Our book club picked 'The Road' and I was sure it would be a boring slog

I went into our October meetup ready to complain. I thought a whole book about a guy and a kid walking through ash would be a total drag, no plot at all. But after the first 30 pages, the way Cormac McCarthy writes those short, punchy sentences got under my skin. It wasn't about what happened next, it was about the feeling of every single step. Our debate last Tuesday got heated when Sarah said the ending was hopeful, but I argued it was the bleakest thing I've ever read. The specific line 'carrying the fire' is what convinced me the book is about stubbornness, not hope. Has anyone else had a book club pick that completely flipped your first impression like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_craig851mo ago

Ever have a book ruin a whole genre for you? I tried reading another dystopian novel after The Road and it just felt cheap, like they were trying too hard. I mean, McCarthy makes you feel the quiet.

barbara_wright991mo ago

Our club hated Lolita until we talked about the unreliable narrator.

walker.hayden1mo ago

Still think Humbert's a monster, @barbara_wright99.