Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A graphic novel adaptation by Manu Larcenet (An Oxford College Student Review!)

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A graphic novel adaptation by Manu Larcenet

In this column, I feature comic book reviews written by my students at Oxford College of Emory University. Oxford College is a small liberal arts school just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I challenge students to read and interpret comics because I believe sequential art and visual literacy are essential parts of education at any level (see my Manifesto!). I post the best of my students’ reviews in this column. Today, I am proud to present a review by Rosa Dekking:

Rosa Dekking, is a nineteen-year-old student attending Oxford College of Emory University. Coming from New York City, she is majoring in Psychology with a minor in English and is very passionate about creative fiction writing, music, and any form of art that makes its audience uncomfortable.

Manu Larcenet, a French cartoonist, has constructed a masterful and practically jaw-dropping adaptation of The Road, originally written and published by Cormac McCarthy. My reading of Larcenet’s graphic novel was done without any prior reading of McCarthy’s original, as I was attempting to observe whether the comic could be thoroughly enjoyed on its own merits. Spoiler alert, it most certainly can be.

The Road follows a man and his son, both nameless, as they travel through an apocalyptic America, with grueling challenges, foes, and hardships as they journey the East coast. It is never fully stated what has occurred to create such a dystopian world; however, it is clear that food, water, and shelter have become rarities, and throughout the world there are potentially “bad” guys just around every corner. The father, who is anxiously determined to protect his son from harm, is the voice of caution as he leads his son to the coast. He refuses to let his son wish for death, and he promises to keep him alive. He also represents the “wise old man” trope, yet his character has a much more realistic presentation. Throughout the graphic novel, the young boy asks his father a series of questions about their world and the horrors that surround them, to which the father frequently replies, “I don’t know.” While standing as the hero of the story, he is imperfect and not all knowing. The young boy, however, is driven by compassion and youthful curiosity. The father’s main wish is to escort his son to safety, which he places above the needs of any other person they find on their journey. Yet, the young boy repeatedly seeks to trust and help those they meet, and the father must remind him of the dangers that others bring. The dynamic between the two characters is simultaneously heartwarming and gut-wrenching to observe.

The graphic novel raises important ethical questions that have life-or-death consequences: “What does it mean to be good or evil?” Repeatedly throughout the pages, the little boy turns to his father for assurance that they are still the good guys, as he watches the cruel actions they must take to ensure their survival. In these moments, the reader is presented with the idea that there is no black and white when it comes to survival. The Road also explores the question, “Can one have a sense of humanity in extreme circumstances such as these?” The answer seems to be a conditional “yes” as the young boy gets the chance to express his humanity at times. Tender scenes like when they stumble upon a waterfall, or an extinct brand of soda, and the young boy relishes the moment, the story illustrates the beauty of leaning towards even the smallest bit of humanity, even when it is minimal.

While the storyline is captivating, it is Larcenet’s artistic abilities that truly make this comic. In his letter to the original author, Larcenet states that he loves to draw “violence and kindness, wild animals, dirty skin, pits, and stagnant water,” while going on to say how he loves to contrast the illustrations of his characters with their environment. After reading through the graphic novel, it is clear that his passions have shone through to the page. With heavy lines, minimal color contrasts, and masterful texturing, the graphic novel perfectly encapsulates the morbid atmosphere of the story. This dark art style is consistent throughout, and when the artist does give the story some color, it usually works expertly to highlight the beauty of violence in the scene. Additionally, there is an apparent lack of faces throughout the graphic novel, as Larcenet’s illustrations are filled with shadows. The absence of faces possesses the same effect as the absence of names for our main characters; in this world, humanity is so reduced to essentials, individuals no longer look human or possess any identification. They just move as cloaked figures. With this technique, Larcenet can choose which moments to provide the characters with soul, which he does through depictions of their eyes and/or their naked bodies. In addition to this artistic technique, there is a visual motif that is made possible by the art form of the graphic novel: There is a recurring image of the gun the father carries. Throughout the story, Larcenet will dedicate an entire panel just to focus on the weapon, which represents the tempting possibility of suicide, as well as the protagonists’ past.

This adaptation of The Road is a disturbing, but gripping read, composed mainly of visual representations of the plot points written by McCarthy. The lack of prose does not take away from the narrative; in fact, it gives the story a pervading silence that serves to highlight the horror of the world McCarthy created. It is truly magnificent to observe how Larcenet’s creative work can speak volumes without any words in many of the panels. From just the first couple pages I was completely ensnared by the artistry, and as the graphic novel went on, I grew more and more immersed in the terrifying world, and for that I believe this adaptation of The Road earns a well-deserved five stars.