Roadtrip

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

With 680 reviews on Librarything already, what could I possibly say that would be different or original from anyone else? This is my second Cormac McCarthy. It won't be my last. My sister-in-law lent it to me. "You'll read it in a day," she said. She was right. Good stuff to read on hot summer nights when you've turned the air-conditioning off for fear of global warming. Our pantry has always been the source of mirth in our family...well stocked with tins by my husband - a hangover from his grandfather from the war years - the sisters-in-law always joke they know where to come when the apocalypse hits. Now I'm thinking we should be building a donger - or whatever they're called. Speaking of words there were quite a few in this book I'd never heard before and that's always a good thing - to stretch the brain. At 1am I got up and googled "krugerrands". I've led a sheltered life obviously. This is a simple and a difficult book to read. It is a classic "and then" story. The father and son talk much like fathers and sons do these days but it's so much more poignant in their predicament. And then again is it? Is that what Cormac is asking? We wonder what we will be like when faced with a challenge like this or any challenge. Are we prepared enough ? - mentally, physically, morally. Can anything prepare us for life and what we might face? Are we just victims of the blind biological drive to keep going? I can see we're going to have fun at bookclub with this one. And the movie comes out today!