03/24/2025
I knew this was a rough read, and wow, it did not disappoint. There are few books that get my heart racing. This book, multiple points that happened. It is amazing how visceral and bleak McCarthy painted this journey. What amazes me is how little you know of the world. No history of why everything is ash, not even any names, but it doesn’t matter, because it is about the road and the journey to find warmth. The only other world I have felt that captures this level of loneliness is The Last of Us, a video game, which was said to be inspired by this. I think this is the first piece of literary fiction where I really understand just how important the readers relationship to the character can absolutely bind you to the story. Anyone that has been around little kids and their non-stop questions, the kid just pushes and prods and also catches his dad with his white lies. And his dad coming clean. One thing I also found fascinating is I am usually not a fan of flashbacks in stories. But, the story of the protagonist’s wife and how she was done and the burden he decided to carry. How his burden carried him. And him not wanting to leave his child in this world, and thinking he failed his child. Even now, thinking about the emotions in those scenes, phenomenal. If I could capture even 10% of his craft I would be happy. I think I am gonna have to read his other works given how good this was.
2025-10
