I picked this up at a recommendation from a friend here in Edinburgh, and no, I haven't seen the movie. For those who haven't heard about it, the Road is a dystopia set in the recent future after some cataclysmic event has reduced modern society to rubble. As far as dystopian novels go, this one is just about right - McCarthy is able to offer the grit, grime, and violence of a failed society without offering an overly nihilistic portrait. Though it took a little bit of getting used to, McCarthy writes with a prose that is sparse and luminous, and this offers an intriguing contrast with the somewhat violent content of this book. It reminded me of Cold Mountain in terms of both prose and the way that prose was somewhat disjunct with the content of the narrative in an effective way. I'd recommend it, though set your presumptions aside first and just enjoy the book on its own terms.