The Road

This is a novel by Cormac McCarthy, noted on the cover for being read by Oprah's book club.

I didn't really like it.

Basically, The Road tries to be a metaphor for life. (Not a very original metaphor in my humble opinion.) Traveling along this road (yes, there is an actual road) are the two main characters, a man and his son. The crux of this novel is going to be in how the reader goes about trying to interpret its meaning, because it is cleverly written so that there are endless layers of interpretation and possible meaning...

...which makes it great for studying in a classroom or a second-rate book club. (Oprah?)

My problem with the book was that it made absolutely no attempt to be personal. The characters are the definition of flat. Thus there is no way for a reader to relate to the characters, and what could have been a semi-decent novel is really just a waste of time.

If you are trying to teach a group of dimwits how to think about what they read, this is the book for you. If you are looking for something intelligent, meaningful, or even just entertaining, look somewhere else.