The Road by Cormac McCarthy. He passed away in June 2023 and I read this shortly after for the first time. A powerful work that, despite the world building, focuses on the love between a father and son. It's a shocking novel in many ways, but ultimately I found it profoundly hopeful. Even in the direst of circumstances love gives strength to endure.
Cormac is one of those authors who I absolutely love, just love so deeply on an almost personal level.
But who I can only make contact with once every couple of years, and only with preparation. He's just so, so bleak.
The Road put me in a bad place mentally for two or three years. Outer Dark still fucks with me when I think about it. Blood Meridian. Just that. Just the title.
He's the kind of author that I want to recommend to everyone, but also have to add an asterisk of what to be careful of.
