15.8k reviews for:

The Road

Cormac McCarthy

3.92 AVERAGE

marina_alessandra's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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dang I need to stop reading these depressing stories 

t_rav913's review against another edition

4.0

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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

mynameisnemo's review against another edition

4.0

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Excellent book, dark and bleak and starkly beautiful. It's well paced and the character development is phenomenal despite the utter lack of back story or even proper first names given. It's easy to see the boy and his father standing on the road, stark against the bleak horizon of the fall of human civilization.

gracie_d50's review against another edition

4.75

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

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😭😭😭😭

anniemfb25's review against another edition

1.0

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Any story about people walking for a long stretch of time is painful, but this one had the added spice of existentialism and cannibalism.

kehleeboo's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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