Review

I FLEW through Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel “The Road,” devouring it in just a few days. A touching glimpse of both the ferocity and fragility of the human spirit, it’s set against the absolute bleakest post-apocalyptic world perhaps ever committed to paper.

McCarthy’s prose is at times quite difficult. He is a master wordsmith who thumbs his nose at correct grammar and punctuation. This is a small hurdle in the beginning, but is ultimately one of the many ways he sucks you into his simple, yet poetic storytelling.

“Firestorms” have devastated the entire planet and literally everything is covered in ash. The sun doesn’t shine, the gray chill is constant, and as humanity nears extinction the few unlucky survivors will either kill you for food, or shackle you for sex. As a father and his young son traverse this barren wasteland, unsure of what it is they might be looking for, plot is not important. This is a study of the human spirit, frailties and all, devoid of any bells and whistles. When literally ALL is lost but those we love, and there’s no hope for a better tomorrow, do we push on or pull the trigger?

Not much HAPPENS in this book, and with the constant sense of foreboding hanging over everything, it probably sounds like one of the dreariest reads of the year, but it’s simply compelling. I’ll not issue any spoilers here, but suffice it to say McCarthy has managed to fashion a world where finding a secret stash of canned food FEELS like a bigger triumph than climbing Everest or landing on the Moon. No joke. It’s the bleakness of this story that truly compels one re-examine the blessing behind even the simplest of gifts; and what’s interesting is that I kind of doubt if that was the author’s point. In fact, I’m guessing he may not have even had one, and THAT’s why it all rings so true. Give this one a read!