I’ll not do a “he’s a little bit country, she’s a little bit rock-n-roll” comparison, but Oprah has chosen for her book club the sparse, scary, and beautiful as a razor blade novel “The Road” for her book club selection for the month as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
I’m still in awe of this book.
Much hay is being made of the “Will the Wally Lamb fan set” who adhere to the Prophetess of the Miracle Mile be willing to ditch the South Beach and Hoodia chick-lit to which they’ve been accustomed for a world so isolated, devoid, and scary?
Ultimately, The Road, for its post-apocalyptic setting and disturbing themes is a story of paternal love and adults’ search for meaning as thrown into stark relief against the innocent optimism of a child. The loneliness of the road is merely metaphor for that dark road we all have occasion to walk when the stars are hidden, our loved ones are sleeping, and we wonder if we are truly understood.
And the want of understanding is certainly something universal.
