Book review: The Road

Earlier this week I finished reading "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. This is a post-apocalyptic novel about a man and his son who are trying to survive. This was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. I felt connected to the characters almost instantly and cared about what was going to happen to them. Essentially this is a story about a father who will do anything to keep his son alive. It is clear early on that everything he does is for the boy, even though sometimes the choices he makes are not always the best or right ones. There is an interesting contrast between father and son throughout. The father had a normal life growing up: living in a house with his family, celebrating holidays, and attending school. The son has had none of that. It is interesting to see how this drives each one's actions and reactions, and to think about the fact that, should humans survive and continue to procreate in this new world, eventually none of them will have memories of life before, and will evolve and adapt accordingly. The father does try to give his son some special treats and memories, such as a can of Coca-Cola. It tugs at the heartstrings to think about events in the book that would be considered special memories later on to the boy, such as getting to sleep in a warm bed for a few nights. I found this a fascinating and well-written story, and look forward to seeing the movie adaptation that is coming out this fall.