The world is bleak, but the vibe is ultimately hopeful in Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-winning post-apocalyptic novel The Road, which came out 20 years ago this week.
The story about a father and son struggling to survive years after an unspecified catastrophe wiped out most of humanity and left the earth covered in ashes was inspired by a moment McCarthy shared with his own son, who was just six at the time of the book’s release.
The book’s reputation and McCarthy’s own complicated personal life belie a tale that, though violent at times, is punctuated with moments of great beauty and intense tenderness.
Singular and memorable, The Road ranked #13 on the New York Times‘s list of the best books of the 21st century so far. It also led to McCarthy’s first-ever television interview when Oprah selected it for her book club in 2007.
🎧 Listen as we discuss this modern classic on Zero to Well-Read.
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