Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

92 reviews

bandgeek3997's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is a powerful and compelling novel that delves into the bleakness of a post-apocalyptic world. Despite its relatively short length, the book proved to be more complex and emotionally demanding than anticipated. It took me about five days to finish, largely due to the heavy themes that made it difficult to fully immerse myself in for long periods.

The story follows a father and his young son as they travel a desolate landscape, struggling for survival. The father’s unwavering resolve to protect his son is a central theme, highlighting an intense and touching paternal bond. The father's dedication to making his son's life as bearable as possible in a harsh world was so moving. 

Throughout their journey, the father instills a deep distrust of others, reinforcing a belief that everyone they encounter could be a threat. This sense of isolation and fear of strangers pervades the narrative, making their journey even more solitary. However, the ending of the book raises questions about this worldview. Was the father's distrust justified, or did it prevent them from finding potential allies?

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its shrouded nature. The book provides no clear explanation for the apocalyptic event that devastated the world. Whether it was a nuclear disaster, an ecological catastrophe, or something else entirely remains unknown. This lack of background keeps readers focused on the immediate experiences of the characters, rather than the specifics of the apocalypse.

Moreover, the book offers minimal information about the characters themselves, with no names given except for one possibly false name. This anonymity adds to the sense of universality and timelessness, emphasizing the father and son's struggle rather than their identities.

Despite the bleakness, the relationship between the father and son shines through as a beacon of hope and love. Their bond is the emotional core of the novel, making the narrative compelling and deeply human.

Overall, this is a brilliant piece of literature, marked by its sparse yet poignant prose. While the unknowns and the dark world may be challenging to navigate, the book's exploration of love, survival, and trust makes it a memorable and thought-provoking read. Carry the flame.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Gore, and Murder

crustywhitedog's review

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Suicide, and Death

bitterpearl's review

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

It's an eye-opener about the effects of climate change on our planet, but at the same time the author teaches us that if current society is stripped bare of its material wealth, power, and pleasures, nothing else will help the human race but love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Body horror, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, Cannibalism, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, and Child death

tkroeker's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book is a challenging read. The writing is solid throughout, at times impeccable. At its best it is straight poetry, which contrasts with raw matter-of-fact depictions of unimaginable brutality and loss of humanity. It is a clever device McCarthy uses to mirror the abstraction that traumatized people must undergo in order to avoid their own insanity. It’s well worth the read if you can stomach it. Stars docked for preference more than quality. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Suicide

grankottekarin's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

It's a really good book, thought provoking and written in an interesting way. It probably deserves a higher rating but, even if I appreciated it, it wasn't really my cup of tea

There were so many bad things constantly happening that you got kind of numb to it - but then again there's some meaning in that too

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Trafficking, Suicide, Murder, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Torture, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Vomit

wolfgold's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Blood

ee_comins's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Kidnapping

isthisbooktaken's review

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

I liked the writing style and found unexpected beauty (and unanticipated horror) in The Road. I’ve always heard about this book and thought I knew how it’d be before I read it. Now I feel like I’ve heard about it largely from people that hadn’t actually read it themselves. It is definitely dark and rather bleak and while it may not be for everybody, I do think it’s absolutely worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

Minor: Murder and Suicide

mizzy406's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Excrement, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death of parent, Gore, and Grief

rottenromance's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Slavery, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Suicide, Physical abuse, Animal death, Confinement, Body horror, Violence, Sexual violence, and Child abuse