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the road

By 2/17/2009


i started reading the road by cormac mccarthy last week, and i can't finish it.

i read in bed at night, and it's just not sound sleeping material. i imagine at the end, it would leave me with some profound faith in humanity's will to survive...

or they could just die, and it was all for nothing.

have you finished it?

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27 comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:15 AM

    The father saving the single bullet still makes me all shuddery. Definitely finish it before the movie comes out.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:46 AM

    I couldn't finish it. Eventually sold it. I'm a fan of depressing or dark novels, but this one...I just couldn't do.

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  3. CRUARKFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:47 AM

    Finish it. I did, and I promise it's worth it.

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  4. evenclevelandFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:48 AM

    I think I was depressed for a week after I finished it, but it's worth finishing.

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  5. AbbyFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:53 AM

    Don't feel bad Jamie, I couldn't finish it either. And I have a strict policy about always finishing books, in case there is some kind of dramatic twist at the end. I tried and tired to read this one and all I every thought to myself was "are they ever getting off this road"

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2009 at 12:18 PM

    I couldn't finish it either!

    I cried too much in the middle, so I decided I probably couldn't handle the ending.

    PS - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Boulder. I live here and feel lucky every day.

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  7. JoslynFebruary 17, 2009 at 12:58 PM

    i read it for a bookclub and finished it. i think you should finish it. it will haunt you, but the ending made me feel a bit better...

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2009 at 2:29 PM

    Keep reading, it's worth it. I love how McCarthy uses such simple language to convey so much.

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  9. BeckyFebruary 17, 2009 at 7:13 PM

    I know exactly how you feel. I read that very quickly over a couple of days, and in the middle, I felt very, very low. I can't remember when another book has affected me that way. I mean, I generally remember that it's just a story. But oh, it is sad.

    I think, though, that you should finish it. And what a book! It has stayed with me (and not in a bad way).

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  10. Michelle {lovely little things}February 17, 2009 at 8:49 PM

    I heard it's pretty depressing, but then again most of his works are

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  11. LeahFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:09 PM

    I finished it. It's grim, but so good.

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  12. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    Oh, it is so good! Not uplifting at all, but do finish it before the movie comes out.

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  13. EricaFebruary 18, 2009 at 11:53 AM

    Gave me nightmares and I could not read it when I was home alone. Finish it, sticks with you for a long time.

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  14. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2009 at 12:20 PM

    I read it for a book club, otherwise it's not one I would have picked out. I made myself finish it and I'm glad I did. It's dark, and frankly I didn't find the end that rewarding, but I felt like it picked up (where else can it go) about halfway through.

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  15. ChristineFebruary 18, 2009 at 3:44 PM

    Finish it! Finish it! I read it more than a year ago and think about it frequently. when I am trying to explain things from my childhood to my kids, when we eat canned goods, when I am feeling like a good parent, when I'm feeling like an impatient parent, and so on.

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  16. SuzyFebruary 18, 2009 at 9:35 PM

    I finished it too - how could you not? Its amazing, he has such a way with words. Make sure you do so before the movie cometh out!

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  17. SarahFebruary 18, 2009 at 10:47 PM

    Jamie,

    My husband just finished it last night! He said it was to say the least, dark. Have plans to read it.

    Sarah
    TEOT

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  18. SheilaFebruary 22, 2009 at 9:45 AM

    I can't say that I rushed to finish it but I am glad I did. His writing is so good.

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  19. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2009 at 10:43 AM

    I had to stop reading it at night. I literally had nightmares of those bands of horrifying thugs that roamed the road, in all their Mad Max ghoulishness. Really, my dreams were way worse than the novel, I felt like calling McCarthy and saying - hey I've got an even DARKER idea for you. I do plan on finishing it - but its going to have to be on sunny afternoons. Not bedtime reading for me either. I've read everything else by McCarthy (3 tries for Blood Meridian) so I'm not letting this one defeat me.

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  20. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    it is a great book. I cried all the time reading it but the end restores faith. I love his language, it's so simple and sparse and yet he envokes deep feelings.
    finish it. cormack mccarthy is great.

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  21. Jessica MarieFebruary 27, 2009 at 11:11 AM

    Oh man that book was awful. I couldn't finish it either so I just skipped to the end :D

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  22. UnknownFebruary 27, 2009 at 6:05 PM

    finish it.

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  23. readplayrunFebruary 27, 2009 at 9:53 PM

    be glad you stopped. wish i had.

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  24. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2009 at 3:12 AM

    I read it and really liked it. I think you should finish it, if you want to that is.

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  25. kellaMarch 4, 2009 at 4:33 PM

    it's such a great book.. very sad and hopeless but that's what makes it so great! he's an amazing writer! finish it, a satisfying ending : )

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  26. VanessaMarch 6, 2009 at 6:23 PM

    I loved The Road - I read it on a long flight and flying over the ocean at night was the perfect place to experience the edge of that particular book's abyss.
    A year later and I still think about the story and what McCarthy was saying about the strength and weaknesses in humanity. I highly recommend taking a long flight just to finish it!

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  27. AnonymousMarch 9, 2009 at 4:08 PM

    my husband & i read it while driving long dark roads. (a roadtrip). i finally burst out sobbing and started yelling "turn it off! turn it off! why haven't you turned this thing off yet?"

    it was about a year ago and i'm still not sleeping that great at night.

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