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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm not gonna be kind with this review sadly, sorry. I kind of ended up hate reading it because the machismo vibes it's drenched in are a bit much for me.
But on a positive note, the prose in this book really sets the mood, especially in the earliest chapters. Talk about a setting coming to life. I had no trouble vividly picturing both the world and the emotions being conveyed in the opening of the book. Sadly, I feel like having such an original style that kind of pushes boundaries means you sometimes cross the line a little. I feel like that happened on like page 10 when he described the dark as autistic. Like wow, really? Couldn't think of anything else? Normally that sort of thing isn't enough for me to write off the whole book. But it didn't help. It just really gave me the impression that he was trying way too hard. Like he thought his verbage was unique and clever nevermind the fact that even well read people would probably go "huh?", at best, if they come across a line like that.
There are more instances of this. Such as describing the son as "the boy" or worse "the child" constantly. It feels like McCarthy thinks creating distance for the father while his son very familiarly says "Papa" incessantly is so innovative and interesting but to me, it just feels kind of pretentious.
It's both impressive and horribly boring that despite the fact that there's quite a bit of action and conflict, it still somehow feels like nothing is happening. This also really helps build an immersive post-apocalyptic setting and mood. Imagine being one of the last humans on earth while the world is dying. Wouldn't it feel a bit like that? YOU are doing so much to survive and yet nothing is happening. So even though it was a little boring to me, it was also kind of brilliant.
But a problem with the boredom, is that it started early and it never got better. This made the book feel so repetitive and redundant. And I'm fairly convinced that despite some of the successful aspects of this book and despite the fact that it's a pretty quick read, this book went on a little bit more than it needed to.
The characters did start to grow on me a little by the time we got to the end, but not enough to sway my opinion into liking it. And another positive: even though the ending is a bit open-ended, and could be perceived as nihilistic, I actually felt like it was fairly hopeful.
Overall, I can see why some people would like this book. There is some masterful crafting of sentences in this. But that doesn't mean the message the book is telling us is necessarily worthwhile or enjoyable or life changing. Personally, this book was not for me.
But on a positive note, the prose in this book really sets the mood, especially in the earliest chapters. Talk about a setting coming to life. I had no trouble vividly picturing both the world and the emotions being conveyed in the opening of the book. Sadly, I feel like having such an original style that kind of pushes boundaries means you sometimes cross the line a little. I feel like that happened on like page 10 when he described the dark as autistic. Like wow, really? Couldn't think of anything else? Normally that sort of thing isn't enough for me to write off the whole book. But it didn't help. It just really gave me the impression that he was trying way too hard. Like he thought his verbage was unique and clever nevermind the fact that even well read people would probably go "huh?", at best, if they come across a line like that.
There are more instances of this. Such as describing the son as "the boy" or worse "the child" constantly. It feels like McCarthy thinks creating distance for the father while his son very familiarly says "Papa" incessantly is so innovative and interesting but to me, it just feels kind of pretentious.
It's both impressive and horribly boring that despite the fact that there's quite a bit of action and conflict, it still somehow feels like nothing is happening. This also really helps build an immersive post-apocalyptic setting and mood. Imagine being one of the last humans on earth while the world is dying. Wouldn't it feel a bit like that? YOU are doing so much to survive and yet nothing is happening. So even though it was a little boring to me, it was also kind of brilliant.
But a problem with the boredom, is that it started early and it never got better. This made the book feel so repetitive and redundant. And I'm fairly convinced that despite some of the successful aspects of this book and despite the fact that it's a pretty quick read, this book went on a little bit more than it needed to.
The characters did start to grow on me a little by the time we got to the end, but not enough to sway my opinion into liking it. And another positive: even though the ending is a bit open-ended, and could be perceived as nihilistic, I actually felt like it was fairly hopeful.
Overall, I can see why some people would like this book. There is some masterful crafting of sentences in this. But that doesn't mean the message the book is telling us is necessarily worthwhile or enjoyable or life changing. Personally, this book was not for me.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An American Classic! A must read! A triumph in dystopian fiction! Carry the flame!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of the hardest books I have ever read. I read it a few weeks after becoming a new father. I new it was a book I would always wanted to read, and I knew it had a lot about father-son dynamics, and after having a little boy of my own and experiencing that kind of love, I decided to take the plunge and go on the emotional journey that is 'The Road'. This book is hard. Very... very hard to read. One of the darker and more hopeless books I have ever read. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. This is what hell looks like. But good Lord, it is written so well, so flawlessly by Cormac McCarthy. I have no complaints other than I wish it was longer, and maybe the optimist in me wishes that there was some kind of hope to hold on to, just something that hints that maybe one day the world could get better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic