Cormac McCarthy's "The Road": A warning

This is a message to any ATS members, and members of the human race who are a part of this growing trend of having a deep seated desire to want our civilization to collapse, so the said person can live out their fantasy of surviving on their meager "stockpiled goods and weapons".

This is also a message to TPTB: You are ruling a house of straw.

These "Post-Apocalyptic Rambo's", "Road Warrior's" and "Lone Wanderers" need to wake up to themselves and get familiar with Cormac McCarthy's novel THE ROAD, and John Hillcoat's spectacular film adaptation of the same name, starring Viggo Mortensen as "The Man" and Aussie actor Kodi Smit-Mcphee as "The Boy".

www.youtube.com...

It is an epic tale of total despair and bleak destruction, following a father and his young son as they traverse through a totally desolate and burned America, where the layer of ash and soot in the sky is so thick it totally blocks out the sun and the temperature is freezing. Nothing lives, no fauna or flora has survived the un-told catastrophe that has desolated the entire globe.

To those people that long for some 2012 doomsday, nuclear war, economic collapse, asteroid strike etc etc... You can forget your FALLOUT 3, MAD MAX fantasy's because any world that's left after a total worldwide "end-time" scenario isn't going to be a fun filled "Life of freedom, doing whatever you want, going wherever you want, ganging up with friends and family and making a stronghold in the Post-Apocalypse"

You can expect to see your friends, your Mother and Father, Brother and Sister, Sons and Daughters and YOURSELF... to be raped and eaten in front of your eyes.

The aftermath and despair will be so bad you will wish you had never been born.

THE ROAD has had a profound effect on me, and I believe it paints the most realistic picture to date of what this kind of event will look like. Total utter depravity and despair.

If you are not familiar with this epic tale of despair, but also of love, I would highly suggest make yourself familiar with it.

It is a warning to us all, especially the Rambo's and more importantly TPTB.

[edit on 14-1-2010 by Nomad451]

Ohhh man I wanted to watch this movie so bad in the theater when it came out but I lost track of time. I have not seen it yet but given the trailer it seems like "The Road" is the aftermath of "2012" the movie. I wish it was still in theaters or on DVD now!

I heard about this film/novel and it sounds interesting.

Really? I thought after a nuclear holocaust it would tons of fun, just like in Homega man!

I'm the last man alive, and I can do everything I've always wanted!

Now lets go steal some Ferraris.

edit for idiocy

[edit on 14-1-2010 by kommunist]

yes the situation in that movie is possible, however there are many possibilities.

There is nothing wrong with preparing however if something should happen, in such an event the odds of it being pleasant are very slim...at least not in the immediate aftermath.

[edit on 14-1-2010 by The Cloak]

I tried to read this book, gave it a good 60 pages, but just couldn't get past the poor writing. I do like the idea and am looking forward to seeing the movie. From what I read, including reviews, I believe this is close to what life would be like after a wide spread disaster. I just wish the writing had been better!

Wow if that isn't an advertisement for a book sale or a movie then call me Jesus. Amazing,.. really

Mmmmm long pig.

Seriously I thought the movie was great, but the book is even better, neither romanticize the aftermath like those 80's movies did. However I think most peoples ideas about the apocalypse are not quite as total as what is presented in "The Road."

Even though it is not specifically mentioned it was probably something like 10-15 mile wide comet or asteroid that pretty much cooked everything on a global scale that couldn't get underground. That kind of devastation could not even be approached by even a total nuclear exchange between the US, Russia, and China.

reply to post by Nomad451


Yes, I read this book, and it was not what I was expecting, having read other similar books that were based on an apocalyptic event occurring, such as Lucifer's Hammer (Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle), The Stand (Stephen King), and Swan Song (Robert McCammon).

My favorites, would have to be, Swan Song, followed by The Stand, because I liked all the detail in these two books that was missing in "The Road".

The Road seemed more of a private look into the brain of a person traumatized by terrible events, knowing nothing will come along that can save anyone, and yet having to carry on for the sake of someone else, your child, and knowing that you may die before finding some kind of safety for that child.

It is a book that all those clamoring for "the end of the world as we know it", should definitely read.

Because I do feel that everything could change in an instant, personally.......

God Bless

sezsue

I read the book four times. "Poor writing?" The man is a genius with vocabulary. True, his style is a bit unorthodox, and may take some getting used to...but the same can be said for many masterpieces, such as the writings of James Joyce.

Just when you think there are no more adjectives possible to describe grayness and bleakness, McCarthy pulls another dozen or so from his sleeve.

I encourage people to check out some quotes from the book here.

As for the movie, I haven't seen it but since most of the book revolves around the thoughts and subjective experiences of the two characters, augmented by McCarthy's masterful use of language, its hard for me to imagine it lives up to the promise of the novel. But not having seen it, I can't pass judgement.

One thing to remember: the situation described in The Road is extreme -- perhaps the most extreme possible situation ever described in a major novel in which human life could subsist at all. Given this, there are many other possible "post-apocalyptic" scenarios that wouldn't be anywhere as grim as The Road. Nevertheless, I agree with the OP's contention that those who long for "TSHTF" seem to downplay the horrors that would follow. It's all fun and games until somebody needs a dentist.



[edit on 1/14/10 by silent thunder]

reply to post by silent thunder


Agreed. There are many possible apocalypse scenarios, I do suspect however that most of them, even minus the nuclear winter and bleak ash and gray, could result in eventual starvation for masses of people who would resort to murder and rape and possible cannibalism.

Everyone is entitles to their opinion, but it really isn't "poor writing", it's just different. To me, the absence of "proper structure" to Cormac's writing adds to the total structural failure of the planet in his book.

reply to post by Ratisch


lol you stole my post. I also read about 100 pages before just giving up on the writer. the concept was intriguing but the writing horrendous. this is one movie i hope doesnt follow the book to closely

Originally posted by Nomad451
reply to post by silent thunder

 

Agreed. There are many possible apocalypse scenarios, I do suspect however that most of them, even minus the nuclear winter and bleak ash and gray, could result in eventual starvation for masses of people who would resort to murder and rape and possible cannibalism.

Everyone is entitles to their opinion, but it really isn't "poor writing", it's just different. To me, the absence of "proper structure" to Cormac's writing adds to the total structural failure of the planet in his book.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I plan too. After seeing the movie No Country for Old Men based on the novel by McCormac I wanted to read the Road until I saw that the movie was coming out. I believe the cataclysm was one of three things. One, It was an asteriod or comet that slammed into the earth and caused the destruction and debris to be shot into the atmosphere. Two, it was a one or more super volcanoes (Yellow Stone caldera is an example of one, the whole region) going off at the same time producing so much ash that it blanketed out the sun and caused a nuclear winter. Third it was a combination of the two, where a asteriod of moderate size but not extinction level slammed into one of the continents of the planet. In so doing it not only shot up debris but the collision kicked off massive earthquakes around the globe and started a chain reactions of volcanoes to essentially erupt. I think it was number three.

reply to post by hoghead cheese


It's hard to say exactly what caused it, although I think your explanation is plausible. I'm guessing McCarthy deliberately left it ambiguous, perhaps to make us think and realize how many things there are that could go wrong.

There is absolutely no talk of radiation anywhere in the book, which makes nuclear war less of a possibility. Although I suppose it can't be ruled out. On the other hand, in the book at least, there are signs of heat-release everywhere: melted glass and road that has re-hardened, etc. Would a single asteroid or caldera eruption cause such massive heat release globally? Perhaps the earth hit an asteroid shower. Or perhaps the main asteroid strike/caldera eruption happened to be near the location of the story. It's a puzzle, and again, I'm pretty sure the author wanted it to be that way.


[edit on 1/14/10 by silent thunder]

they were all morons imo

i'd of got some car batteries and growing lights and grew my own food/weed.

millions of abandon cars billions dead you could grow enough for entire communities if you wanted

the cannibalism was tossed in for shock value nothing more
that isnt nor will it ever be a true outlook on the end of days.

hell lets not forget the fact once you began growing your own food you could breed your own animals as well for live stock

all you need is dirt growing lights and some seeds and you can maintain

people forget or choose to ignore we as a species when faced with the end will most often than not prevail

dont doubt the will power of humans as a whole.

[edit on 15-1-2010 by Gakus]

Originally posted by Gakus
they were all morons imo


I just finished watching the movie and I quite agree.

'The Man' could have cut back on a lot of his day to day misery by simply grabbing that simpering, weak child and saying something like: "Hey, little buddy, the world as we knew it has come to and end - you're just going to have to grow up and be a man a little sooner than planned".

I'm still partial to the Mad Max approach to living out the last days of your life on a burnt out husk of a planet.

Better to go out clad in leather than as some filthy, bewildered cave man stumbling around in plastic bags for shoes.

Still, an interesting movie.

reply to post by Gakus


It would be very difficult to grow food in the world of The Road. If you were prepared, canny, and knowedgable about things, and in a remote enough location, you might be able to pull it off for a few years, but the chances are you would be detected somehow by somebody who would kill you and take your food.

Even if you managed to avoid this somehow, The Road took place ten years after "the event." Would lightbulbs and batteries be usable ten years after they were made? Maybe some lights would, but all it would take would be a single broken bulb or faulty wiring to put you on the edge of starvation. And I doubt most batteries would last that long. If you had a nuclear-powered submarine maybe you could hunt giant squid on the sea-floor or grow food in your sub.

Nice topic.

I read The Road and was struck by the overall grimness. Like a few have said, the writing style was unorthodox if descriptive.

One thing for certain, the book does put any post-apocalyptic romance/fantasies to rest and I agree with the OP: this story probably paints a more realistic scene than most other works of this type. (Although I STILL prefer 'Swan Song' by McCammon personally in this genre.)

I read the book. It was eye opening. I dont want to make it to the point. To think that we could end up like this. I can see it but I dont want to

What makes you think that people "long" for a TSHTF scenario. I don't believe the majority of us preppers and survivalist truly want to the day to come despite the fact that we are planning for it. In reality we are just realists who know that one day depending on our accumulated knowledge and supplies may be a real possibility.

As far as the book and its writing quality goes, I can see the complaints, considering there are a lot of books that have become extremely popular and the writing quality is so poor I just want to shake my head. Cough* Twilight *cough* People don't know a good writing when they see it because it makes them have to think to hard or use their imaginations they find it boring or a difficult read. What they really want is a T.V. show.

I was actually impressed by the movie adaption which is almost an impossibility for me. Very few adaptions stay true to the book as this one did.

Originally posted by Gakus
they were all morons imo

i'd of got some car batteries and growing lights and grew my own food/weed.


[edit on 15-1-2010 by Gakus]

Are you serious? You really think you are just going to run around and collect car batteries to power your grow lamps? Do you think batteries produce power all by their lonesome? LOLOL

Obviously you have never thought much about what an existential event would entail. Couple that with The Road takes place ten years after the initial devastation (if you’re very lucky a battery might last 5 years before it’s toast)

all you need is dirt growing lights and some seeds and you can maintain

Yeah that’s why everyone in the Third World uses this exact same method, because it’s so simple. Oh wait they are morons too, that’s why they don’t use your methods.

But thanks for the inspiration, I'm hitting the wrecker yards tomorrow to begin collecting batteries so I can go full off the electric grid.