Some thoughts about the power of dark fiction, why The Road is one of the best novels of the 21st century so far, fictional color schemes, and (yes) the surprisingly happy ending.
"Propulsive" is a fantastic way to describe McCarthy's prose. I find myself making an effort to slow down and enjoy the evocative imagery (and sometimes parse the unusual phrasings and verbs) all the while feeling the need to go faster, as if to evade or shorten the time spent lingering among violence and bleakness. In your blog post on Blood Meridian you highlight two paragraph structures; through both of them, the lack of punctuation gives them a breathlessness, a desperation. In this way, topics both macabre and horrid are like billboard you cannot help but stare at and grapple with along an endless stretch of road.
Another aspect of the novel for me was parenting- shielding your child from the horrors of the world while also preparing them for survival in that world.
Yes, absolutely! Such an important aspect of the story, and also a challenge that resonates quite profoundly with what we're up against just being alive today. From a writer's perspective, it also generates sympathy for the main character, right? And this is a key ingredient in the novel's success. Thanks for commenting!
