“The Road” By Cormac McCarthy Summary and Review

Warning: this article features minor spoilers.

I daydream about post-apocalyptic scenarios. Life could be more simple — more natural. No stress about debt from university, healthcare, or whatever else (I’m from the United States. 😅) Concentrate only on food, water, and shelter.

But this paperback book painted a less pleasant picture.

Summary

It begins several years into the apocalypse. The Earth is barren; plants and animals are uncommon, scavenging food is difficult. Many people resort to cannibalism. A father and son travel in hopes of finding a better place. Along the way, they see the horrors of the wasteland and try to keep a hold of their humanity.

Thoughts

I enjoyed the book. It was thrilling. And I say that as a person who hadn’t read for pleasure in a while. I found myself enthralled by the story. I was so curious how the author would solve this problem: how would they find long-term safety in such a tough world?

The pacing was good, particularly in the beginning. It started slowly which allowed me to connect with the characters before seeing their journey.