Serious question about the ending of 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy

I re-read this book last week after finishing it like 8 years ago. The first time I was just confused by the ending, the whole thing felt hopeless and then boom they find that family and it's over. But this time around I realized the ending is basically saying hope can exist even when everything else is gone. The way the man dies right before they meet the family really hit differently now that I'm older. Has anyone else had a total flip on how they read that ending after a second or third time?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithj107d ago

Wait, wait. You're telling me you read it the first time and thought it was just hopeless? Like the ending didn't hit you at all? That's wild. I couldn't breathe through that whole last chapter.

ivan5222d ago

Read it on my lunch break and spent the next hour staring at a wall.