Barb's Bookshelf: McCarthy & Patterson
Barb Moore

Cormac McCarthy, National Book Award winner, has just released a haunting and somber novel titled "The Road." This story is of a man and his young son, traveling a road. The road is a long one, a road of hopelessness, but the two are looking for hope, following a road to the coast; several weeks journey away; in a world where there is no longer any hope. Ash covers the countryside. Fires are still burning. No living plants or animals can be found. Marauders abound; there is no food, save what can be scavenged from abandoned farmhouses, because one must avoid cities at all cost. In the cites, gangs of starving men and women will hunt you down, just for food. ( Yes, there are cannibals out there.) It is such a dismal world; this man and his son are constantly on the move, down the long, long road of hope. This is somewhat a disturbing story, but one reads it and sees the possibilities; after a nuclear war, for instance, or because of global warming, maybe. Cormac McCarthy leaves the reason for this terrible world to the reader's imagination. His tale opens us to future scenarios in this world; where we seem self-bent on global destruction. Is it possible? Of course, we've known that since the first atom bomb. It is likely? Only the future will tell.

James Patterson is an author I've known and loved for years, since he first introduced one of my favorite characters in fiction, Alex Cross. I've followed most of his tales eagerly, enjoying not only the Cross novels, but also the Women's Murder Club stories, and so many others. His latest book, however, "You've Been Warned," written with yet another writer, Howard Rougham, (he's introduced several associate writers lately,) left me feeling so very disappointed, and frankly, disillusioned as well. It seems that Patterson has capitulated to the publisher's demand of more, and more, and more books published as quickly as you can. After all, he's a hot writer. Let's sell them while we can! If the vein he's just fallen into continues, I don't think he'll be a hot writer much longer. I want the old James Patterson back. Anyway, back to the story of "You've Been Warned". Kristin Burns is a photographer with a motto, "Don't think, just shoot". She subsidizes her photography work as a nanny to the wealthy Turnbull. Enter the forbidden love triangle, and the warnings. Warning of what? The story is very disjointed, and the characters seem to flit in and out of the story. And Kristin, her thoughts just kind of zigzag around. Is she dreaming; is she dead; does she even exist? Being a Patterson novel, I really HAD to finish it to the end. But, it left me hollow. Hopefully, his next venture will be a major improvement.- -Barb Moore is assistant manager at Franklin Memorial Library.

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