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Holiday Break Reading Challenge Review: The Road

I know The Road may be a strange pick for some teenagers. I mean, the thing I like best about Cormac McCarthy is his ability to write masculine books with a delicate, literary touch. There may be blood, cannibalism, and/or psychos, but there is always something gentle and heartwarming about his prose or the story in general. And what teenager cares about that type of stuff, right? Well, I have a little more faith in ya'll. When I was a teenager I tended more toward adult books, which is partly why I offer this to you. But I also find my self remembering the more delicate, literary touches from those days. Grapes of Wrath was required reading, and I don't remember much of it, but I do remember a chapter about a turtle crossing the road. It stood as a metaphor for the rest of the book about a family migrating during the Dust Bowl. The turtle chapter is short, especially compared to the rest of the book. And it's about a turtle. Still, it's something less obvious and especially more literary from a book I read 10 years ago that has stuck with me all this time. In fact, I think John Steinbeck and McCarthy share the same skills. While I'm thinking about it, Of Mice and Men would be a great reading double-feature with The Road.

So that's why I think it has cross-over appeal. Now here's what I thought:

The book is simple, both in prose and concept. Basically, a father and son wander across a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape, trying to find some place warmer or inhabitable. Along the way, they try to keep away from other wanderers, for fear of being robbed or worse and they scavenge for food. It's dotted with bursts of terror and violence. Their doom seems inevitable, they will be overtaken by hunger, thirst, the elements or the looming other people on earth. Yet, it is imbued with hope and love, as the two work to keep each other alive.

The book won a Pulitzer Prize, has been in Oprah's Book Club, and made into a movie. Although, perhaps because of its depressing general tone and McCarthy's sparse style, he never uses quotation marks and rarely uses apostrophes,  it has earned many critics. I, however, argue that his McCarthy's simplicity makes this book emotionally devastating. I was particularly moved as the child asked his father for reassurance that they would not  ever eat another human being, no matter how bad it got. Tears welled in my eyes. It was such a simple scene. But it made me recognize that there are absolutely good people in the world, and there always will be. I think that is a strong message. Maybe not one McCarthy was trying to convey, but one I walked away with.

I was compelled to do a book soundtrack. I have not seen the movie, but am betting it's scored, or, if it isn't, doesn't contain these songs.

Anyway:

1. Jim James & Calexico-"Goin' To Acapulco":  When I saw the funeral scene in I'm Not There, featuring this song, I was absolutely enamored. It is equally apocalyptic and beautiful.

2. The Black Keys-"Things Ain't Like They Used To Be":  A dreamy blues rock tune. It's meandering nature would be a great fit.

3.M. Ward-"One Hundred Million Years":  The Road has quite a few hopeful moments, and I think this jaunty tune would sound nice there.

4. Dr. Dog-"Hang On":  One of my favorite songs. I couldn't resist. It's maybe a little too soulful and rockin'. But I like the idea of it. Maybe it is playing on a radio in the background of one of the flashbacks.

5. The Mountain Goats-"Genesis 30:3":  There is a great line in this song, "I will do what you ask me to do, because of how I feel about you."

6. Andrew Bird-"Armchairs":  Deliberate, slow and beautiful.

7. Billy Bragg & Wilco-"Black Wind Blowing": Obvious? Well, yeah, but isn't there also a metaphor here, just like for the ash in the book.

8. Three Dog Night-"Eli's Coming":  This song rocks a little too much, and doesn't fit with the rest of the songs, but I am reminded of the Sports Night episode. So I choose to see this song as being about a "portent of something dark."