Cormac
McCarthy, author of All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men,
and Blood Meridian, takes American fiction to a whole new level with
his latest novel, The Road. Adding to his already tremendous body
of work, McCarthy has written a novel that displays his true mastery
of the English language, showing us that in simplicity one finds true
meaning.
McCarthy
tells the story of a young boy and his father struggling to survive
in a post apocalyptic world. In their travels the boy and his father
follow a solemn and desolate highway to the west coast, not entirely
sure what it is they will find, only hoping that it will be better
than their current situation. Their blind optimism is not without
peril or pitfall as they will have to endure more than their share
of hardships. The earth, ravaged by nuclear war, is scorched and burning.
In the dismal daylight, the pain can just make out what little life
remains around them and in the dark, frigid nights, the bones of those
still living ache with numbing vigilance.
Cormac
McCarthy
Humanity,
teetering on the brink of extinction, finds no solace in the nightmarish
world it’s created. McCarthy’s hellish depiction of this
new world is amplified and surpassed only by the beautiful, stark
prose he uses to portray it. Forbiddingly bare and plain texts bring
to life a world where all ornament has been obliterated. Hauntingly
and boldly descriptive, McCarthy takes a radical leap in his writing.
As you read the novel, you can’t help but feel utterly dejected,
anguishing right along with the boy and his father. Despite the utter
desperation and hopelessness, McCarthy is able to hint lightly at
the benevolent side of humanity.
All the while the two must suffer starvation, sickness, torrential
weather, and the malevolence of man. The novel’s almost poetic
passages and evocative imagery never overwhelm the true focus of the
story, the journey.
Instead, they help emphasize its meaning, lending it a discriminatory
contrast. Emotionally intense, and undeniably poignant, the realism
and emotive tension can bring your heart to a stop and leave you breathless.
The relationship the two main characters establish while on the journey
is painfully touching.
McCarthy has indeed created a literary masterpiece with The Road.
His willingness and ability to take his writing to what some are calling
a radical leap from his normal literary undertakings, show that he
is as true to himself as he is to his prose.
Without a doubt, The Road is sure to become a staple in the world
of speculative fiction in America.
