The Road

I love reading, but sometimes, I hate what it does to me. Last night, in an effort to finish this book, I stayed up waaay to late as I sped through the final pages of Cormack McCarthy's "The Road". I just couldn't put it down. In the front cover, there was a review that said exactly how I felt, that "you can't put it down because it feels as though your very reading is necessary for the character's survival." Very true of this book.


"The Road" is a moving story about a journey a father and his son take through the barren and ashy wastelands of a post-apocalyptic world. As they journey to the coast line, searching for God knows what, they encounter bandits, thieves, and even worse. Not a day goes by when they aren't hungry to some degree, and most of the time, they're starving. As they continue down the road, the relationship of the father and son unfolds and gives a glimpse into their hearts.

I was really moved by the love the father had for his son. He spent all his energy protecting him and attempting to encourage his son when things got tough. The relationship between them was a beautiful thing. While the situation they were in may be far off from they way the world is now, the theme of the father's undying love for his son transcends that difference.

Another theme that made a big impression on me was the idea of hope. I don't want to ruin any of the book for you, so I won't give any specific examples; however, the idea of hope pops up everywhere in this book, and how necessary it is for human existence. If we don't have hope, then what is life worth living for? Hope is what carries us and what makes each day worth it in the end.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it.* It definitely has made my favorites list. Some other reasons you might want to read it are:

1. Entertainment Weekly named it the "Best Book, fiction or non-fiction, of the past 25 years" (above Harry Potter and Beloved).
2. It's in Oprah's Book Club (which is actually really good).
3. He wrote it while he was in Ireland.
4. It's really good.

*This is being made into a movie that's coming out in October. Read the book first for sure, but I'm excited about the movie.