Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Two

See the movie trailer ::here::
See clips from the film ::here::

I just finished reading this book. It was one of the best stories I have read. I first heard about the book & how it is hard for some people to read. Some people can't make it through the book. I couldn't put it down. It is a story of a father and his son and their fight for survival in a world gone wrong. The son was born after the calamity that ended the world as we now know it. 8 or so years have passed & the earth has changed,a good portion of humanity has passed on. There is no longer a system of justice. It's every man for himself. What is left the man likes to call "the good guys" & "the bad guys". The good guys, which is what they are, survive by humble means. The keep to the road, heading south in hopes of salvation. Whatever that may be. Doing whatever they can to keep one step ahead of the roving bandits. Bandits are the bad guys. They go to extreme measures to stay alive, mostly feeding on human flesh. It sounds gruesome, and it is, but not because of what is written. The horror of it all is far worse in what is not said. It is beautifully written & I couldn't put it down. It is a bittersweet story. One of a fathers fierce love for the last thing that matters to him in a dark and decomposing world. I cried when I finished the book. As a parent I read it, the whole time wondering would I be able to do what he was doing to keep my children alive? It made me feel the need to be a little more prepared.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the movie will disappoint. The world in the book is a lot more desperate and bleak than the one portrayed in the movie. I am a little puzzled that they show so much of Charleze Theron as the wife in the trailer. She was only mentioned briefly in the book. I am sure it is to bring the story full circle. I feel the simple dialect between the father and his son along with all of their struggles would have sufficed.

If you are looking for a book to read I highly recommend The Road.


See the trailer ::here::

The second book that I read & couldn't put down was The Lovely Bones. It was very interesting and I really love the way it was written through the eyes of Susie Salmon. Susie Salmon is the 14 year old daughter and sister of the Salmon family who you find out in the first few sentences has been murdered. What happens next is life as she sees it after she has died. I really enjoyed this book. It only took me a couple of hours to finish so it's a pretty easy read. I can already tell from the previews that they have changed a few things. I am sure when I watch it that number will go up. Books are always better than the movie anyway.

What books are you reading right now?