The Road, Cormac McCarthy

 "He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two hunted animals trembling like ground-foxes in their cover. Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

       I recently finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It was definitely a heart-wrenching read, never mind that I was nearing the book's conclusion during Thanksgiving break. I certainly maintained my Clean Plate Club status with The Road in mind.
        Sometimes when I reach the end of a book I like to read the final pages out loud. I sat upright on the edge of my bed reading the end of this book choking and blinking to see past my tears. McCarthy's brief, stunning sentences turned what I intended to be a 25 page reading into a 75 page one, leading to me finishing the novel. This book wrung me out and I lay on my bed afterward like a crumpled sweater subjected to the weak Mount Holyoke dryers (that cost $1.50 a load, mind you). I went to the bathroom for tissues and made awkward eye contact with floor mates. Feeling expository I explained, "I just finished a book. I AM AN ENGLISH MAJOR." I don't know what reaction I thought that might get me... I blame the earth shattering encounter with loss I had just experienced for my delusion.
        Anyway, I then told every person I came into contact with how important it was that they understand how shaken this book had left me. It was horrifying. It was so beautiful. Parts of the story made my stomach feel like gelatinous cranberry sauce from a can, swaying in its perfectly disgusting mold of the aluminum can it called home for probably much longer than I as a consumer would like to believe. Other parts left thousands of paper cuts on my center and serated my sternum with brutal rusting tragedies.
        This book ruled. You should read it! I rated it four stars on goodreads (and in my heart.)
I'm hoping to read Blood Meridian, or The Evening Redness in the West soon, which is one of my brother Alexander's favorite books. My favorite passage from The Road is up at the top of this post.

Thanks for reading!
-M


**Shout out to Carter for lending me his copy of the book!