Discussion: "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

[Abecedary]

A sort of return to a hunter-gatherer life.

Exactly. And even then they only manage to survive on food that was prepared/canned before the disaster.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

Exactly. And even then they only manage to survive on food that was prepared/canned before the disaster.

Apart fram not having the knowledge, I wonder if there were enough animals and vegetation left - and it's cold, too, partly because (I assume) of the permament layer of clouds.

[neilmarr]

***What did you get out of it?***

A warts-n-all poetic description of how things might be when we lose special and personal identity, I think, Ea. The way guards and prisoners might feel when the bars are removed and not only do the survivors -- those who hold and those who are held -- of the camps exist, but lions can enter the cage. You'll have noticed the lack of character names and traditional heroics. It's such a fine book that you don't only read its pages ... you can enter them. N

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by Ea

Apart fram not having the knowledge, I wonder if there were enough animals and vegetation left - and it's cold, too, partly because (I assume) of the permament layer of clouds.

I'm assuming there were almost zero animals left. He makes mention of animal bones a few times (fish, birds), but that's about it. And the one mention of there being nothing living in the lake (according to the dad). A very barren place indeed.

[neilmarr]

Define 'animal', Abecedary. But maybe the strength of this piece of work is that you read things into it that don't even exist in its pages. N

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

Define 'animal', Abecedary. But maybe the strength of this piece of work is that you read things into it that don't even exist in its pages. N

True enough. I meant non-human. But it is odd that a few scattered humans are the only living creatures that they come across in the course of the narrative.

And notice how much of what we are talking about are "assumptions" based on what we've read. He did leave a whole lot for us to fill in however we want.

[Ea]

There were at least one mention of 'no birds anymore' or something to that effect.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

***What did you get out of it?***

A warts-n-all poetic description of how things might be when we lose special and personal identity, I think, Ea. The way guards and prisoners might feel when the bars are removed and not only do the survivors -- those who hold and those who are held -- of the camps exist, but lions can enter the cage. You'll have noticed the lack of character names and traditional heroics. It's such a fine book that you don't only read its pages ... you can enter them. N

Interesting. My thoughts never went that far. I think I may be reading it at a much more 'face-value' level and that's why it - partly - failed for me.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

I'm assuming there were almost zero animals left. He makes mention of animal bones a few times (fish, birds), but that's about it. And the one mention of there being nothing living in the lake (according to the dad). A very barren place indeed.

That's what I got as well. No birds, no fish, no insects even, though I find it somewhat difficult to accept that ONLY humans remain alive, surely some animals would be eating the humans (as per The Year of the Flood ) and surviving. Humans unaware of the wild would likely be somewhat easy prey.

Another theme which runs through other McCarthy books is the uncaring and random nature of reality/the universe. I think this theme is heightened by what we don't know about the story -- the characters names, the reason for the disaster, even the fallen apart map (which may be a symbol in itself).

[Baumi]

Interesting to read this discussion. It's been awhile since I read "The Road", but I remember being rather disappointed. I liked the theme, the atmosphere, and the ideas, but for me it ran out of steam after maybe half of the book, because I didn't feel like I was shown or told anything new.

I understand that the endless repetition of similar scenes is there to underscore the repetitive and monotonous life the two main characters are forced to lead, but for me, it simply got boring - and that's most probably not the emotion McCarthy intended to evoke...

I guess I just like my stories with a bit more plot. This one was too character- and atmosphere-centered for me. Definitely well written, though, although the style took some getting used to.

[neilmarr]

Art's great, eh, Baumi? No two observers see the same thing. In discussions like this one, nobody's wrong, everyone's right and we all look forward to more. N

[kennyc]

I've read some reviews and reactions to it and there is definitely a contingent that thought it sucked.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's what I got as well. No birds, no fish, no insects even, though I find it somewhat difficult to accept that ONLY humans remain alive, surely some animals would be eating the humans (as per The Year of the Flood ) and surviving. Humans unaware of the wild would likely be somewhat easy prey.

He finds apples. Apples can't produce fruit without crosspollination. This would require insects of some kind. Of the larger animals, Homo sapiens is a highly successful species, and the book doesn't give impression that they'll disappear - even if many individuals don't make it through the change. Life on earth is very resilient and adaptable

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Baumi

...
I guess I just like my stories with a bit more plot. This one was too character- and atmosphere-centered for me. Definitely well written, though, although the style took some getting used to.

Baumi, if you thought The Road was well-written, but would like a "bit more plot", it might be worth giving his No Country For Old Men a read. It may fill that particular gap for you.

Cheers,
Marc

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ea

He finds apples. Apples can't produce fruit without crosspollination. This would require insects of some kind. Of the larger animals, Homo sapiens is a highly successful species, and the book doesn't give impression that they'll disappear - even if many individuals don't make it through the change. Life on earth is very resilient and adaptable

Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about that scene....so certainly some things (appletrees) were at least living during a recent "growing season"