The Road

Ok, after the insane fangirlishness of my last post, I'm going to be More Sophisticated today. And make Mireyah hate me (love ya, Mire! :P).

Ok. Book review. The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Set at an uncertain time, in the not-too-distant future (it is assumed), in America (mostly assumed), a man and his son walk south in search of warmth post-apocalypse. The Road is a chilling, mostly depressing novel that is also absolutely stunning.

McCarthy abandons a few conventions; there are no chapters, no names, no quotation marks, "incorrect" paragraphing and some words - such as "don't" and "won't" - are written minus apostrophes. If I can move past this - seriously, I've been known to correct toothpaste boxes - anyone can. It fits the story perfectly and makes it even more uncomfortable, which is exactly what McCarthy is after.

The Road is really a critical look at human nature as well as a bleak outlook for the future. There is no hope in this book. None at all. And it is hard to read - I know a lot of people in my class (we're studying it in English, okay?) had trouble because of the ideas in it. There is some... not violence, but things are inferred that send shivers down your spine. Even I was a bit shivery. People refuse to finish this book. But please, do. It's completely worth the stunning, shocking, heartwrenching ending.

Just... please, please, please, for the love of all things good and decent and terrifying in this world, read it.

Five stars, hands down. Just do it.