/lit/ - Literature

There was no plot progression. Nothing fucking happened till the end. The prosey bits and symbolism made no sense and I had no incentive to care. It was nicely atmospheric but that's really all it's good for.

Nothing nothing nothing arcaneword nothing nothing nothing arcaneword. Repeat. Someone dies. Someone cries. End.

Great book.

Good book.

It's actually a pretty good read, but probably one of the most overrated books ever.

I can see why people would think nothing happens in the novel, but in my opinion the force of what little that does go on in the story more than makes up for it. In any case, their situation doesn't exactly allow for a lot of variation; survival is pretty repetitive, no wonder we get so many flashbacks and reminisces throughout the novel. That's not meant to be an excuse, but it is something I think you have to take into account if you read it.

Blood Meridian is better.

>mfw philistines can't appreciate the Melvillean legacy McCarthy draws on in highlighting his writing's status as rhetoric, and how one cannot begin to grasp this work unless one has familiarised oneself with the intertextual world within which McCarthy is writing in (Sisyphus, Endgame)

>>1516573
I lolled. Despite this being pretty accurate, I still liked the book.

>>1516602

This. Also, I didn't tell you the other day that I liked your interpretation of The Road as a retelling of Abraham and Isaac.

>>1516602
unless one has familiarised oneself with the intertextual world within which McCarthy is writing in

what an utter load of wank: you and the author alike.
THIS IS THE CANCER

>>1516622
He's just saying a reading of McCarthy's work is greatly enriched by familiarity with other works and literary history. These things allow us to reasonably see McCarthy's work as part of Melville's legacy, an addressing of Albert Camus's thought, a philosophical statement on writing itself, (etc.)

People who offhandedly dismiss technical terms are usually ignorant of their meaning.

>>1516638
no he isn't at all
read the quote again.

people who can't read shouldn't be allowed on here

>>1516602

And here was I thinking it was just an enjoyable way to kill some time.

Shows what I know, I guess.

>>1516645
You're pretty stupid.

>>1516652
no you are na na na. are so.

jeez, got any more interpretations for us?

>>1516656
You're pretty stupid.

It's mediocre. Nothing after the Border Trilogy is worth it.

>>1516658
>grasp this work unless one has familiarised oneself with the intertextual world within which McCarthy is writing in

lol. yup pretty dumb over here!!

>>1516671
You're pretty stupid.

mfw philistines

>>1516652
>>1516673
>>1516666

>>1516685
You accidentally quoted me twice

Not to my tastes. Hated it.

>>1516691
i wuz tryin to be intatextual!!! u liek??

u said b4 that u can only apprshee8 stuff when u knows it is intatextual - dat is sine of good writur yeah????

"The Road" is a splendid piece of work and McCarthy well deserved the Pulitzer for his effort. If you disagree, you deserve to be shot through the back of the head behind the chemical sheds.

>>1516696
you're mad and stupid.

>>1516700
I would have agreed with you, sir, until I read D&E's post about how I wasn't really appreciating the...er...intertextual nature of the....Melvillian something. And I got to say, what with knowing that, now I hate it! Goddam loath that fucking book. In fact, I now hate all books that aren't intertextual references to Melville even more than I hate goddam Melville. Lawdy lawd, looks like it's back to George Eliot an' Ol' Mr Hardy fo' me!!

NOW HANG ON A COTTON PICKIN' MINUTE!!
DON'T TELL ME THEIR INTERTEXTUAL TOO!!

Baby jesus, well....

Right, that's it. Whole lot's going on the fucking fire & good riddance.

>>1516715
* got me so mad I'm not spelling loathe right goddam!

pic related, thread is full of em.

>>1516720
got owned - post pic!

Not repetitive. However, McCarthy's minimalistic "voice" is sometimes construed as bland/boring by the ADHD crowd.

>>1516763

ITT

>>1516720
what's the difference between plot and story?

>>1516926
Melville

>>1516926

http://www.learningnerd.com/the-difference-between-plot-and-story

I ain't even an English undergrad.

I thought it was repetitive, but I liked it despite that. In fact, I thought to repetition worked to its advantage. It's very poetical, and poetry tends to be repetitive to make a point.

>>1516938
oh ok

>>1516939
explain how it is repetitive.

All McCarthy's books are long and repetitive.

>>1516987
He uses a lot of the same words over and over again. The word "grey" is a perfect example. There are plenty of words to use instead of this, but when describing the landscape, he always uses the word "grey." Or "gray." I don't remember his spelling. not important. It slightly annoyed me, but I kind of understand why he did it. It's a pose poem and poetry is repetitive.

>>1516988

Child of God.

>>1516987
and if you read the book through again, you'll wonder how you didn't see ALL of that shit coming if you didn't see it already

>>1516938
Is this the author's opinion, or is it commonly held to be true? I've never given it much thought, but, to me, it looks like he has them swapped around. Shouldn't plot be what happens, and story be the telling of what happens? If not, TIL I guess.

On topic: I enjoyed it.

McCarthy's prose is terrific. Er, I mean terrible.

Steinbeck and Faulkner could pull off that faux-Biblical tone pretty well. McCarthy falls flat.

>>1516720

Last three are all correct, deal with it

>>1517010
Well no shit dumbass, if you read any book twice you'll already know what the fuck happens the second time.

>>1517068
Do you think they intended to use that tone? I think it was intentional.

uncut>cut

>>1517133

Amen bro

>>1517127

Of course they did. It's very resonant when done properly. It's one of the things I admire most about Faulkner.

>>1517149
>It's very resonant
Way to be meaningless.

Look! Here's part of a one star review on goodreads:

This book is vile. This book is a lie. It is a festering wasteland of despair and sadistic pathos pretending to contain some freakish remnant of love.

>>1517191
That last sentence actually makes me want to read it.

>>1517179

By which I mean: it's evocative.

more like fuckner am I right

>>1517197

Actually, I think it perfectly encapsulates The Road and what McCarthy was trying (and succeeding) to do with the work.

>>1517204
>>1517206

Wait, which one of you is the real one again?

>>1517218

I'm the only real one.

The ONLY real one in the world.

I loved it

i have never read as beautiful an allegory as it, even for a work as popular as the epic of Gilgamesh

i'm sorry

>>1517206
This is the real one because he is saging.

>>1517229
this isn't fucking funny anymore

>>1517233

i'm sorry

>>1517237

you're wrong

i hope the apologizing d&e clone never leaves us. god bless its soul.