Thread: Good Book, If you like to read.

I don’t know how many of you read recreationally, but I just finished “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy and if you get a chance I would defiantly pick this one up. I have to be honest here, I was at work and my partner (female) was watching Oprah. Yea, yea I know, but some times you just gotta take one for the team to keep the peace. At any rate, Oprah listed it as one of her “book club” reads and that it was the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction. So I thought “Hell, sounds like something I would like. I’ll check it out.” Well, I picked it up at Barnes and Noble at about 8:00 PM yesterday evening, started reading it at about 1030, and finished it a 4:00 AM this morning. Could not put it down! The broad story line is a father and son in post-apocalyptic America are trying to get to the coast in hopes of finding a better life. Much of their time is spent just struggling to survive, but there is a lot more to the story than just the obvious. Be warned, THIS IS NOT A FEEL GOOD BOOK. There are several very unsettling, disturbing, and emotion drawing “scenes”, if you will, that made me put the book down for a few minutes to go smoke a cigarette to settle down. (I’m weird, I have a bad habit of getting engrossed in what I read and sometimes think a little too much about it) and I would not recommend it for anyone that does not have considerable maturity simply due to some of the graphic situations and descriptions. (If you read it I think that most would agree) Some may have read “Alas Babylon” by Pat Frank, but it cannot be at all compared to “The Road” beyond the setting.

So, if you have read or do read this book lets chat about it. There’s a lot there and I think this might start a pretty good discussion. Take care all and happy reading. -Yvain

Sounds like a read, i'll take a shot at it.

Ill try..ill finally put this crap they teach me over and over again in "Advanced Classes" for something fun.

I'll try to talk my teacher into letting us read it. I don't want to read any more gay shit.

Lawl.

Originally Posted by asianator365

I'll try to talk my teacher into letting us read it. I don't want to read any more gay shit.

Letting you read it? Do they have security cameras in your place of residence making sure you only do what they want you to?

Anywho, I may take a look at the book. I have hella too many books to read at the moment, but I never know when I'll run out ^_^

did you read Song of Solomon.. because if its as disturbing as part 1 of that book -- not sure I wanna read it

for the way u explain it, i just had a flashback of "The Stand" - Stephen King. Its about a post-apocalyptic vision of the world too.
while i was reading this book, i wish it was a neverending book, i enjoined every page it may sounds dumb, but i read it twice, got me "the complete and uncut version" and i own the movie (its about a 6 hours long movie)
Stephen King

God the Creator had made man in his own image, and that meant that every man and woman who dwelt under God's light was a creator of some kind.

In a world where so many had died, to parcel out more death is surely the gravest sin

In loneliness, even the company of the mad is better than the company of the dead

what a great book
Tom Cullen

M-O-O-N that spells, a great book, Tom cullen knows that oooh yeah!

and now i feel like reading The Road. ill look for it next time i hang around in some bookstore

Dont Fear the Reaper

Carcass,
I read quite a bit and I have to say that I have never read anything that comes close to "The Road". I too loved "The Stand", but again the only thing in common is the setting. "The Stand", which for me is Kings best work, is at its root a very well told story about the struggle between good and evil. "The Road" has a much more simple although much more complicated premise; the love of a father for his son. Seeing how much you liked "The Stand" you will probably love this one. Also, if you haven't yet read "Alas Babylon" give that one a shot as well. It is much like "The Stand" as it involves a tremendous amount of character building and is primarily about the strength of good over evil and the intrinsic amount of each in every person.

"The Road" is kind of a short book, only 300 pages or so, but it is written in a fashion that a lot is left to the inference of the reader. The author makes you think about what's going on as every thing is not spelled out. For example, the two pivotal characters in the book are "The Man and "The Boy". You never learn their names. I took this to mean two things: 1. The author wanted the reader to see that the two could be anyone, like an anonymous face that you see on the street and would swear that you know the person. Also, I think that ultimately the author wanted the reader, through introspect, to place there own face to the father or the son so that the story becomes much more personal (This is what happened to me while I read the book.) and 2. In the hellish time that they are living a persons name simply doesn’t matter. Humanity has been reduced to a creature whose day to day life is about struggling to hold on to the bare threads of existence. People have been forced (of chose) to become the hunter or the pray and as we all know in the natural world neither the hunter or the pray ever have a name. Your name is "Alive" or "Dead".

Scuba,
I haven't read Song of Solomon. What is it about? I can tell you that although "The Road" has some very believable yet beyond imaginable horrific moments, it is not a horror book. By that I mean it is not a Friday the 13th on page. This is what I like to call a thinking book. Although it is fiction it stills has as much power to evoke thought as a text book. I have found myself thinking about it on a philosophical and emotional level over the last day or so since I finished it. That being said, it is disturbing. Hope you check it out. I don't think that the awfulness and despair out ways the good of the message. If anything, it strengthens it.

Scuba,
I just looked up "Song of Solomon". Damn you. Now I'm gonna have to read another book that Oprah recomends. Shit. lol. -Yvain