Road, The
McCarthy, CormacUnfolding in a terrifying post-apocalypse future, The Road traces the odyssey of a father and his young son to the coast through a desolate landscape. The father dimly remembers the world as it was and occasionally dreams of it; the son has never known anything else. In order to live, they must keep moving amid a shadowy and dangerous landscape. The relationship between father and son represents all that is good in a universe where conventional notions of good and evil have been extinguished. Their love for each other, and their sheer endurance, are symbols of hope. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
Very beautifully written but desperately sad. Clever ending. Wellington 093 Dark but expertly written. A book you just couldn't put down! Masterton 004 A mixed reaction on this cold, bleak and dark book. However, made for an interesting discussion, especially about cannibalism! Auckland 183 Book and style of writing enjoyed and appreciated by all despite the grim setting and subject. Thames 002 Interesting format which drew one into reading on. Lively discussion producing different interpretations. Compelling reading. Papamoa 001 Very clever writing - created a lot of atmosphere with minimal writing. Lead to a lot of discussion. Wairoa 002 A journey of hope - written magnificently... Bleak and beautiful. Read in one sitting, if able. Otorohanga 003 We all felt this book was a compelling read - we were on the road with the father and son, feeling what they were feeling and seeing what they were seeing. The writing was spare but powerful. Tokoroa 001
Pages
241
241
Year
2006
2006
Reviews
16-01-2023
Depressing book but pleased to have read it. Not bedtime reading. Led to a discussion of how we would behave in a post apocalypse world. A couple of people didn't find much of it logical or believable. One person found the lack of punctuation in dialogue irritating. Far-fetched.
16-01-2023
Thought provoking and harrowing. Good book leading to great discussion in our group. A disturbing but compelling read. We all liked the writing style which was powerful and sparse.
16-01-2023
Mixed reviews. Some found the story heartwarming ( the way the father looked after the son), while others found it bleak and depressing.
16-01-2023
A grim, but also compelling read. Would appeal to male readers. Very well-written.
16-01-2023
Depressing but powerful read. Could not put it down!
16-01-2023
What a polarising book! Some too scared to read it at night or at all, while others loved it and would look past the setting to focus on the father-son relationship.
16-01-2023
Most members couldn't put the book down...but some didn't enjoy the subject matter! Good language - vivid descriptions. Generated a lively discussion.
16-01-2023
An excellent book provoking lots of discussion.
16-01-2023
Great discussion. An excellent 'book group' book, as it is a book we would not normally read, but we are glad we did. The notes were excellent.
16-01-2023
Mixed feelings about the book. Some liked it, some didn't even finish it.
05-10-2022
A book that led to vigorous discussion and markedly divergent views. All agreed that the book is remarkably bleak and that the writing is very powerful - but people also questioned the reason the author used such obscure words on occasion when perfectly good common words were available with the same meaning. Was it a device to emphasise the strange and alien situation the protagonists found themselves in Even those who really disliked the book conceded that it was extremely compelling, and finished the book despite its harshness. A very striking book of radical vision. A flawed masterpiece.
22-06-2018
We were surprised how much most of us enjoyed this - as it seemed very dark. Very well written and most of us couldn't put it down, reading it in one sitting!