Top reviews

• Bookseller review

  Chillingly stark but beautifully poetic.

  This book tells the forewarning tale of the future of earth burnt down by generations of Global Warming, through the lives of a father and son. Chillingly stark with beautifully poetic description this book is an excellent and deeply touching read.

  Review by of the Borders on 2009-01-25 18:34:42

• Bookseller review

  The Road - Cormac McCarthy

  This stunning account of the journey of a man and his young son across a post-apocalyptic America, perfectly demonstrates just how powerful and moving the novel can be.

  Review by of the London - Hammersmith Books Etc on 2009-01-29 17:39:30

• Bookseller review

  A father and son travel through post-apocalyptic American wilderness...

  A father and son travel through a post-apocalyptic American wilderness, scavenging food and shelter where they can, ever fearful of the cannibalistic gangs who stalk the roads in search of prey. McCarthy's prose is brutal and uncomprimising, reflecting the horrors faced by his protagonists. Ultimately though it is a story of hope and survival and an evokative, if unorthadox, portrait of the bond between a father and his son.

  Review by John of the Bristol Borders on 2009-01-29 18:21:37

• Bookseller review

  A bleak and haunting triumph

  A bleak and haunting triumph by one of America's greatest writers. Set in a world devasted by a disaster we're never really told about, 'The Road' follows a father and his young son as they attempt to stay alive in a violent and desolate land. This is a stylish and beautifully written novel, that will stay with you long after you've finished it.

  Review by Chris of the Glasgow Borders on 2009-02-21 18:20:42

• Bookseller review

  The Road - Cormac McCarthy

  An incredibly vivid and gripping tale (which i read in one afternoon) Set in a post apocalyptic world.

  Review by Neil of the Preston Borders on 2009-04-07 19:33:29

• Bookseller review

  Chillingly stark but beautifully poetic

  This book tells the forewarning tale of the future of earth burnt down by generations of Global Warming, through the lives of a father and son. Chillingly stark with beautifully poetic description this book is an excellent and deeply touching read.

  Review by Stephen of the Borders on 2009-06-26 16:49:19

• 

  Read in the sunshine...

  I read The Road just after its release in November 2006 one dark evening, and in one sitting.It left me distraught and drained.

  Whatever has happened to the elder statesmen of US fiction (and I'm looking at you, Philip Roth) has resulted in a quantum leap in their creativity and storytelling prowess, and a distinct downturn in their outlook on life.

  But however dour and debilitating The Road is, there is an inescapable theme of paternal love that leaves us all with a sense that hope still remains in our world.

  A father and son push a shopping cart through the backroads of post-apocalyptic America, looking for food, shelter, warmth, and avoiding the groups of marauding cannibals now roaming the countryside.

  Whereas 'genre' novelists would look for action or spectacle (of which there is some, mainly in the form of grotesque vignettes and distressing discoveries), McCarthy examines the father and son relationship and the dramatic psychological effects of the chaos the world has descended into.

  This is a stunning piece of work- just read it with a dictionary beside you, and in the daytime!

  Review by Nicky Boardman on 14:04, 04 Apr 2008

  Do you agree? (Agreements: 2, Disagreements: 0)

• 

  Mccarthy the Master

  A man and his young son make their way across a devastated land- post-nuclear attack? environmental or natural disaster? Like many facts in this brilliant novel, the details are left vague. The central characters fight for survival, heading for the ocean, without any real idea of what will happen if and when they get there. The love and mutual dependency between the father and son shines through the devastation. It's a bleak, terrifying, but rewarding read.

  Review by Paul Thornton on 14:04, 04 Apr 2008

  Do you agree? (Agreements: 1, Disagreements: 0)

What's your view? Write a review for The Road