A Nice Cup Of Tea And A Book: The Road
Posted on | January 8, 2010 | 6 Comments
This one arrived today. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.
I’m hoping to get to see the film next week – weather permitting – and I really wanted to read the book before I did.
The postie brought this at lunchtime and, bad father that I am, I bundled my daughter into the next room to rot her brain watching TV while I sat in the kitchen and made a start on The Road. It was either that or read aloud to her and I think TV is probably the lesser to those two particular evils.
I’ve hit the halfway mark (despite my child selfishly interrupting me a number of times for things like food) and can report that it’s an extraordinary read.
At the risk of sounding a bit wanky, the prose is unembellished to the point of being stark – and all but the most essential punctuation is absent – but it’s certainly no less beautiful or disturbing for it. This is my first McCarthy, but I believe he writes like this in some (all?) of his other novels.
Anyway, wankiness aside, The Road has been distressing, haunting, riveting so far and I’m certain the second half will continue to ratchet things up.
Looking forward to it immensely. It may need another cup of tea though.
Oh, I’m also impressed by how many synonyms for ‘grey’ he has found.
For those interested in such things, Joe Penhall – who adapted it for the screen – writes about it here. Someone I follow tweeted this link but I’m afraid I can’t remember who. Sorry I can’t credit you. Rest assured you are in my thoughts though – vaguely, anyway.
Comments
Gerry Hayes
I mostly sit around all day and drink tea. Occasionally, I write stuff and send it to strangers so they can humiliate me and deride my efforts. Other than the self-harm to dull the shame of failure, it's not a bad life. Like I say, there's tea.
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This was the best book I read last year. It’s my 5th McCarthy or so but in my eyes the absolute best. I got through it in a little over a day.
McCarthy is a genius in my eyes. I’m always impressed by how many words he DOESN’T need.
However, I don’t want to watch the film, even if it has Viggo Mortensen it can NOT be as good as the book.
Just finished it. Astonishingly good stuff.
Point well made on the film. Going to give it a go though – apparently, even McCarthy likes it. I’m always interested to see how adaptations turn out anyway.
Ordered No Country a few minutes ago – looks like I’m a convert.
Ha, that’s funny, I haven’t read No Country but I’ve seen the film and liked that. I think my first book was All The Pretty Horses.
Tell us how the film turned out. A lot is riding on your verdict – I might even go see it if you like it.
That’s a lot of pressure. Thank Jebus for my broad shoulders.
Glad you mention in the comments that you have finished it … so I have no worries that my comment will ruin anything for you. I wept an embarrassing sob out loud and gasp for air kind of cry at the end.
It’s possible I may have blinked away a manly tear on reading the last few pages. If I did, though, it was definitely a manly one – I want to stress that.