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The Road

Several of my students are reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I have to admit that it was a hard book for me to read. The plot centers around a journey after some sort of apocalypse. What happened in never really fully explained - the relationship between the father and son on the journey is more important... or is it the lack of relationships amongst the other people also on the trail? What would people do if there was a complete break down in our society? No law, no infrastructure, nothing. Just you and yours, trying to survive after living in a society where everything comes in trucks to the store. When the trucks don't come, what do you buy? What do you eat? How to heat your home? And while you're trying to gather these things, who do you share with? Or do you? Who can you trust? All interesting questions for a society.

FWIW - Do not read if you have a weak stomach. Do not recommend to those with parents who are squeamish.

I'm impressed that students are reading it. There is little action and you have to really think about what is going on in the story to "get it". For the most part, my students tend to enjoy reading books that big on escapism and no inferring or pondering about the plot or characters. Then again, it's grown up book, so it's got that going for it.
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