CORMAC MCCARTHY’S THE ROAD – A Graphic Novel Adaptation That Rivals The Film. (REVIEW)

There is little left to be said about the prize-winning story The Road, from Cormac McCarthy. His harrowing tale of a nameless father and son trying to survive with their humanity intact is one of the bleakest depictions of a post-apocalypse. All the plants are dead, the water is tainted, and the air is choked with ash, but the father tries to give his son the only thing he can, hope. Even with nothing to base it on, and ever contemplating suicide, he constantly focuses on keeping his son’s hope alive.

The original novel received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction and was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The film adaptation, directed by John Hillcoat and starring Viggo Mortensen, was released in 2009. 15 years later we now get what will probably the last adaptation, with the graphic novel by internationally renowned cartoonist Manu Larcenet.

Thanks to the advantages of the medium, it was able to be more visually faithful than the film. It was also in the hands of a talented and dedicated artist. The detail on display is staggering, and Manu captures every texture, wrinkle, rip and weathering of cloth and skin. The grit, grime and blood are palpable to such a degree I could almost smell the stench and rot, and felt like coughing from the ash.

It had realised the descriptions of the book so well I felt like I was reading it again. Similarly, I could not put it down until I reached the final page. This is ideal for those who have trouble with the long-form prose of novels, or those who simply prefer the aesthetic of a graphic novel, as none of the fundamental narrative is lost between the original novel and this adaptation. This was, as hoped, a perfect synthesis between the book and the movie.

Manu personally wrote to Cormac to request permission to create the graphic novel adaptation, and they worked on it together for several years. Sadly, having passed in June 2023, Cormac McCarthy never got to see the final release. It has been met with international praise, and it is truly a work of art. A recommended addition to anyone’s collection that likes the more contemplative post-apocalyptic tales.

Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.