The Road

Here at Whiskey Before Breakfast, Zach and I have one rule: We do not review books that have appeared in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club.  Today, I am going to break that rule, and you're all going to like it.

Cormac McCarthy published The Road in 2006.  It was made into a film in 2009, starring Aragorn and an Australian kid with two last names. 

Anyway, The Road depicts a post-apocalyptic world (context indicates this to be North America, a number of years after a terrible war) through which an unnamed man and his young son travel on foot to reach "the sea."  As they journey through the bleak landscape, they encounter horrific violence and depravity (cannibalism, murder, desecration of everything sacred).  However, the brutality of the outside world is contrasted with the tender, loving relationship the man has with his son.  The boy represents the last remaining bit of goodness left in the world; the father is determined to protect his son not only for his own sake, but also for the good of the human race.  It's a very powerful image.  Despite the horrors of the ravaged world, we can find hope in the end, because the boy's innocent goodness illuminates the sick world around him.

Side note: the image of light recurs throughout the novel.  It's quite interesting.  If I were to do it over again, I would read this book by candlelight.  End note. 

Cormac McCarthy's unique style strikes a balance between poetry and prose.  Each sentence has a distinctive rhythm and mood; the story is painted in a cold, gray dullness that perfectly captures the bleakness of the landscape.  McCarthy avoids most punctuation, which gives his writing a sense of raw simplicity.  In this case, the style reflects the content.  Everything about this story is cold and gray--the setting, the language, the tone--except for the relationship between the father and the young son.  You'll shiver through the frigid narrative, but you'll feel comforted by the warmth of their bond, despite the grim circumstances. 

You could say McCarthy's style is Hemingway-esque.  It is expressive in its lack of expression.

The Road is unconcerned with the past or the future.  We know practically nothing about our two protagonists (i.e. where they came from, where they're going, their names).  We simply witness their present journey, and when we do, we begin to realize that we're walking right alongside them.

You have to carry the fire.
I don't know how to."
Yes, you do.
Is the fire real? The fire?
Yes it is.
Where is it? I don't know where it is.
Yes you do. It's inside you. It always was there. I can see it.

--Spence