What can I say about Cormac McCarthy's The Road that hasn't already been said far better by the judges at The Morning News Tournament of Books (http://www.themorningnews.org /tob/)?

Yes, McCarthy's novel is indeed a stark, post-apocalyptic tale that can be entirely unsettling to read. More than that, though, it is a gripping and impressive literary experience. McCarthy's prose remains a unique voice from the American writing community - those who are easily frustrated by sentence fragments and spare writing need not bother. But McCarthy never uses these devices frivolously - words are chosen carefully for rhythm and purpose.

The Road goes deeper than simply existing as a study of the end of the world as we know it. At its core, it is a story about a father and his son, and the lengths each will go to to protect the other. It's about people who try to do the right thing even as the world has fallen apart and the fear they experience when they are among few who follow such principles. It has left me haunted and thinking about when I might be able to steal time to read it again.