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michaelmsb2 's review for:
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Road is a good book.
I will admit that my perspective is a bit stunted. I have heard repeatedly that reading this story as a parent radically changes the connection a reader may feel to the text. I am not a parent, so I obviously cannot speak to this.
Regardless, I can understand where this perspective is rooted from. The father in this story is equally shaped by the horrific, disgusting environment the him and his son live in, and his son’s innocence. These two factors guide every decision he makes. For example,the father teaches his son how to kill himself by putting their gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger. He teaches his son to do it fast and without hesitation if the situation demands it. This is, for obvious reasons, horrible. But at the same time, readers can understand that he’s doing this benevolently, for the sole purpose of protecting his son. There are plenty of things in this world that are worse than death, and the two see these disgusting parts of the world often.
As a result, the father is a relatable character, but it doesn’t make this book any less disturbing. I don’t say that as a wholly bad thing. It’s morbidly fascinating to consider how we might react, if we would take the exact same steps as the father. The boy, whose defining characteristic is his innocence, likely couldn’t ask for a better father figure to guide him in this world, at least with those who are left over. However, there are aspects of this story that are frustrating, and likely intentionally so. The innocent boy is constantly searching for good in the world. There are moments where the boy sees (or believes he sees) another young boy, and at another point, a dog. In both of these moments, the father scolds his son for getting excited. He emphasizes how irrational it would be to begin traveling with another creature, one that requires food, water, and warmth just like them.
The father is technically correct, but I feel that this undermines the story a bit. So much of this story is wrapped up in metaphor, where access to heat and flame directly translates to the father and son’s ability and desire to live. However, when the father scolds his son for craving companionship, I cannot see a clean metaphor to real life. If it were a metaphor, it would be a father incorrectly telling his son that the world is cruel and he should not trust anyone, even if trusting others could potentially lead to a more joyous life. Again, the father is correct that it’s not worth risking their lives more than they already are, but it is because he is correct that the value of the boy’s innocence feels devalued.
I suppose that exemplifies most of the issues I have with this book. A good story can simply be a good story, but there is a significant amount of “lessons” the boy learns that simply aren’t applicable to our real world. That’s fine enough for entertainment, not so much for expanding readers’ minds.
I will admit that my perspective is a bit stunted. I have heard repeatedly that reading this story as a parent radically changes the connection a reader may feel to the text. I am not a parent, so I obviously cannot speak to this.
Regardless, I can understand where this perspective is rooted from. The father in this story is equally shaped by the horrific, disgusting environment the him and his son live in, and his son’s innocence. These two factors guide every decision he makes. For example,
As a result, the father is a relatable character, but it doesn’t make this book any less disturbing. I don’t say that as a wholly bad thing. It’s morbidly fascinating to consider how we might react, if we would take the exact same steps as the father. The boy, whose defining characteristic is his innocence, likely couldn’t ask for a better father figure to guide him in this world, at least with those who are left over. However, there are aspects of this story that are frustrating, and likely intentionally so. The innocent boy is constantly searching for good in the world. There are moments where the boy sees (or believes he sees) another young boy, and at another point, a dog. In both of these moments, the father scolds his son for getting excited. He emphasizes how irrational it would be to begin traveling with another creature, one that requires food, water, and warmth just like them.
The father is technically correct, but I feel that this undermines the story a bit. So much of this story is wrapped up in metaphor, where access to heat and flame directly translates to the father and son’s ability and desire to live. However, when the father scolds his son for craving companionship, I cannot see a clean metaphor to real life. If it were a metaphor, it would be a father incorrectly telling his son that the world is cruel and he should not trust anyone, even if trusting others could potentially lead to a more joyous life. Again, the father is correct that it’s not worth risking their lives more than they already are, but it is because he is correct that the value of the boy’s innocence feels devalued.
I suppose that exemplifies most of the issues I have with this book. A good story can simply be a good story, but there is a significant amount of “lessons” the boy learns that simply aren’t applicable to our real world. That’s fine enough for entertainment, not so much for expanding readers’ minds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent