Read this book. Seriously. As soon as you have the chance. I'm no Oprah, but you could put my stamp of approval right alongside hers. In this day and age, it should be required reading for every adult on the planet. Yes, it is dreary, dark, depressing, haunting, hopeless...Strike that, it is actually not hopeless and that is the simple beauty of it.
In a landscape completely obliterated either by nuclear fallout or natural disaster (McCarthy is purposefully vague about the causal event, which renders its aftermath even more effective) an unnamed man, "Papa", and his young son, born in the days following the disaster, fight to survive if only for each other. It is their bond, their unwavering love, their commitment to remain the "good guys" and "carry the fire" in a world that seems to have no place left for good that carries the plot and left me such an emotional wreck. If you have a child, you will certainly want to hug him or her to you and not let go on completion of this book. Yes, I was the freak on the metro last night choking back tears as I devoured the last 20 pages. Please check it out. Even if you're short on time to read, it is a very fast read. The prose is spare and minimal and there are no chapter breaks to slow you down. And if you are very improbably a hater, direct your animus to Oprah, not I. I'm just the sappy, sentimental parent who is not ready for the apocalypse!
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