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The Road (Hardback)
Short Description for The RoadA father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, scavenged food and each other.
Full description- Publisher: PICADOR
- Published: 03 November 2006
- Format: Hardback 256 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Contemporary Fiction
- ISBN 13: 9780330447539 ISBN 10: 033044753X
- Sales rank: 59,083
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Reviews for The Road
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Top review
Gripping and Insightful
This is unquestionably my favourite book of 2009; it sneaked in as I started reading it in the afternoon of 31/12 and finished a mere three hours later! I literally could not put this book down. This is gripping and intense reading at its absolute finest.
Having never previously read any McCarthy, I had been warned of depravity, horror and an exploration into the human soul's potential for darkness. I was slightly frightened by that prospect, but pleasantly surprised by The Road.
It is a tale of darkness and destruction, but is ultimately an insight into the nature of human tenacity and the potential for hope offered by children as travellers into the future. The Road richly evokes a post-apocalyptic landscape: a prevailing grey tone suggesting death suddenly contrasts with flashes of colour in hopeful symbols of life. Characters are skilfully developed despite their anonymity. The two main characters are simply the man and the boy, yet their relationship is complex. It was this relationship that sparked my interest in The Road: another review suggested that the books provides a seminal exploration of father/son relationships. Insights into the man's mind are engaging and thought-provoking.
The Road has been described as a reflection on potential outcomes of a post-materialist society. It dares to explore the sense of global fear associated with climate change and international conflicts. If something really bad happened, what would the world look like? Who would survive? How far are we average people removed from destruction?
The Road is being released as a movie in 2010. I am eagerly awaiting it! by Monika Stasiak
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