The Road

About “The Road”

Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road follows a father and his young son through a post-apocalyptic world. A mysterious catastrophe has left the environment ruined, with constant dust and cold. Survivors include a few animals and fungi, while dangerous groups of cannibals roam the land. The boy and his father travel south along back roads, seeking a milder climate and possible remnants of civilization. They carry only what they can scavenge, using a shopping cart for supplies and a bicycle mirror to watch for danger. They face harsh conditions, including extreme cold and freezing rain, and encounter other desperate survivors. Their survival depends on their bond and mutual support. The Road won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Literature.