Scott Berkun

19 Responses

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• Thanh Lu - January 14, 2010 at 4:29 pm #

• Hemmingway? Really? He’s so…unoriginal. He’s actually my least favorite Author. :) If you like dark tales, try Barbara Kingsolver’s The Posionwood Bible. Fantastict book. And of course, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

  
  

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• Scott Berkun - January 14, 2010 at 4:33 pm #

• Hemmingway makes for a good reference for not flowery writing, that’s more what I meant – While I’m not a huge fan of his, Old Man and The Sea is one of my favorite books of all time.

  
  

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• Danjit - January 14, 2010 at 4:42 pm #

• I’d been looking for a decent fiction book to read and based on the strength of your review I think I’ve found one.

  Have you seen/Do you intend to see the film? Do you think the film can have the same impact that the book has had or do the philosophical questions/ideas become inevitably more shallow once Hollywood has worked it’s ‘magic’?

  
  

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• Scott Berkun - January 14, 2010 at 5:12 pm #

• Danjit: I did see the film after I read the book. I thought the movie was excellent and faithful to the book.

  The movie was actually more disturbing – I had trouble sleeping for a few nights after watching the film.

  I don’t know if having read the book first amplified how the film effected me, but assuming it didn’t the movie was more powerful visually, as movies often are.

  I think the imagination of events you create in your mind while reading are personal and potent in a way film can never be. Film is specific. Film is literal in it’s way. Whereas the images in your mind are more fluid and etherial and your sense them is just a different kind of thing.

  Also reading the book will be a 4-8 hour experience, divided up in time to digest, think, consider, feel, discuss… which is different than the shorter and more intense experience of a movie.

  I’m a fan of both. I don’t think you can go wrong in this case. I know @bryanzug saw the film first, and then read the book, so perhaps I can drag him here to comment.

  
  

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• Thanh Lu - January 14, 2010 at 5:55 pm #

• Ok…in that case, we must get you a new set of library books. :) jk

  
  

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• Sajee - January 14, 2010 at 7:27 pm #

• A book as disturbing as it was good, that I dreaded turning certain pages for fear of what would befall the Man and Boy. At times, this book filled me with dread like no horror movie can ever hope to do. I didn’t/couldn’t consume this book quickly, like No Country for Old Men. It would’ve been too traumatic.

  As a father, I often questioned what I would do if I were in similar circumstances as The Man. At times, I didn’t like my answers.

  My only regret was that I didn’t read the book sooner. Quite a ride.

  
  

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• Peter Tate - January 14, 2010 at 9:20 pm #

• I just finnished the book on a flight home and saw your post a minute ago. I started the book this morning after reading the newspaper stories about the horrors that are happening in Haiti. That makes an altogether disturbing day of reading for me. I’m thankful to be alive and comfortable, and I’m going to go upstairs and give me sleeping son a hug.

  
  

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• Danjit - January 15, 2010 at 3:45 am #

• Right, book ordered. Once read I’ll take a look at the film. I don’t want the impact of the book & my own imagination to be over shadowed by film.

  
  

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• Sérgio Estêvão - January 16, 2010 at 12:36 pm #

• The Road as also one of my favorites books from 2009, there’s already a movie about it let’s see if it can keep up to the book.

  In the same mood did you already read Blindness? from Jose Samarago, if not you should give it a try.

  
  

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• Esteban - January 16, 2010 at 12:45 pm #

• Hey Scott!
  The book sounds really interesting, I’ll see if I can get a copy after I finish my current pile of books to read (that includes “Confessions…” :-) ).
  The link to the book at the end of the post is lacking the initial “h” (it’s currently “ttp://…”), though.

  
  

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• Colin - January 18, 2010 at 10:23 am #

• I like your point that we have become so consumed with our own definition of survival that we’ve forgotten what the actually living means. As a freelance web developer turned farmer, I see first hand, every day, the extent to which a pay check and consumer goods is at odds with true necessity. It’s one thing to successfully cook a delicious thanksgiving turkey, and another to see a bird walking around and know that slitting it’s throat is the only path to that delicious meal.

  I am going to look for The Road at the library tomorrow!

  For ice-breaking effect, I would also recommend Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. If you haven’t already read it (I know, it’s almost its own clich

  
  

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• Scott Berkun - January 18, 2010 at 10:50 am #

• Esteban: thanks link fixed (doh)

  
  

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• Scott Berkun - January 18, 2010 at 10:52 am #

• Colin:

  Thanks for the comment – web dev to farmer? Wow. You should be writing a blog or something.

  > Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

  I read this as a freshman in college. Amazing how despite it’s complexity and length, it was so hard to stop reading. Definitely made me ask questions I haven’t stopped asking.

  
  

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• Mary - January 19, 2010 at 11:11 am #

• The Road was too bleak for me. After I read it, a feeling of hopelessness washed over me. How do you know what your reaction would be in a situation like that? Would you be running for your life or barbecuing a small child? Does the boy in the book get a chance to grow up or will he be eaten? Sorry, there are enough problems in my real world.

  
  

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• Literary Ktty - January 21, 2010 at 11:34 am #

• I’m just about to read this book and you make it sound just as I hope it will be! I think the film looks great and I wanted to read the book before I see it. After all, I’ve never seen a film surpass its book.

  
  

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• Charles Sipe - February 9, 2010 at 11:49 pm #

• I read this book after a Tweet that led me to this blog post. It was an incredible book that I will never forget. It makes you appreciate life. The performance by Tom Stechschulte who did the audiobook was incredible as well.

  
  

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• Literary Kitty - February 12, 2010 at 5:20 am #

• I loved this book too. So simple but so powerful! I think schoolchildren will be reading this book one day for class.

  
  

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• Michael - February 19, 2010 at 12:19 pm #

• This book continues to have a deep affect on me, and the seemingly endless symbolism is one aspect of the story that keeps me up at night. Thank you for turning me on to this book. I’m referencing your blog as I write my own now!

  
  

Links to this article

• Book review: The Road | HCoder.org - May 2, 2010 at 8:48 am

• [...] don’t read that much fiction (except in comic form), but Scott’s review really intrigued me and made me want to read it. I should warn you, though, that his review is sort [...]