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bandgeek3997's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This is a powerful and compelling novel that delves into the bleakness of a post-apocalyptic world. Despite its relatively short length, the book proved to be more complex and emotionally demanding than anticipated. It took me about five days to finish, largely due to the heavy themes that made it difficult to fully immerse myself in for long periods.
The story follows a father and his young son as they travel a desolate landscape, struggling for survival. The father’s unwavering resolve to protect his son is a central theme, highlighting an intense and touching paternal bond. The father's dedication to making his son's life as bearable as possible in a harsh world was so moving.
Throughout their journey, the father instills a deep distrust of others, reinforcing a belief that everyone they encounter could be a threat. This sense of isolation and fear of strangers pervades the narrative, making their journey even more solitary. However, the ending of the book raises questions about this worldview. Was the father's distrust justified, or did it prevent them from finding potential allies?
One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its shrouded nature. The book provides no clear explanation for the apocalyptic event that devastated the world. Whether it was a nuclear disaster, an ecological catastrophe, or something else entirely remains unknown. This lack of background keeps readers focused on the immediate experiences of the characters, rather than the specifics of the apocalypse.
Moreover, the book offers minimal information about the characters themselves, with no names given except for one possibly false name. This anonymity adds to the sense of universality and timelessness, emphasizing the father and son's struggle rather than their identities.
Despite the bleakness, the relationship between the father and son shines through as a beacon of hope and love. Their bond is the emotional core of the novel, making the narrative compelling and deeply human.
Overall, this is a brilliant piece of literature, marked by its sparse yet poignant prose. While the unknowns and the dark world may be challenging to navigate, the book's exploration of love, survival, and trust makes it a memorable and thought-provoking read. Carry the flame.
The story follows a father and his young son as they travel a desolate landscape, struggling for survival. The father’s unwavering resolve to protect his son is a central theme, highlighting an intense and touching paternal bond. The father's dedication to making his son's life as bearable as possible in a harsh world was so moving.
Throughout their journey, the father instills a deep distrust of others, reinforcing a belief that everyone they encounter could be a threat. This sense of isolation and fear of strangers pervades the narrative, making their journey even more solitary. However, the ending of the book raises questions about this worldview. Was the father's distrust justified, or did it prevent them from finding potential allies?
One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its shrouded nature. The book provides no clear explanation for the apocalyptic event that devastated the world. Whether it was a nuclear disaster, an ecological catastrophe, or something else entirely remains unknown. This lack of background keeps readers focused on the immediate experiences of the characters, rather than the specifics of the apocalypse.
Moreover, the book offers minimal information about the characters themselves, with no names given except for one possibly false name. This anonymity adds to the sense of universality and timelessness, emphasizing the father and son's struggle rather than their identities.
Despite the bleakness, the relationship between the father and son shines through as a beacon of hope and love. Their bond is the emotional core of the novel, making the narrative compelling and deeply human.
Overall, this is a brilliant piece of literature, marked by its sparse yet poignant prose. While the unknowns and the dark world may be challenging to navigate, the book's exploration of love, survival, and trust makes it a memorable and thought-provoking read. Carry the flame.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Gore, and Murder
jasperchandler01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Child death
jorgus_gorge's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Self harm, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Child death, Cursing, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts
bitterpearl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It's an eye-opener about the effects of climate change on our planet, but at the same time the author teaches us that if current society is stripped bare of its material wealth, power, and pleasures, nothing else will help the human race but love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Body horror, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, Cannibalism, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, and Child death
izzykai's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It was quite repetitive to be honest. It felt like the same sad day repeating for 300 pages and then an underwhelming ending with few questions answered. When something exciting did happen it was over so quickly. There are no chapters which sucks cause I like having chapters as checkpoints.
The minimal punctuation was a weird choice. Not using quotation marks sometimes made reading the dialogue confusing... and the run on sentences and not a single exclamat!on po!nt gave a deadpan college essay feel. I know this was done purposefully to set a certain vibe but I did not prefer it.
The minimal punctuation was a weird choice. Not using quotation marks sometimes made reading the dialogue confusing... and the run on sentences and not a single exclamat!on po!nt gave a deadpan college essay feel. I know this was done purposefully to set a certain vibe but I did not prefer it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Child death, and Death of parent
tkroeker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book is a challenging read. The writing is solid throughout, at times impeccable. At its best it is straight poetry, which contrasts with raw matter-of-fact depictions of unimaginable brutality and loss of humanity. It is a clever device McCarthy uses to mirror the abstraction that traumatized people must undergo in order to avoid their own insanity. It’s well worth the read if you can stomach it. Stars docked for preference more than quality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Suicide
byelingual_kegan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Violence, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Murder
ms_sarah621's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a quick, dark novel about a man and his son surviving the apocalypse. The conversations between the two characters are heartbreaking and interesting. It’s impossible to try and understand how to raise a child in this horrific situation. How do you explain anything? We get to see the man struggle with this, and how the boy responds to the horror he witnesses. The story is very bleak and, at times, unfocused. However, there is not much in this world to focus on except survival. The differences between the boy and the man are interesting to watch as they handle situations with different perspectives. It is thought-provoking and reads very fast. I enjoyed the experience, but a few times I was slowed down by the writing or what was happening. But, to make an entertaining book in a world where nothing happens, that’s impressive. Would recommend the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Death of parent
grankottekarin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
It's a really good book, thought provoking and written in an interesting way. It probably deserves a higher rating but, even if I appreciated it, it wasn't really my cup of tea
There were so many bad things constantly happening that you got kind of numb to it - but then again there's some meaning in that too
There were so many bad things constantly happening that you got kind of numb to it - but then again there's some meaning in that too
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Trafficking, Suicide, Murder, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Torture, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Vomit
wolfgold's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Blood