What happens when the world comes to an end?
Eight years after a nuclear holocaust devastates the entire world you find yourself and only child left to fend for yourselves. There is no food. Shelter consists of a plastic tarp, and the cloud of a 20 year nuclear winter hovers above your head. All animals are dead. Small bands of roaming maniacs walk the earth killing for food scraps, supplies and worse. What do you do?
That is the subject of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. From the first paragraph, the craftsmanship of the author’s prose becomes immediately apparent. There doesn’t appear a word wasted. Thoughts are understated and subtle, forcing the reader to draw their own conclusions and create their own images. The effect of McCarthy’s is a disturbing world the reader is drawn into with emotion and stunning clarity.
The beauty of the author’s work is contrasted with the horror of the world conveyed. The Road is not for the easily frightened as some of the imagery, like witnessing a violent crime first hand, will not be forgotten. Desperate humans choosing between two worst options turn ordinary circumstances into horror. With McCarthy’s understated tone, it makes the terror all the more believable.
McCarthy balances these unnerving scenes with the characters stumbling upon glorious finds of canned fruits, vegetables and tools that might aid their journey. Although seemingly small takes compared to the real world, in The Road they appear as an occasional Oasis in a vast desert of thirst and starvation. The effect of which is hope keeping the characters, and the reader, sold on an eventual outcome.
The chaos that unfolds becomes a beacon of normalcy in this post apocalyptic world.
Sub themes flow consistently throughout. What if the child dies? What if the father? Will the world ever be right again? None of these themes is revealed in direct terms. They are inferred from the circumstances. Much like an announcement of 100 employee layoff will worry 10,000 employees, the cloud of impending doom for one or both of the characters brings about a feeling of utter hopelessness.
However, The Road is not to be missed. As a self-proclaimed hater of novels I loved every word. Anyone who appreciates the art of writing will be blown away from the first few pages. It is a gripping, memorable story.
Ultimately, it’s a masterpiece.
