the boys fate and their chances for survival. McCarthy tells us awful things in such beatiful prose it's like some macabre poem. If you get a chance to read this, I highly recommend it, unless you fall into one of the groups above.

  5.00 out of 5

  Booknose

• I expected a depressing story as I cautiously started Cormac McCarthy’s <i>The Road</i>. I have read several reviews of this book and knew it was a father-son story set in a post-apocalyptic United States, and that they would have to defend themselves against hunger, the weather and roaming bands of cannibals. How could this story be uplifting? How could this story be anything by dismal, foreboding and (again) depressing?I forgot. It’s Cormac McCarthy. A man so inspired by the love for his own son that he penned this enormous tribute to the love between parents and their children. His brevity, language and imagery all left me <i>far</i> from depressed. Instead, I was filled with hope as I turned each page. Admittedly, I had to get used to the style of this book. There’s no punctuation (not even an apostrophe in contractions), no quotation marks or attributions for dialogue, and many of the sentences lacked the traditional subject and predicate parts. Like how the norms of our society dissipated in this story, so did the grammar rules. After several pages, I agreed with McCarthy’s style. Who needs commas and “said” and even people’s names when you’re dealing with near-fatal circumstances and a constant state of fear? You don’t need any of it. You just need hope.And hope was aplenty between this father and son. Their spirit kept them alive just as much as their foraging skills. Even when you’re freezing or scrounging seeds, love brings you hope, and hope <i>can</i> keep you alive.<i>The Road</i> is a book I will never forget. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important books I will ever read. I encourage all of us to take a day or two and read this inspiring tale of how, against all odds, love and hope always prevail.

  5.00 out of 5

  mrstreme

• This was a quick but enjoyable read. I read this right after I finished reading "The Stand." Both apocalyptic, but two different styles. It took me awhile to make the transition. McCarthy's style felt disjointed and confusing, at first. But after you get used to it, it becomes comforting and quiet.

  5.00 out of 5

  ALLLGooD

• In my top 10...brilliant!

  5.00 out of 5

  Timanson

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