I read the book this weekend, having missed the movie at the box office. I intend to get the video when it comes out.

A very dismal tale. Only the dimmest glimmer of hope at the end. Very sobering reminder that no matter what you do, eventually you are going to die anyways. At some point, the perspective of existenece is reduced to just what can be done today, for today. That was more or less what I came away from the story with.

I just picked up this book at Costco a few days ago. Books are cheap there! It's next up on my list of things to read after I finish the Clive Cussler book I'm currently reading.

It was probably based on the bumper sticker.

"Life's b**ch and then you die."

Sue

Haertic, I'm a Clive Cussler fan myself, mind me asking which book your reading?

Ben, I agree. The whole existence of the book could be summed up by his brief conversation with the old man they encounter. You are living, just to prolong death. I honestly didnt see a glimmer of hope though-sure, they are fighting extinction, but, in reality (the books reality), they ARE just prolonging the inevitble.
It was a great read-I really enjoyed it. Well, maybe enjoy isnt the word I would use-I was captivated by it. Very well written-and you didnt notice the authors peculiarities after the first chapter.

Just about to finish the book tonite. All I can do is read 4-5 pages a day because I constantly put myself and my six year old son in that same situation and I just can't read anymore. The son seems much wiser that his years, and I can tell the father's heart just aches every time he looks into the boys eyes.

Survival in the context of "The Road", an end to the basic ecologic mechanisms that support life with little or no hope of it ever getting better, is difficult thing to wrap the head around. Trapped in a snowstorm or hurricane it is simply a matter of hanging on and letting the event pass. Stranded in a wilderness or desert or after your boat sinks at sea you can hope to make your way to safety.

But what if the disaster starts out at 'as good as it gets' and it is all down hill from there with no realistic hope that it will ever get better.

I'm reminder of a situation related by a friend who did cave rescues. He got called in to find a couple of cave divers who got lost but who, in the last few minutes realized how deep in the cave they still were. The hopelessness of their situation. They realized that they were deep in the cave and that all the air tanks together wouldn't get even one of them out.

They could have fought over the air available. Both men had knives. As it was they continued to swim toward the entrance, knowing they wouldn't make it but hoping that somehow they had miscalculated. Perhaps hoping for a miracle. They continued to swim calmly and when one was completely out of air they shared the last of the air until it was gone.

What happens when survival isn't just a situation you get through? In that context is how you manage a consideration? If the end of the story is 'everyone dies' does it matter. Is there any point to being the last one standing? Or is maintaining your humanity the more important issue?

Just to lighten the mood of the thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1HVg_J7QA

Art, you pretty much hit the nail on the head, as far as the book goes.

I'm currently reading Cussler's "Spartan Gold". I also enjoyed his "Plague Ship" and "Deep Six".

If you like Cussler, I might also recommend you read Lincoln Child's "Deep Storm".

If you like to take your adventures into more exotic/strange/unusual locations you've got to read some James Rollins. He's my favorite at the moment. I love his imagination and the pictures he paints in my mind as I read. I highly recommend his "Subterranean", and "Amazonia", and "Excavation". He has more in this series of books that I still have in queue to be read. I have about 30 new books in a pile and I start reading whichever one grabs my fancy at the moment after I finish a current book.

If you want to stray off into more of a Mystery/Adventure genre, try "The Dark Tide" by Andrew Gross.

I think everybody should read "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. I don't know what genre you'd call this one. It can be a sad and depressing story, but it really draws you in.