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jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
So, I didn't finish the last 30 pages of this until about 2 hours AFTER the book club meeting to discuss it. Nothing major happened in the last 30 pages to change my 3 star rating to a 4 star rating. The book was beautifully written but it just wasn't quite my thing.
sunbreak's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the confusing switches between the father and son, this was exceptional.
libraryam's review against another edition
I didn't connect with this the way I hoped I would. Probably the mark of superior writing for an unappreciative audience.
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
A luminously written meditative novel. An old man lies on his death bed and recalls vignettes from his life and that of his father. The novel’s “plot” moves about without attention to chronology. There are long passages of philosophical musing. One incredible sentence is nearly a page long.
This is definitely a novel for the serious reader who relishes contemplation. There is no great action, no compelling story arc, no mystery, no thrill. Yes, things happen in the lives of three generations of Crosby men, but the focus is on their thought processes not on action.
The language is brilliant – sensual and vivid, rich and mellifluous. I kept reading passages aloud to anyone who would listen. I found it compelling and moving, an exploration of time, love, loss, disappointment, and the beauty of nature.
This is definitely a novel for the serious reader who relishes contemplation. There is no great action, no compelling story arc, no mystery, no thrill. Yes, things happen in the lives of three generations of Crosby men, but the focus is on their thought processes not on action.
The language is brilliant – sensual and vivid, rich and mellifluous. I kept reading passages aloud to anyone who would listen. I found it compelling and moving, an exploration of time, love, loss, disappointment, and the beauty of nature.
agw11588's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
entommoore's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
4.5
lelia_t's review against another edition
5.0
What a stunning book. I think it may demonstrate the true meaning of the word sublime, to radiate without speaking or acting, to move from solid into a vapor state. The words are not extraordinary, yet they are deeply moving. I found myself near tears while my rational brain wondered why.
George Washington Crosby is dying and his memories are entwined with passages from a 19th century book on clock repair, passages written by we-don’t-know-who (until the end), details of his father’s life and memories, and practical moments in the present day such as when Crosby’s grandson gives him a shave. It sounds pedestrian and dull, but as you read, the clockworks of the book, the layers of gears and moving parts, come together as a beautiful and moving whole.
I struggled initially with the descriptions of clock-fixing which set me to snooze, but the book teaches you how to read it and once I figured out that I could feel the language even as I ignored the instruction manual qualities, I went back to the passages that had bored me and they are beautiful - again, the power of language to say more than it says. Just as a book in which clocks figure heavily speaks to the way time overlaps in layers rather than progressing in orderly ticks.
It’s a book that I will reread, or even open to a random page and dip into, over and over again.
George Washington Crosby is dying and his memories are entwined with passages from a 19th century book on clock repair, passages written by we-don’t-know-who (until the end), details of his father’s life and memories, and practical moments in the present day such as when Crosby’s grandson gives him a shave. It sounds pedestrian and dull, but as you read, the clockworks of the book, the layers of gears and moving parts, come together as a beautiful and moving whole.
I struggled initially with the descriptions of clock-fixing which set me to snooze, but the book teaches you how to read it and once I figured out that I could feel the language even as I ignored the instruction manual qualities, I went back to the passages that had bored me and they are beautiful - again, the power of language to say more than it says. Just as a book in which clocks figure heavily speaks to the way time overlaps in layers rather than progressing in orderly ticks.
It’s a book that I will reread, or even open to a random page and dip into, over and over again.
dustysummers's review against another edition
5.0
“Your cold mornings are filled with the heartache about the fact that although we are not at ease in this world, it is all we have, that it is ours but that it is full of strife, so that all we can call our own is strife; but even that is better than nothing at all, isn't it?” - Paul Harding
tophat8855's review against another edition
1.0
RS book group Feb. 2012
Finished it in time, but now not sure if I'll make it to the discussion.
I just had a hard time relating to it. It was about the relationship between a father and a son. The son is old and at the end of his life and he is remembering snippets of his life relating to his father, who had epilepsy and eventually abandoned the family because the seizures were bad and causing stress in the family. Had a hard time relating- maybe because I'm not a son or father. Maybe because the women didn't seem like real women to me: painted very much as strong, silent types and caricatures. Also, I have a hard time reading books about people dying because I'm not really a fan of death. It's hard for me if it's a spider, let alone characters with personalities or real people. So yeah. I'm curious what people will say at the discussion.
Short book, but the reading was slow. Not a lot of dialogue. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for something highly literary. Good for dissecting in an English class, not good for my purposes right now.
Finished it in time, but now not sure if I'll make it to the discussion.
I just had a hard time relating to it. It was about the relationship between a father and a son. The son is old and at the end of his life and he is remembering snippets of his life relating to his father, who had epilepsy and eventually abandoned the family because the seizures were bad and causing stress in the family. Had a hard time relating- maybe because I'm not a son or father. Maybe because the women didn't seem like real women to me: painted very much as strong, silent types and caricatures. Also, I have a hard time reading books about people dying because I'm not really a fan of death. It's hard for me if it's a spider, let alone characters with personalities or real people. So yeah. I'm curious what people will say at the discussion.
Short book, but the reading was slow. Not a lot of dialogue. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for something highly literary. Good for dissecting in an English class, not good for my purposes right now.