The RoadThe Road
Score Modern
What it's about
After an unexplained catastrophe has burned the world, a father and his young son walk south through a dead America toward the coast, pushing a shopping cart that holds everything they own. It's freezing, food is almost gone, and roving bands of survivors have turned to cannibalism. The father has a pistol with two bullets. All he cares about is keeping his son alive, and keeping alive in him the sense that they are the good guys, "carrying the fire."
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on both the New York Times and Guardian lists of the century's best books, and was an Oprah's Book Club pick. It's devastating and, in the end, a love story.
You'll love it if you liked
Station Eleven
Blindness
All the Pretty HorsesGood to know
It's short and bleak, with scenes of horror. There are no quotation marks and few names.
By the numbers
- Readers43 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics93 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller74 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #33 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #38 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #171 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #339 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Dark, Moving
More by Cormac McCarthy
All the Pretty Horses
Blood MeridianIf you like this, read next
Tender Is the Flesh
Infinite Jest
The Institute
Anathem
The Truth
Cloud AtlasExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Road worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on both the New York Times and Guardian lists of the century's best books, and was an Oprah's Book Club pick. It ranks #339 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Road about?
After an unexplained catastrophe has burned the world, a father and his young son walk south through a dead America toward the coast, pushing a shopping cart that holds everything they own. It's freezing, food is almost gone, and roving bands of survivors have turned to cannibalism. The father has a pistol with two bullets. All he cares about is keeping his son alive, and keeping alive in him the sense that they are the good guys, "carrying the fire."
How long does it take to read The Road?
About 7 hours (287 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Road won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2007).
What should I read after The Road?
If you liked it, try Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Blindness by José Saramago or All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.