15.8k reviews for:

The Road

Cormac McCarthy

3.92 AVERAGE

r_dumaurier's review against another edition

3.0

---

This was a difficult book for me to get into. It was so relentlessly bleak, that I found myself not wanting to get too involved with the characters. I knew they weren't going to meet with a good end. The book itself is sparsely written, leaving much between the lines. I can see why it has won so many awards, but I can't see myself reading it again.

amanda11465's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

goodsprings's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

---

simply one of the greatest novels ever. not much i can say that hasn’t already been said, this book is haunting and beautiful and completely changed the way i approach literature as a whole. my favorite book of all-time.

mal_triplett's review against another edition

2.5

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

marina_alessandra's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

---

dang I need to stop reading these depressing stories 

t_rav913's review against another edition

4.0

---

This is a difficult book to rate and review. I had a really hard time in the first thirty pages or so because of the style that it is written in. After about that point, though, I got used to the style and even appreciated it because it fit so well within the context of the book.

Then there's the story. I actually became interested in this book when Entertainment Weekly named it the best book of the past 25 years and I thought the premise was intriguing. The story is very good and, upon coming to term with the style, the story is very capitivating and quite good. The bad part is that it is very sad and depressing in many parts of it. The world that these characters are a part of seems like the definition of what many would describe as Hell, and yet they push through.

Perhaps that is what is really the biggest theme in the book, perseverence even in the face of absolute and never ending horror. This father and son continue to struggle to survive in a world where death seems so much more appealing to both of them. Their deep love for each other is also beautifully conveyed throughout the entire novel.

All in all, this is a great book that really steps outside the realm of what is expected. Through that, it is able to achieve a much more powerful impression on the reader.

afms's review against another edition

4.0

dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jayedwards57's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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: Complicated

kurayami__'s review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

i_liked_the_movie_better's review against another edition

5.0

dark 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: Complicated