So I’ve borrowed a little phrase that is probably more
commonly known for its use by various Kardashians, TOWIE members etc on
Instagram (just a little insight into the kind of people I choose to follow…).
It’s gonna be hard for me to keep up a stream of current reviews this year
thanks to the pretty much ancient module choices I’ve gone for, so to keep the
book review aspect of my blog ticking over I’ll try to post on older, probably
more famous books each week.
I recently went on holiday and needed some reading that was
both productive for the imminent third year but not too heavy/thick/containing
the words ‘thy’ and ‘pomp’ (so ruling out this term’s entire reading list…). In
the end I looked forward to my modules for the spring term (ultimate geek), one
of which is ‘Utopias and Dystopias’. Jolly.
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road was a great one to start on as
it’s known as one of the modern classics in the apocalyptic dystopia genre. To
be honest, I am completely new to this genre, but I knew it was going to be
pretty addictive and consuming. I read the entire novel (admittedly it’s pretty
slim) in about 3 sittings. It’s not particularly fast moving and it’s
definitely not action-packed, but it has a certain plodding quality that keeps
you walking along this road with the two characters searching, for any sign of
hope.
The novel follows the journey, which often seems completely
hopeless, of a man and his son to an unknown destination through what can only
be described as burned America. We don’t know why it has burned or who the ‘bad
guys’ are who they must hide from – all we know is that they may be the only 2 ‘good
guys’ left and they would rather kill themselves than be captured. The moment
you realise a father has had to train his pre-adolescent son the most effective
way to kill himself in case he gets caught is particularly chilling.
A huge amount has been said about this novel so it’s a hard
one to find something ‘new’ to say about – it has often been deemed a warning
about global warming. Yes, this aspect is impossible to ignore. In fact, the
knowledge that this could indeed become a reality is what absolutely terrified
me the entire way through – at the same time as thinking ‘oh no we would never
let it get to this’ you’re constantly worrying that it will. The bad guys are
not even the unrealistic, violent, perverted villains you so can often find in
more conventional novels – you come to realise that they too are just acting
out of crippling fear. McCarthy makes this affiliation with these sadistic
monsters so easy that the reader is forced to fear themselves, and question
what they really would do in this situation.
Aside from the prominent theme and setting of the novel the
two characters, who remain nameless throughout, make it a beautiful and
fascinating illustration of human behaviour and relationships. There are no chapter breaks, no speech marks,
barely any grammar at all – this could be running as a stream of consciousness if
it was in the first person. But what McCarthy achieves with his use of the
third person is a total focus on these two tiny figures in what is really a
huge, empty abyss which they used to call home. ‘The road’ becomes both the
piece of earth they are traversing at a particular moment, and the entire
planet that has been destroyed but must still exist.
From the start you know their struggle is hopeless, there is
no expectation that they will arrive at a safe haven– it’s not that kind of
book. But what does develop is a sense for the reader themselves of living from
one event to the next with the man and boy. We read each snippet of their lives
in between, but really we are waiting for the next piece of action, whether it
be good or bad, something, anything definitive. In my opinion McCarthy does
this deliberately at the start of the book to create a false sense of security.
As I got to the end I began to realise the singular events I was waiting for
just merged and the entire journey became one of disillusionment. McCarthy’s
point comes through – there is nothing definitive, there is no beginning and
end, there is merely a life you must live until it has finished with you.
Perhaps not only a comment on life, but on the conventions of literature
(classic English student comment…).
A quick last thought: having said I am totally inexperienced
in this genre, I am a big fan of books which both scare and intrigue me…see my
review on The Bunker Diary. One I read last year was The Room by Emma Donaghue. It depicts a woman who has been held
captive for many years and has borne a son by her captor who has never seen the
outside world. His entire world IS the room, and this really resonated in The Road. It is totally unclear as to
how long the world has been like this, when disaster struck, how old the boy
is, or whether he ever knew any different. However, understanding that this
dystopia is what is normal to the boy is captivating – trying to put myself
into his head was my favourite aspect of the book. Striving to see such an
unfamiliar world through his eyes with his familiarity adds to the reader’s
fear and sense of realism.
Admittedly, a hugely depressing and downright scary book,
but also an important one that I think everyone should read. Yes it is a
warning to the whole of humanity – the anonymous ‘man’ and ‘boy’ could be
anyone, but they are also themselves and the novel is a warm and immensely
touching story of human relationships.
Read it now: Get it here
