The Road - Cormac McCarthy
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Track:Starless (12.18)
BOOK REPORT
This guy is fairly well known for his bleak and reclusive perspectives of humanity. And his novel that has struck me with due effect recently. This guy also wrote something everyone has heard of lately, being the author of the book _No Country For Old Men_, which of course is a well regarded film at the moment. Ok, the film is mainly a Cohen Bros. enterprise, but that cut throat and sinster plot, that is Cormac. It carries Oprah's Book Club sticker, but don't let that fool you. Now that maybe I have some attention, I am talking about McCarthy's _The Road_ .
On the surface, it is a fairly quick read, even for its length just under 300 pages, the page flips keep up with the short paragraph structures. This is also a massively depressing story. I read this myself last weekend and still have not recovered from all the grief and despair that it unleashed. This book will not cheer you up, or offer any kind of hopeful inspiration. But it will give you a mesmerizing escape for a few hours. The imagery is at once overwhelmingly expansive and claustrophobic. The descriptions of a cold and fire ravaged landscape is...well...its sad, drenched and left for dead with loneliness. At characters that you come to know and care have easy names to remember, the Man, and the Boy. Plus, its only 2 of them, so its not hard to keep that straight. Its a father, son type of thing, and that is were some of McCarthy's humanity comes through in spades. But man, if the scenery isn't just chilling. Basically, there is ash everywhere, and it blots out the sun, so expect lots of gray, mind numbing gray. Also, due to a lack of wildlife, the remaining humans are, how do I convey this without just diving into the cliff notes of the story, dark. I think maybe Oprah likes a good disturbing read after all the interviews of the day are finished. The humans are portrayed in extremely dark fashion, and here I am not talking about color. My girlfriend was great enough to read it as well this week and her write up is much more succinct : _it is a fucked up story_
I'd go with that one, at least its objective. i tried to find a song sad enough to fit with the tone of the book, but it was impossible, i don't know what could be so damn cold and still be considered music. This book is being made into a movie as well, maybe for a 2009 release. I think Guy Pierce and that blonde actress are on board.
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