Cormac McCarthy novel The Road

by foothillsfan on Feb 13, 2012 10:28 AM PST

Calling Operation Carrot, Care to Convene our comments on Cormac?

In case you want to be the convener. Otherwise we can kick it off some other way. I have not been in an English or Lit class in a long time. Kind of looking forward.

A bunch of us bought or acquired the book. I actually read a quarter of it and stopped. Let's start talking about it before Spring Training overwhelms all other mental and physical activity.

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I tried to get some interest going in the daily threads but with little success

so I was just going to wait until the finish date of 2/21 before having the culminating thread but I think this thread is a good idea too. Lets hear everyone’s thoughts on the book

A weird aside I have with this book is that it reminds me a lot of the walking dead television series. Both the tone and spirit of the series matches up with the book very well. A lot of mediums have delved into post apocalyptic family scenarios, especially father sun but I think the walking dead, mostly season 1, comes closest to matching what I feel reading the book. I am attempting to not spoil anyone but the plot of “the sea” from The Road and the CDC from the walking dead have a great many parallels. The big difference of course is that in the walking dead they join a much larger group and have other people looking out for them while in the Road they don’t have that luxury. At least where I am at.

Sometimes you just have to look death in the face and say whatever man
Come check out the McC Book Club Start Date 1/21

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by operation carrot on Feb 13, 2012 11:14 AM PST reply actions

needs a separate thread in my opinion.

the daily threads have their own topics, and get 1000 or so posts. I don’t always even read them, esp. off season.
those who are into Cormac will check the Cormac thread.
I did not see the “Walking Dead” but you got a point. When I think about post apocalyptic, it’s the social structure that I’m curious about. But this one so far is just dad and son. So it seems to be mostly about that relationship, and whether suicide is the smart thing to do. But suicide and also offing your kid is a tougher choice even.
“Earth Abides” by George Stewart, set in Berkeley, and the first of this genre maybe, is a book I liked a lot. The hero is alone quite a while, then finds some folks who are going bonkers, then finally finds a woman alone like him.
OK I am glad this is going. I will read some more this week, maybe the whole thing by the 21st as it goes quick and is compelling too.

Marvin Barrios, come on I'll show you your bedroom. Don't stay on the phone too long to Panama, please.

by foothillsfan on Feb 13, 2012 12:10 PM PST up reply actions

I just started reading it recently. Because of the writing style it is impossible for me to read it in long stints. I’m enjoying it but it may take me much longer than usual to finish.

by chilibean_3 on Feb 13, 2012 3:57 PM PST reply actions

aren't you kind of curious? or involved in the father son drama difficult relationship?

style only gets in my way if it slows down my comprehending. Or is so obtuse that I get mad.

Marvin Barrios, come on I'll show you your bedroom. Don't stay on the phone too long to Panama, please.

by foothillsfan on Feb 13, 2012 4:17 PM PST reply actions

Not sure what to say here. Yeah, I’m interested to see where this goes. As I said, I’m enjoying it so far. But I can’t read a ton of it at one time because holy crap there are sections where it’s tough to read without getting annoyed at McCarthy. Calling the structure of those sections unconventional is an understatement.

by chilibean_3 on Feb 14, 2012 11:56 AM PST up reply actions

Payoff

It’s a challenging book, as is anything written by Cormac McCarthy, but there’s a nice payoff to The Road. The last page is pure poetry and makes me sad every time I read it. I’ll wait to get into it more in depth once you’ve all read more, but I’d love to know whether you see any hope or sense of God’s grace at the end. I took a course in Literature and Religion, and The Road was my favorite book that quarter. There wasn’t a consensus among the students in there, but the conversations were plenty worthwhile.

Eliminate that pesky Dominatrix in one easy step. Step 1: Tell her you're a Cubs fan!

by TMOX on Feb 14, 2012 11:24 AM PST reply actions

It’s a hopeless sort of hope.

Once more, coming to you by proxy.

by howtheyscored on Feb 14, 2012 1:13 PM PST up reply actions

Agree with you about the last page being pure poetry

Even after I finished the book I reread that last page several times.

"This is almost certainly a terrible idea. But I won't know for certain until I've actually done it." — Jez from Peep Show

by Giant Fan in Singapore on Feb 17, 2012 12:00 PM PST up reply actions

Terrible Beauty

I listened to the audio book. Beautifully written. I can understand the praise it earned, but it was so bleak that I couldn’t finish it — that’s owing more to personal reasons than to the quality of the writing or the plot or anything. I’d like to come back to it some time.

"What makes you think you're Jesus Christ?"
"Well, when I pray I seem to be talking to myself"

by Jigglefish on Feb 14, 2012 11:34 AM PST reply actions

"And they all lived happily ever after."

One phrase never read in any Cormac McCarthy book.

by biff pocoroba on Feb 14, 2012 12:42 PM PST reply actions

I didn't really have any enjoyment from the book.

It was a good read but you have to find something to like in it’s heartless story.

The movie was disturbingly depressing.

Gambino is a mastermind...

by GovernorStephCurry on Feb 14, 2012 8:27 PM PST reply actions

that was the good thing for me about stopping 1/4 of the way

for a week or 2 while on hiatus, the relationship of the dad and son was in my head, and it’s strong, determined, committed, loving. Now I’ve read another 30 pages or so and things are looking bleaker.

Marvin Barrios, come on I'll show you your bedroom. Don't stay on the phone too long to Panama, please.

by foothillsfan on Feb 15, 2012 7:45 AM PST up reply actions

Heartless story?

Have you ever read of the portrayal of a more committed parent in a relentlessly unforgiving, desperate environment and situation than this one? To me it’s one of the most heartfelt stories I’ve ever read. Hope in face of hopelessness is the ultimate test of humanity.

I read it 2 years ago and I’m still ruined for fiction – I’ve read non-fiction for 2 straight years, fiction seems pointless after The Road.

"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean

by Smotheredinhugs on Feb 15, 2012 8:54 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

wow as a fiction fan I got to respond to that

lots of other book tips have been on MCCC various times too

Graham Greene, Heart of the Matter, End of the Affair, Human Factor, Burnt out case. in some ways a Cormac for the previous generation.

Jonathon Franzen—an early book, Strong Motion, and recent one Freedom both excellent. about idealistic and committed people being tested.

T.C. Boyle—not as complex as those, but more entertaining, and he treats very contemporary topics focusing on ethics, decisions. Boyle and Franzen get involved in science and its dilemmas too. I especially like Riven Rock (early days of psychiatry); Drop City (hippies and LSD); When the Killing’s Done (newest one I think about conflict between ecologist vs save the animals folks)

Marvin Barrios, come on I'll show you your bedroom. Don't stay on the phone too long to Panama, please.

by foothillsfan on Feb 15, 2012 10:38 AM PST up reply actions