On The Road

(No, not that one.)

I first read The Road my sophomore year of high school, upon the insistence of a close friend when I told him I had owned it for a while but never actually read it. There was a period of time after this during which I might have called it my favorite book - it certainly ranked in my top few. I loved the atmosphere, I loved McCarthy's style, I loved the emotional impact from beginning to end. Over time, this was (as with most things) replaced by newer reads and stages of life, but The Road still help a special place for me, so I was understandably excited when I heard we would be reading it in AP Literature.

Still, I couldn't help be somewhat apprehensive... would it hold up to my memory? The answer is yes, and no, in some ways but not others. And while I could go point by point and give a simple review or analysis of the book, I don't think those are especially interesting, so I'll try something different, and look at my reaction and my memory and how they've changed my perception of the book over these years.

For one, I unfortunately have to say that while time may have softened my view of the novel, a second reading did little to push it back up in my mind. Is The Road an excellent book? Yes. Are there other books which I have found either more influential, significant, or enjoyable? Yes, without a doubt. The style, while once a novelty, is now simply distracting to read. The atmosphere, once fascinating, now feels rote and overused. That might be due to my own over-saturation in these more experimental or postmodern styles of novel or art, but the fact remains that many of the features I once found amazing are now simply tedious.

But enough on "good" or "bad", what's simply different? I've noticed much more philosophical musings this time around, I suspect I might have skimmed over those before out of a lack of understanding. Symbolism, motifs, and literary devices are much more at the forefront of my mind, likely due to the academic style analysis I've been preparing myself for. I've found myself paying more attention to the father and son and the relationships they have with each other and others rather than their environment as much.

What do these all say about me? I don't know. Maybe nothing at all, but nonetheless, it's interesting.

Ender's Game and Rereading Novels

There are many reasons why we read, why we seek out stories and ideas in written expression and take the time to experience them ourselves. Sometimes, yes, it is pure entertainment. Sometimes, it is to challenge our views, or to experience different forms of thought. However, there are sometimes books that, for whatever reason, are so inspiring, comforting, or influential that they attract us to read them again and again until the story becomes as much our memory of it as the words on the page.

For me, sitting at home with an excess amount of free time over winter break, I rediscovered the book that I feel has had the most influence on me over the course of my life: Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. In tone and in story, Ender's Game can appear to be a book primarily appreciated by youth and teenagers. As Card himself said, it is a story about children and their experiences, so it makes sense that children would identify with it and make connections with the characters. And to be true, when I first read it years ago, I didn't make many deeper connections – it was a story that I enjoyed for some indiscernible reason, and little more than that.

As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate more the power of the story that Card told, and why it has had such an impact on me. Yes, Ender's Game is a story about children, but it does not glorify or trivialize childhood or discount the humanity of children as many stories seem to. It is, in fact, an utterly sad story when all is said and done: a story of fear and war, and the lifelong pain they cause. It is this collection of emotions that has held my fascination as I have matured, and likely will continue to into my adulthood and beyond.