Cormac McCarthy's - The Road -

[8ballrollin]

Read it over the holiday weekend. I found it to be a great read.

After starting the book someone mentioned it had been on Oprah's book club -my wife had tried to conceal this fact from me. I was discouraged at first, but read on, undaunted by Oprah’s approval.

A day after finishing it, I’ve started it again and I’m about halfway through my second read. I think it is a great piece of fiction.

Has anyone else here picked it up?

[Jeff Lebowski]

My buddy just finished it and raves about it. It is on my summer list.

Too bad McCarthy didn't show some principle and refuse to let Oprah endorse it.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

My buddy just finished it and raves about it. It is on my summer list.

Too bad McCarthy didn't show some principle and refuse to let Oprah endorse it.

On principle, I'm afraid to touch anything approved by Oprah. Next thing, you'll know they'll a made for tv movie on Oxygen.

[SeattleUte]

I read it over the weekend too. It's one of the greatest novels I've ever read. I'm amazed. I still think Blood Meridian is his best, but this one comes close, and it's a lot more deeply felt.

As much as I love McCarthy, I didn't think he had a novel like this in him. In many ways he has been the perfect one to write the great post-apocalypse novel. Those who love his writing are in awe of his descriptions of nature, particularly blasted, desolate nature. He's also a master of beautifully and precisely and grippingly described simple manual labor, particularly manual labor under desperate conditions, done on a shoe string. He's a master of making hideous violence rendered as beautiful art, and he has a bard-like flair for dramatizing evil on a Biblical scale, and even in Biblical-like terms, even the alluring, charming side of it. The genius that created those great descriptions from his prior works of his characters being lost and alone in the Mexican desert and pursued by Mexican thugs or Comanches or whatever, ingeniously accessing water, making weapons for hunting and shelter from lethal heat or cold out of virtually nothing, the flair for creating vile wierdos and creeps seemingly coming out of the earth itself and speaking with Shakespearean beauty, employed in creation of a great post-apocalyptic novel. How perfect.

But he's also created the ultimate story about fatherhood or parenthood, and what it means to fear dying untimely and leaving youngsters in this world, and why you must press on just because you must, even if there's nothing at the end of the road, just because your little kid is at your side and terrified and hungry and cold, and you can't bear to hold his dead body in your arms, and till the end of the road comes you even have to find ways to bring him a little joy. A great, timeless novel. Spectacular. It's still sinking in. His other works were more like the Iliad, little inner life other than as depicted by dialogue and images. This one may be his most complete novel.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Next thing, you'll know they'll a made for tv movie on Oxygen.

I can almost guarantee you, for many reasons, not the least of which is the role of protagonist’s wife in the novel - it will never be on Lifetime or Oxygen.

But I know what you mean and understand your fear.

[SeattleUte]

Oprah has had a lot of great books on her list. What's the problem? People otherwise disinclined to read much are being exposed to great books. Is that a bad thing? This visceral reaction by men becasue Opra is a show followed by housewives is nonsense. So Oprah has the Midas touch; she can all by herself make a novelist rich. So what? If anything, great novelists don't get their due often enough, especially now all most people do is watch television. Do you know how many millions are made every day in our system by charlatans, as opposed to novelists who have this extraordinary, once in a million gift? McCarthy is a classic example. McCarthy spent most of his life in poverty while generating a body of work many people including the storied Harold Bloom believe is the greatest of any living American author.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Oprah has had a lot of great books on her list. What's the problem? People otherwise disinclined to read much are being exposed to great books. Is that a bad thing? This visceral reaction by men becasue Opra is a show followed by housewives is nonsense. So Oprah has the Midas touch; she can all by herself make a novelist rich. So what? If anything, great novelists don't get their due often enough, especially now all most people do is watch television. Do you know how many millions are made every day in our system by charlatans, as opposed to novelists who have this extraordinary, once in a million gift? McCarthy is a classic example. McCarthy spent most of his life in poverty while generating a body of work many people including the storied Harold Bloom believe is the greatest of any living American author.

It's not such a bad thing. My shots at her are sometimes TIC, but other times they are in earnest because so much of what she does is way too heavy on the Saccharin for my tastes.

There is also one other element: for some reason, I'm not sure why, I've always loved finding great underground or alternative bands, but I stop listening to them or buying their music once they’re popular. Maybe it’s because I feel I lose my personal connection with the artists or the art as they/it become mainstream and possibly more commercial.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

Read it over the holiday weekend. I found it to be a great read.

After starting the book someone mentioned it had been on Oprah's book club -my wife had tried to conceal this fact from me. I was discouraged at first, but read on, undaunted by Oprah’s approval.

A day after finishing it, I’ve started it again and I’m about halfway through my second read. I think it is a great piece of fiction.

Has anyone else here picked it up?

I leave for Irvine, CA for 3 weeks straight and am taking some reading with me. What is the book about? Maybe I'll go pick it up before I leave.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Oprah has had a lot of great books on her list. What's the problem? People otherwise disinclined to read much are being exposed to great books. Is that a bad thing? This visceral reaction by men becasue Opra is a show followed by housewives is nonsense. So Oprah has the Midas touch; she can all by herself make a novelist rich. So what? If anything, great novelists don't get their due often enough, especially now all most people do is watch television. Do you know how many millions are made every day in our system by charlatans, as opposed to novelists who have this extraordinary, once in a million gift? McCarthy is a classic example. McCarthy spent most of his life in poverty while generating a body of work many people including the storied Harold Bloom believe is the greatest of any living American author.

Quit spoiling our fun Oprah-bashing party.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Quit spoiling our fun Oprah-bashing party.

Oprah probably gave SU a car or a free makeover or something like that.