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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is something of a true mosaic. James McBride expertly winds his readers through context and texture that, if rushing, one might not consider to be important only to arrive at the threshold of a perfect folktale.
His writing style is slower and more challenging than I have read before but once I finished I realized it was the perfect speed for me to grasp the weight of the story without being fed by a heavy hand.
Each character has their own life that is entirely different than the last, all weaving and intersecting in random beautiful purposeful ways.
Although this book does not deliver an outright bow on all the storylines, the natural momentum you are left with is forward marching towards a hopeful and love filled future.
Love love love it
His writing style is slower and more challenging than I have read before but once I finished I realized it was the perfect speed for me to grasp the weight of the story without being fed by a heavy hand.
Each character has their own life that is entirely different than the last, all weaving and intersecting in random beautiful purposeful ways.
Although this book does not deliver an outright bow on all the storylines, the natural momentum you are left with is forward marching towards a hopeful and love filled future.
Love love love it
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The main portion of this story is set in the 1920s and 30s in Pennsylvania. It's the saga of the lives, struggles, successes and failures of Jewish people and black families in a community.
There are a lot of characters and much time is devoted to the back stories of all of these individuals. And while it is a worthwhile story, at times it felt tedious.
.
"Americans cared about money. And power. And government. Jews had none of those things; their job was to tread lightly in the land of milk and honey and be thankful that they were free to walk the land without getting their duffs kicked, or worse."
.
"...a future in which devices that fit in one's pocket and went zip, zap, and zilch delivered a danger far more seductive and powerful than any hot dog, a device that children of the future would clamor for and become addicted to, a device that fed them their oppression disguised as free thought."
.
"The difference was that the white man in the South spoke his hatred in clear, clean, concise terms, whereas the white man in the new country hid his hatred behind stories of wisdom and bravado, with false smiles of sincerity and stories of Jesus Christ..."
There are a lot of characters and much time is devoted to the back stories of all of these individuals. And while it is a worthwhile story, at times it felt tedious.
.
"Americans cared about money. And power. And government. Jews had none of those things; their job was to tread lightly in the land of milk and honey and be thankful that they were free to walk the land without getting their duffs kicked, or worse."
.
"...a future in which devices that fit in one's pocket and went zip, zap, and zilch delivered a danger far more seductive and powerful than any hot dog, a device that children of the future would clamor for and become addicted to, a device that fed them their oppression disguised as free thought."
.
"The difference was that the white man in the South spoke his hatred in clear, clean, concise terms, whereas the white man in the new country hid his hatred behind stories of wisdom and bravado, with false smiles of sincerity and stories of Jesus Christ..."
This book was an absolute slog to get through. Maybe it was that I didn’t really know most of the Jewish and/or black cultural references, maybe it was the rambling nature of the storyteller. There was a backstory on everyone and all of their relatives, and so much of it was irrelevant to the story at hand.
It was well written, just not at all my style. Too much backstory and not enough forward momentum of the plot. The story finally did pick up near the end, but the only reason I didn’t abandon it outright was because it ended up on the NYT best books of the century. Otherwise I would have walked away after 150 pages when the story still hadn’t progressed in any meaningful way.
It was well written, just not at all my style. Too much backstory and not enough forward momentum of the plot. The story finally did pick up near the end, but the only reason I didn’t abandon it outright was because it ended up on the NYT best books of the century. Otherwise I would have walked away after 150 pages when the story still hadn’t progressed in any meaningful way.
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed getting sucked into this community, and that it included a very meaningful heist .
Audiobook was very boring. I’ll try reading it physically
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is very much focused on history and likes to pay attention the characters’ backstories and is not told in a linear fashion. It’s good but it’s slow.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No