Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
He doesn't take the reader to where the story 'should go' or tell the tale in any way a writer would be 'taught' at school. Instead the book reads as if chasing butterflies with a pin. Not a book to read at a fast pace.
I did not enjoy this as much as some of his previous work, but it was still a really beautifully written piece.
The rating is really a 4.5, but this is still an amazing book in my mind. I love the way that Ondaatje writes, and the way he uses words and sentence structure as his writing reaches me on an emotional level. It's clear the care that he put into every word choice, and how he wanted to impact his reader. The only downside for me in this book was the plot felt a little disjointed. It felt more like two different stories that were shoehorned together. I'm still working through whether or not I see what Ondaatje was trying to do with the story line, but that's part of this book and his writing, it leaves me thinking about all the turns he took, and wanting more. Besides, as a girl from Sacramento, it's always fun to see places that I'm familiar with written about!
Honestly, I really hated the pace of this book. In a sixteen page chapter two characters exchanged a glance. That's it. He uses words like "sensual" to describe the relationship between a mother and child but then describes sex like it's a mechanical accident. It didn't work for me.
A great book, but typical Ondaatje, you walk away feeling as if part of the story is missing.
I wasn't sure that I really liked this book when I finished it, but months later, just seeing the title while searching for something new to read reminded me of so many people from the book, and their stories. I am so thankful for writers like Ondaatje who can create such believable and memorable characters. His stories stick with me somehow--I was almost haunted by the inhabitants of In The Skin Of A Lion and The English Patient, and now the cast of Divisadero has joined them in my head.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Really loved this book. A great first read of 2025 (started & finished). Classic Ondaatje for sure, so grounded in the place of the work and amazing character work
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Take your time with this one. Read it slowly. Stop after each chapter to think about the arcs of each character and the plot points you’ve just read. And then when the book is over you’ll probably need to read it again to second guess your first interpretations. This is a complicated book full of dualities and (not so spoiler) divisions (or is it a gaze?). Want to read the book only once, without revisiting? This spoiler might help: Anna is a semi-unreliable narrator/plot engineer
I loved the writing style, Ondaatje has an incredible way with words. The plots of some major characters never reach conclusions, which I was fine with but may leave some readers unsettled if they struggle with ambiguity. This is a book for dark rainy winter days, with ample time to reflect. Give it the time it deserves and you’ll be rewarded with layers of beautiful storytelling at its finest.
I loved the writing style, Ondaatje has an incredible way with words. The plots of some major characters never reach conclusions, which I was fine with but may leave some readers unsettled if they struggle with ambiguity. This is a book for dark rainy winter days, with ample time to reflect. Give it the time it deserves and you’ll be rewarded with layers of beautiful storytelling at its finest.
Choua sent me this book a while ago and I finally got around to reading it. The beginning was intriguing and I liked the story of Anna/Claire/Coop, but I got really lost with the different directions in time and place that it took. I enjoyed parts of the Lucien Seguro story, but kept looking for the connection to the original Anna/Claire/Coop story and never quite found it. Seemed a bit disjointed to me...
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes