Wishing I could unread The Road (*spoilers* if you haven't read)

[Ary99]

Okay, I new sort of what I was getting into when I chose to read a book about the post-apocalyptic world, however, I didn't know the definitions of bleak or depressing until I read this. I almost didn't finish it.

I found it interesting that he kept telling his son that stuff you see stays in your head forever, then gives us images that will no doubt haunt us forever (a baby being cooked and eaten????).

It got such RAVE reviews, but personally, I find the stripped style (lack of punctuation, brief paragraphs) distracted me instead of making the book more readable. And repetition, over and over again, and yes, I know that was to make a point, but STILL.

My toddler is distracting me and I have more to say, but I'm interested in hearing from others. Did anyone else not like this book???

[A&A]

I LOVED this book, in a heartbreaking way, of course.

It received the Pulitzer prize for literature. It's well-written, but again, in a bleak, stark way. The sentences are stark. That adds to the tone.

I watched an interview with the author on Oprah. He had his own son later in life. He said he wanted to emphasize what really matters in life--our own children, food, and shoes. Interesting perspective for a highly materialistic world.

[Ary99]

Yeah, I found the interview on You Tube and plan to watch in later. I found it interesting he dedicated the book to his son. I can't imagine ever wanting my child, even as an adult, to read something so bleak and hopeless.

I get the stark sentences adding to tone. I just really would have liked some more character development (although, again, I realize the point was this "he" and "the boy" were intended to be Every Man types).

I just found it too depressing to love.

[Ary99]

I also didn't like the role of women, with exception of course for the last woman. The original mother killed herself, the rest of the women are enslaved and /or pregnant. Maybe the men really would take over and rape kill and eat everyone, but I think there would be a least a few women who would assume leadership roles.

[A&A]

I like this analysis from the NY Times:


"The Road would be pure misery if not for its stunning, savage beauty. This is an exquisitely bleak incantation — pure poetic brimstone."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/books/25masl.html

McCarthy admitted that he doesn't understand women and therefore he can't write about them.

[CameronsMama]

I just finished this book a week or so ago.

It was definately bleak and depressing, and I wouldn't say I loved it, but I was totally drawn into it, couldn't put it down.

I didn't get quite the same feeling as you Ary99 about the role of women.
I think as A&A confirmed it was more a lack of female characters, not a disrespectful portrayal. There were women who were not slaves, at one point (in the house where the prisoners were kept and it was a trap, do you know where I'm talking about?) there was at least one woman who seemed to be an equal participant. About many of them being slaves, many men were too.

I heard that this is being made into a movie now, maybe set to release later this year or sometime next year, do think you'll watch it A&A?

[Ary99]

Again, life with small children makes any comments I make about 45% of what I really mean, lol!

yeah, I know that not all the women were slaves, and I never saw it as disrespectful but rather just a glaring omission. I'm not sure I could watch the movie (I know you didn't ask me!), but I wonder how true to the story they would stay. Honestly, I don't see people sitting through 2 hours of it was cold, it was gray, it was hopeless.

[crosscat]

It's been several months since I've read it, but I thought the book was very well-written. My husband and I both liked it a lot. I don't think depressing subject matter automatically means a book (or movie) is bad. I used to own a video store, and lots of people would complain if a movie didn't have a happy ending for example, but I never understood how that made it bad. I would be interested to see the movie adaptation. I'll keep an eye out for that.

[CameronsMama]

Originally Posted by Ary99

Again, life with small children makes any comments I make about 45% of what I really mean, lol!

yeah, I know that not all the women were slaves, and I never saw it as disrespectful but rather just a glaring omission. I'm not sure I could watch the movie (I know you didn't ask me!), but I wonder how true to the story they would stay. Honestly, I don't see people sitting through 2 hours of it was cold, it was gray, it was hopeless.

I apologize- I shouldn't assume...I didn't really ask you about the movie only because I assumed from your reaction to the book that you wouldn't be interested, and that was rude of me. And not bright, since I actually am interested in your opinion on the idea of the movie, even if you don't plan to watch it!

I wonder, too, how they could make the movie a success if it's as dark as the book. I'll most likely end up watching it eventually (late late late at night once the little guy is long asleep!).

And definately females in general were a glaring omission, I'll totally agree with you there. So let me ask you this, beyond the pure bleakness of the story, what do you think of the situation presented? Do you think that kind of devestation would ever actually happen? What do you think you would do if you were in that world?

[superstella]

I just finished it a few days ago, and happily sent it along to someone else via pbs today. I'm glad to get it out of my house. I really, really didn't like it! I agree it was very well-written and as a literary work I can't complain. I didn't like it for personal reasons; I guess perhaps it was too depressing to suit me. In the end, I felt like "What's the point?" and that was a bit disheartening. It made me feel like the preparations I take are for naught, and made me hope that I and my children are killed in the first round of whatever force of destruction caused this bleakness.

It was very disturbing to me.

[CameronsMama]

If anyone is interested in more info about the film version

[Ary99]

Originally Posted by CameronsMama

I apologize- I shouldn't assume...I didn't really ask you about the movie only because I assumed from your reaction to the book that you wouldn't be interested, and that was rude of me. And not bright, since I actually am interested in your opinion on the idea of the movie, even if you don't plan to watch it!

I wonder, too, how they could make the movie a success if it's as dark as the book. I'll most likely end up watching it eventually (late late late at night once the little guy is long asleep!).

And definately females in general were a glaring omission, I'll totally agree with you there. So let me ask you this, beyond the pure bleakness of the story, what do you think of the situation presented? Do you think that kind of devestation would ever actually happen? What do you think you would do if you were in that world?

First, my own personal spiritual feeling: I don't think that kind of devastation would ever happen because I believe despite the occasional evidence to the contrary that we live in a beautiful world with beautiful people. Yes, there are people who want to see Americans destroyed and are willing to do themselves in to achieve that goal, but most people want LIFE, especially women.

From a practical standpoint, something else would have survived if there were any humans left at all. Cockroaches, worms something. And to paraphrase a review I read earlier, cannabalism really isn't a good ten year plan for survival.

If I'd been him, I would have stayed in the house with the bunker and enjoyed the provisions available. In this story, a story without hope, you might as well have some joy before you are destroyed by the surrounding circumstances. The journey was pointless, which I suppose, was the point.

more later! babies calling

[LaLaLaLa]

Spoilers

Oh, how I found that book maddening. I was okay with most of it.... dark and depressing, yes, but also somewhat believable. Really, what would the world be like after some devastating event? I could buy that it would be like this book. But, oh, the ENDING made me screech with rage.

The father loved his son and didn't want harm to come to him. Father is dying, leaving vulnerable, sweet, trusting son all alone in a world in which he will probably be raped and/or cannibalized by the first group of people he meets. The father should have killed the son before he died. The father was too weak to keep the only promise he made to his son, and it was a cop-out to then stick a happy ending onto the book to make up for it.

[A&A]

Originally Posted by CameronsMama

I heard that this is being made into a movie now, maybe set to release later this year or sometime next year, do think you'll watch it A&A?

No. I can't see a movie doing this book justice. You have to see the sparse sentences to get the full feel of it. Plus, I don't want to re-enact the story in my head, which is what would happen if I read it again or watched the movie. I loved the book, I loved the "poetic brimstone" (as the NY Times reviewer put it), but once is enough.

[Ary99]

Seriously though, I was up all night haunted by the baby on the spit. I wonder how can anyone imagine such a thing, to have the thought in your head and then decide to share it with others.

I remember seeing The Exorcist when I was ten. My sister was babysitting me and she wanted to watch it. I was transformed by what I saw. Again, the father repeatedly told his son you can't "unsee" something. And as I, originally stated, I wish badly I could "unread" the pure evil depicted in barbequeing an infant. I am left with that forever.

and yeah, I agree with the cop out ending. I wonder if the editor had a hand in that?

[CameronsMama]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

Oh, how I found that book maddening. I was okay with most of it.... dark and depressing, yes, but also somewhat believable. Really, what would the world be like after some devastating event? I could buy that it would be like this book. But, oh, the ENDING made me screech with rage.

The father loved his son and didn't want harm to come to him. Father is dying, leaving vulnerable, sweet, trusting son all alone in a world in which he will probably be raped and/or cannibalized by the first group of people he meets. The father should have killed the son before he died. The father was too weak to keep the only promise he made to his son, and it was a cop-out to then stick a happy ending onto the book to make up for it.

I had a few questions about the plausibility of some things, but I agree that overall the general plot is believable, but not likely. I had some mixed feelings about the ending, too, but I didn't see the dad as being as weak as you see him. I think the dad held in death the same hope he'd held in life- that something better was just down the road.

Originally Posted by A&A

No. I can't see a movie doing this book justice. You have to see the sparse sentences to get the full feel of it. Plus, I don't want to re-enact the story in my head, which is what would happen if I read it again or watched the movie. I loved the book, I loved the "poetic brimstone" (as the NY Times reviewer put it), but once is enough.

Hmmm, good point. I wonder if the story will even be recognizable once it hits the screen (anyone see/read Children of Men? Hardly the same story! OT sorry) which would seriously irritate me if were too different. I mean, I understand the movie can't follow exactly (time issues and whatnot) but c'mon at least keep the story and characters somewhat in line, ya know?

[CameronsMama]

Originally Posted by Ary99

First, my own personal spiritual feeling: I don't think that kind of devastation would ever happen because I believe despite the occasional evidence to the contrary that we live in a beautiful world with beautiful people. Yes, there are people who want to see Americans destroyed and are willing to do themselves in to achieve that goal, but most people want LIFE, especially women.

Sometimes I have my doubts but I always remain hopeful that this is true, and usually I believe it too. I like to think that if we were faced with that kind of situation that we would band together and be strong, instead of destroying each other.

[superstella]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

Oh, how I found that book maddening. I was okay with most of it.... dark and depressing, yes, but also somewhat believable. Really, what would the world be like after some devastating event? I could buy that it would be like this book. But, oh, the ENDING made me screech with rage.

The father loved his son and didn't want harm to come to him. Father is dying, leaving vulnerable, sweet, trusting son all alone in a world in which he will probably be raped and/or cannibalized by the first group of people he meets. The father should have killed the son before he died. The father was too weak to keep the only promise he made to his son, and it was a cop-out to then stick a happy ending onto the book to make up for it.

Yes, that! Especially the last sentence, but really all of that!

[Arduinna]

Never heard of it before this thread. Went to Amazon. How did I know it would be an Oprahs Book Club book

[A&A]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

Oh, how I found that book maddening. I was okay with most of it.... dark and depressing, yes, but also somewhat believable. Really, what would the world be like after some devastating event? I could buy that it would be like this book. But, oh, the ENDING made me screech with rage.

The father loved his son and didn't want harm to come to him. Father is dying, leaving vulnerable, sweet, trusting son all alone in a world in which he will probably be raped and/or cannibalized by the first group of people he meets. The father should have killed the son before he died. The father was too weak to keep the only promise he made to his son, and it was a cop-out to then stick a happy ending onto the book to make up for it.

But killing the son would have been totally antithetical to the father's hope........which is the only thing that got him through 12 years of it in the first place. There's not enough character motivation for him to kill the child. (There may be external motivation, but not enough internal motivation.)