The Road

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2007

America is a barren landscape of smoldering ashes, devoid of life except for those people still struggling to scratch out some type of existence. Amidst this destruction, a father and his young son walk, always toward the coast, but with no real understanding that circumstances will improve once they arrive. Still, they persevere, and their relationship comes to represent goodness in a world of utter devastation.

Bleak but brilliant, with glimmers of hope and humor, The Road is a stunning allegory and perhaps Cormac McCarthy's finest novel to date. This remarkable departure from his previous works has been hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "novel of horrific beauty, where death is the only truth".

McCarthy, a New York Times best-selling author, is a past recipient of the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. He is widely considered one of America's greatest writers.

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Critic reviews

"McCarthy's prose retains its ability to seduce...and there are nods to the gentler aspects of the human spirit." (The New Yorker)
"One of McCarthy's best novels, probably his most moving and perhaps his most personal...Every moment of The Road is rich with dilemmas that are as shattering as they are unspoken...McCarthy is so accomplished that the reader senses the mysterious and intuitive changes between father and son that can't be articulated, let alone dramatized...Both lyric and savage, both desperate and transcendent, although transcendence is singed around the edges...Tag McCarthy one of the four or five great American novelists of his generation." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Didn't make it for me.

Any additional comments?

I listened until the end, but this book didn't make it for me. I did not connect with the characters. I was waiting for things to happen, but there were only 2 or 3 occasions that the father and son met up with others. It was long and drawn out. Yes, there was love between father and son, but I did not grow to care about them in a meaningful way. I was excited to buy this book and was sorely disappointed. Others may enjoy this title. I am not one of them.

Whiny Kid and Dull Dialogue Plagues this Story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. It was annoying. I almost quit after half of the book, but had heard that many people had liked it. Having had 6 kids, the last thing I want to hear is a continuously whiny kid - "Papa, I am hungry." "Papa, I am cold." "Papa, I am scared." And all the father could say was "I know." or "it's okay." in a pitiful, sympathetic voice. And when the kid made one of many mistakes, the man would always blame himself rather than have the kid take responsibility for his own actions. Sounds like a rampant problem with the youth of today. No wonder.And to keep things really dull, the man and the kid did not have names other than "Papa" for the man.The blatant lies told by the father were seen through by the boy and seemed preposterous. So what I am I missing?

I did really like the reader. He was really, really good, easily differentiating the characters.

What was most disappointing about Cormac McCarthy’s story?

See above.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the father died and was rescued by a man who sounded more like what the kid needed in a father.

Was The Road worth the listening time?

Somehow I would like to think so, but someone has to convince me of its value. I am not there.

Dark but moving

I was so moved by this book. I got it because I like "post apocalyptic" stories, but this was very different. Most end of the world stories are ultimately about starting over, going back to Eden, building a better world than the old one, etc. This was much more an allegory about the nature of hope, and what it means to be "one of the good guys."

Seriously dark, like extra dark with a side of dark, but beautiful and poignant, in a way that it couldn't be if it wasn't in that stark contrast with darkness and despair. The story strips away all the trappings of the world until all that's left is who we are and what we believe in. I didn't take it especially literally, but wondered if we aren't each of us both "the man" and "the boy" and our lives are "the road." That's probably just me being flaky though.

I thought it was really really good, but man, I'm planning to follow it up with something mindless and perky!

Boring......

This was a pretty boring listen. However, if you start it, you need to finish.

It just happens to be my pet peeve...

That is to say, I can't stand it when there's a young'ish child as a main character who whines and is scared the whole time. After the 15th "papaaaaa! I'm scaaaaaared!", my head just wanted to explode. Blake Crouch's "Run" is the same exact way, by the way..

Slow moving. Boring at times.

Struggled to finish. Boring. Not a good background setting. Repetitive wording "its gonn be alright" every other sentence.

Heavy Burden with No Reward

I can see why this book is critically acclaimed, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It is deeply unsatisfying to be left wondering about the before and after of a story, and to start and end with the same level of hopelessness. I kept waiting to see the meaning and be uplifted, but no dice.

Road a dark ending

An interesting listen full of Cormac overtones and dark sequences. Well designed in that you can't really tell what country the setting is in though there is reference to rand as currency which gives South Africa. The rewarding part is the relationship between the father and son and how it evolves throughout--and the outcome when the final destination is arrived at. Good story but don't look for this one to cure a fit of the blues! V in Ontario

Disturbing. Sad. Yet somehow hopeful.

I felt a bit stressful and sad while listening to this book which is a credit to Cormac McCarthy's spare, intense, powerful writing. The more I thought about and talked this book afterward, the more I admired the author and liked The Road. Absolutely the best last paragraph of any book I've ever read. If it doesn't make you realize the beauty and value of this planet and the good people who live here, I don't know what would.

More like Stephen King than Orson Scott Card

For most of the book I'm enjoying the relationship of father and son and interesting situations they have to deal with, but was thinking, this isn't SciFi. However, it turned out this book has one of the most interesting science fiction premises I've ever encountered. As a warning this book is a bit scary and gruesome. The images stick with you for a while if you have a good imagination. This book is more like Stephen King than Orson Scott Card.