The Road

By: Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2007

America is a barren landscape of smoldering ashes, devoid of life except for those people still struggling to scratch out some type of existence. Amidst this destruction, a father and his young son walk, always toward the coast, but with no real understanding that circumstances will improve once they arrive. Still, they persevere, and their relationship comes to represent goodness in a world of utter devastation.

Bleak but brilliant, with glimmers of hope and humor, The Road is a stunning allegory and perhaps Cormac McCarthy's finest novel to date. This remarkable departure from his previous works has been hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "novel of horrific beauty, where death is the only truth".

McCarthy, a New York Times best-selling author, is a past recipient of the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. He is widely considered one of America's greatest writers.

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Critic reviews

"McCarthy's prose retains its ability to seduce...and there are nods to the gentler aspects of the human spirit." (The New Yorker)
"One of McCarthy's best novels, probably his most moving and perhaps his most personal...Every moment of The Road is rich with dilemmas that are as shattering as they are unspoken...McCarthy is so accomplished that the reader senses the mysterious and intuitive changes between father and son that can't be articulated, let alone dramatized...Both lyric and savage, both desperate and transcendent, although transcendence is singed around the edges...Tag McCarthy one of the four or five great American novelists of his generation." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

A book every father needs

I loved this book and decided to listen to the this audio version recently. The narrator does an amazing job with the voices. His frustrated voice reminds me so much of myself and how I react at times, like a father who's nerves are on edge. The story itself is amazing, from the subject to the writing itself.

Outstanding.

From the moment the story began, i could visualize the breath of character and atmosphere the story set up.

The narration was exactly how I imagined the characters

not bad

Not normally what I read but it painted a great post apocalyptic world existence nicely.

A story for when you're having too good of a time

ever fell like your day is going too good? then read this. it was a very sad, bleac, and at times repulsive look into a exceptionally crafted hellscape. It was a good read, it just made me sad too.

haunting, poetic, painful, beautiful.

I never review books but this book was so incredibly beautiful. I cant say enough good things about it.

hope beyond reason

great story, great narration. incredibly sad. "it's ok" is frequently said despite nothing being ok.

overrated

When you look up post apocalyptic books this one inevitably shows up. The problem is that it's barely that. It's more a story of a father and son. Personally I didn't get much out of it. Nothing happens. It's boring and the narrator was kind of annoying when he did the dad voice like it's some cowboy talking. also, they say the word okay nearly 300 times in this book. there are convos that will say okay three times in a row.

A harrowing, painful story but so powerful.

Stay with the book. The storyline is difficult and unrelenting. But it is moving and powerful. The writing and dialogue is repetitive . . . way too much "It's OK". The narration by Mr. Stechshulte is very annoying when he does the voice of the boy -- it's too cloying and whiny, when in fact I thought the boy, who is tender, innocent and strongly hopeful, deserved a voice that was stronger and more resilient (a bit like his father).

On the short side, but worth it

All in all, this waa a great story, delivered via a great performance, and I even shed a tear. Totally worth it, buy and enjoy.

Tender story within hopeless landscape, fear, discomfort and death.

Narrator is perfect—strong gentle masculine. Beautiful ending.
I loved this book because it is so different from what I normally listen to.