Which book filled you with the most dread?

[Dan]

For me it would have to be The Road . Brilliant book but it has to be one of the most depressing that I've ever read. It still haunts me. I read it in the middle of winter when all the trees looked dead. I couldn't wait for spring to arrive that year.

[Sonia]

I totally agree with you Dan, The Road took all the fun out of the apocalypse.

[Dan]

Not fun at all, but I had to finish it. I had to know and in the end I still am not positive what their future holds.
Most PA books have surviors that are trying to rebuild civilization and there is a hope for the future. But not The Road! The most uncivilized and unhopeful books ever. (Curious if anyone has one that tops it.)
I think its good though. We need a slap in the face to realize that there are directions we never want this world to take.

[Sonia]

The Last Gasp scared the bejesus out of me. Had to wait for my library to borrow from somewhere in Texas but it was well worth the wait.

[Dan]

Sonia wrote: "The Last Gasp scared the bejesus out of me. Had to wait for my library to borrow from somewhere in Texas but it was well worth the wait."

Sound interesting. I just added to the group bookshelf. Sorry to hear about your nook. People can be jerks.

[Bryn]

The World Without Us. Way too realistic and close to home.

www.annandbrynbauer.blogspot.com
author: Cuban Sun

[Simon]

Got to concur... The Road for me too.

Also, got to say, both my friend and I agreed it was spooky having read the book how the film looked exactly how we pictured the book in our heads as we read it.

[Dan]

Simon wrote: "Got to concur... The Road for me too.

Also, got to say, both my friend and I agreed it was spooky having read the book how the film looked exactly how we pictured the book in our heads as we read..."

The "trap door in the kitchen" scene was much more scary/intense in my imagination than the movie.

[Michael]

Hi all,

I hope this group is still active.

I love The Road, it's one of my favourite books. So bleak. I thought the way Cormac McCarthy showed the main character filtering the world for his son as best he could was heart breaking. It seemed like a loveletter to fatherhood in a strange way as the paternal instinct seemed to be the only thing driving the story along. I also found the glimmer of hope at the end devastating. I loved the film but I felt like it lost the sacrifice that I felt the father made for his son.

As for a bleaker book, I found 1984 harder going. I think it's because the book sets up hope and expectation all the way through it. In The Road I had very little expectation.

[Dan]

Michael wrote: "Hi all,

I hope this group is still active.

I love The Road, it's one of my favourite books. So bleak. I thought the way Cormac McCarthy showed the main character filtering the world for his son ..."

I think that relationship between the father and son is what is so brilliant in this book. It is a labor of love and I would hate to ever be in that situation with one of my children.

I've never looked at 1984 like that but you're spot on. What a great power hope is.