Bookish Notes: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

 

Why the heck I choose to read Cormac McCarthy's The Road as my last book of the year I don't know. But once I started reading, couldn't put it down. McCarthy's writing pulled me deep into the apocalyptic world of the man and boy and their journey through a devastated world, bleak and dangerous, full of obstacles to overcome from nature itself and the people left behind. I began to wonder what and why? Why did the man need to get to the coast? What was he expecting to find there? Who was he expecting to find? When they found safe places with water and food, why didn't they stay here. What would I have done in his place? I, for one, would have hunkered down in the bunker and stayed there. What was this great need to keep going? It was bleak and dark, but full of perseverance, hope, love, and goodness in the face of evil. I'm glad I finally read it. 

"He pulled the boy closer. Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that. You forget some things, don't you? Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget."

 

Bookish Notes - I'm in a literary fiction mood.

 

 

Once again I have a physical book, an ebook, and audiobook in progress. I used to be a monogamous reader and wouldn't think of mixing and matching, but now enjoy the variety so when I get tired of one, I can turn to the other. 

I started listening to Tom Hanks Uncommon Type in the car which are literary short stories. Enjoying his humor.  For some reason I thought it was non fiction but the first story made me realize it wasn't when he mentioned watching Netflix with a date and I was like, what a minute, he's only a couple years only than me and Netflix didn't exist 30 years ago.  *facepalm*  

Currently on page 165 on Wolf Hall. Yes, reading very slowly and only at breakfast time. It's keeping me from devouring the whole story in large gulps and not remembering most of it.  I'm at the point where poor Thomas has suffered many losses and the cardinal is in a world of trouble. 

Quote of the day:

"He say to her, "I wish we have a baby, it seems such a long time since there was a baby in the house."

"Don't look at me," Johane says.

He does, of course. He says "Does John Williamson not do his duty by you these days?"

She says, "His duty is not my pleasure."

As he walks away, he thinks, that's a conversation I shouldn't have had." 

I was in the mood, so dove into Cormac McCarthy’s  post apocalyptical story, The Road finally.  It’s one of the books on SWB’s Well Educated Mind fiction list of which I’ve read 13, I think.  I have to keep better track. Anywho, his writing immediately drew me in and the imagery really paints a dark story of hope and survival. 

"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other."