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The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Writer's picture: josh banksjosh banks

Humanity...It has fallen based on the onset of a nuclear winter. The sky has been scorched, the world has crumbled, nature is dying, and so are humans. The remains of religion, laws, hope, faith, and safety are all but distant memories heard in the thunder clouds followed by cold rain. A father and his son have survived the years after a world war event. People have become consumed with surviving by any means necessary. Clean water and food are scarce as well as the commodities needed to survive. The nuclear winter has driven the man and his son south towards the southern most states in hope of it getting warmer. Their hope also is to meet others who are not bad, but still have some glimmer of humanity left. On their way, they must endure the harsh weather and rugged terrain. Fight off other people who have evil intent.

The Road is symbolic of the path the father and boy are taking. Cormac does a wonderful, albeit shocking job of capturing human beings who have been stripped down to their very core by having everything they hold dear taken from them. Survival has become the great norm. There are those who have shunned common decency, love, hope, and practical respect for other humans to instead embrace the fact they are cruel, cannibalistic, and lacking in morals. I found it hard to read because of the graphic nature Cormac shares when realistically introducing encounters the main characters find themselves in. As a reader, I wanted so much to believe in the salvation of man. It was unnerving, following along with the man and his boy; seeing the horrors of the past and present along the road. McCarthy did a great job describing events in the story and made very realistic scenarios for the pair to experience. You will be on the edge of your seat trying to guess and second guess what is going to happen, while internally asking yourself the question, "what would I do if I was in their shoes?"

It would be so easy for the man and boy to lose all hope as well as their goodness/humanity. The boy is a beacon of light for the reader and Cormac does a good job incorporating the belief in the Almighty through this child. If you want to be left with internal, thought provoking questions about the nature of man; just read this novel. It doesn't disappoint, but beware...it will take you places you may not be ready to dive into.

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