My Thoughts on The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Spoiler Free)

I finally read a Cormac McCarthy novel. I was at the library looking for books with my 14 year old daughter, primarily books for her.  The library is one of the main theatres of battle in my ongoing military campaign to keep her from spending all of her time on screens.  Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Patton?  They have no idea. 

Anyway, I have always seen book readers discuss and recommend Cormac McCarthy novels and The Road was on the shelf, which surprised me somewhat. Our small branch library usually has few good books, since most people generally rely on holds to get what they want. So, I grabbed the copy for myself. 

Since this was my first (and so far only) McCarthy read, I was surprised how short the book was and how sparse was the writing style. I really had no expectations going into this, and I generally start with the assumption that I am getting into the next War and Peace.  But The Road is nothing like that at all. I struggled with the minimalist approach at first since I like the big, full, chunkiness of a novel, with deeply drawn-out characters, rich settings and compelling plots. 

As far as the characters and setting details go, the book generally stayed true to its minimalist form. There were very few characters, and other than the two main protagonists, no other characters were given much time or space. This book was clearly about the father and the son. 

And the setting itself, at least for me, made the book all about the two of them. There was little light due to the environment and so other characters would enter without warning and then disappear again. The never ending cold kept them close together but carefully separate from others. The environment the story takes place in really removed all distractions and put their relationship in a bubble. 

So I have hinted at the environment, but if you don't already know The Road is set in a post-apocalyptic world that is dark, cold and covered in ash.  We don't know what happened which is important since I think it makes it harder for people to turn this into a political tract, i.e. an anti-nuclear war novel, climate crises ideology, or something similar. Of course, it could be one or all of those things and that's fine, but what is important about this book is the story and not the fact of the world being post-apocalyptic.  

So basically, the father and son are heading down the highway hoping to make it to the south, where they hope the climate may be better and some form of civilization might be forming.  Essentially, they are moving along a road full of dangers, trying to stay alive and all without knowing whether there is a destination to arrive at. They need to have faith. 

Really, the book is about the dad simply doing his best to provide for the son and keep them safe on this journey.  We know very quickly in the story that the only reason that he has chosen to survive is because of his desire to take care of his son and see him to safety. 

While there may be many interpretations, for me this aspect of the novel is most relevant to me. As a father myself, I have chosen to put my obligations to get my child through youth and down that highway to adulthood as my main purpose in life. I obviously don't face the same hardships that the characters in The Road face, but we all have dangers in our paths that we must overcome. 

Yet, the dad and his son keep their dignity, honour and humanity intact by not engaging in unnecessary violence or evil. Throughout the course of the novel, the son really only ever asks for one thing.  And that is that they don't eat other humans.  And this is the hardest part. You need to get through life, do what it takes to meet your goals, but not give up on your humanity. In a way, this is the lesson given back to the father by the son, the lesson of innocence and goodness that older people can forget. 

I think every father should read Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road, because I do think that the issue of fathers organizing their life to support and raise their children is the most important thing you can do. 

Leve me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this classic novel! 

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