The Road by Cormac McCarthy is one of my very favorite books. However, it is not a book I would recommend to everyone. The writing style is unique, and unlike any other book I have read. In The Road McCarthy uses no quotation marks and a unique style of grammar, that includes odd, minimal punctuation and exciting imagery. On page 4 it says “When it was light enough to use binoculars he glassed the valley below. Everything paling away into the murk. The soft ash blowing in loose swirls over the blacktop. He studied what he could see. The segments of road down there among the dead trees. Looking for anything of color. Any movement. He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke.” While this poetic and intense style is what eventually led to my fascination with The Road, it also almost made me put it down. For a non persistent reader, or someone who just likes to pick up a book on the toilet, or at the coffee table, this is not the book for you. To truly understand the dialogue and grammar McCarthy uses you need to read consistently, and take your time. It is a book to be studied and discussed. This book does however, fit a demographic that most likely was not thought about. The book is perfect for readers who have lost their passion for reading and want another truly exciting and new feeling book. With a unique writing style, The Road really captures this, creating an all new reading experience that I think most people will enjoy. The Road is about a father and son who journey through a burnt-out world, free of hope and humanity. They have nothing but a pistol, and a shopping cart filled with food, with a goal to reach the ocean. The Road is a very exciting book, with many twists and close encounters that will keep you locked in. However, do not let the thrill of the book keep you from truly studying and learning what the book has to say. Because the best part of The Road, is what you take away from the book, and the personal discoveries that you make.
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