Name: Tess
Home: St. Louis
Book Week: The Road and The March
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
The March, by E.L. Doctorow
Both of these books use a journey archetype to organize their narratives. The Road has an almost claustrophobic focus on an unnamed man and his son, who fight for survival as they make their way through a post-apocalyptic landscape. The March, in contrast, depicts General Sherman's march in the Civil War as a shifting mass of humanity; the narrator moves restlessly from one perspective to another to show a jostling group of people with competing desires and needs.
I enjoyed them both; I was impressed by The March's range, and Doctorow's attention to Civil War details. The Road made me grateful for life's simple pleasures--blue sky, fresh air, hot food, warm clothes. Both books transported me to another world, and they made me reflect on human tenacity in trying to survive when our environment shifts nearly beyond recognition.
The March, by E.L. Doctorow
Both of these books use a journey archetype to organize their narratives. The Road has an almost claustrophobic focus on an unnamed man and his son, who fight for survival as they make their way through a post-apocalyptic landscape. The March, in contrast, depicts General Sherman's march in the Civil War as a shifting mass of humanity; the narrator moves restlessly from one perspective to another to show a jostling group of people with competing desires and needs.
I enjoyed them both; I was impressed by The March's range, and Doctorow's attention to Civil War details. The Road made me grateful for life's simple pleasures--blue sky, fresh air, hot food, warm clothes. Both books transported me to another world, and they made me reflect on human tenacity in trying to survive when our environment shifts nearly beyond recognition.
posted by Tess | 2:26 PM
3 Comments:
There are parts of The Road that will haunt me for a long time.
i read a review of The Road (i think in the voice, actually)... and knew i just couldn't read it.
glad you're made of stronger stuff. :}
(i assume it doesn't have a happy ending? no wands are magically waved?)
me
Strange that I just checked your blog right after I wathed an interview on Oprah with McCarthy. Yeah, don't laugh at me for watching Oprah! I actually found myself wondering, "I wonder if Tess read this book and what she thought of it?" I was trying to decide if it would be worth it to listen to on cd.
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