Cormac McCarthy's The Road [Warning: Spoilers]

I recently read Cormac McCarthy's The Road and was very impressed. I'm interested in others' interpretations of it and takes on McCarthy's style. I haven't read any of his other works, but definitely will in the near future (once my "to read" pile dwindles to an acceptable size).

The Road seems to be a metaphor for modern life (and our journey through it--that's right, just call me Captain Obvious). The ash-swept burned-out world is an apt representation of the moral and spiritual poverty of our times--the charred remains of bygone ideals remain, but little to nourish and sustain. Yet, hidden in unexpected places (an old farm house, a grounded yacht) are pockets of sustenance. Add to this the enslaving, cannibalistic gangs--humans exploiting other humans, though free of the euphemisms of 'free market' and 'wage labor' in this case. Yet, in the end, the boy must risk trusting others or, quite likely, perish.

As for style, I enjoyed McCarthy's sparse, cutting prose, but I suspect he's had some childhood trauma involving punctuation.