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thepentheimk's review against another edition
4.0
Ondaatje's memoir of his family history s rich with the amount of detail you find in his novels, and because he has an extremely fascinating family, feels like a novel about an exceedingly eccentric family. He breaks the prose with some poetry, including the famous "Cinnamon Peeler's Wife", and, in bits and pieces, creates a vivid portrait of a time and place where happening--snake shooting, a magnificant drowning, the hold up of a train--are so crazy that they're true.
celistamar's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes cloying and sensual; other times nebulous and surreal; all times intimate and compelling. 10/10 a delight to read before, or instead of, sleeping.
rain_tea_and_books's review against another edition
5.0
There is something very magical about the way that Ondaatje writes. It really draws you in, blurring the lines between what is real and what you know must have some ties to fiction.
I was very easily caught up in Ondaatje's world which made me love this book even more. There is a beautiful poetry to his writing as well, which I could read for days and days. I honestly can't fault it.
This was an absolute pleasure to read!
I was very easily caught up in Ondaatje's world which made me love this book even more. There is a beautiful poetry to his writing as well, which I could read for days and days. I honestly can't fault it.
This was an absolute pleasure to read!
carolinehunter's review
5.0
wow. i am speechless. i loved this so incredibly much, maybe i’ll have more to say about later but for now, wowwww.
losh's review against another edition
4.0
This was a beautiful tribute from son to father. The first few chapters felt like they were scenes from films, but the last few chapters really tore my heart apart. It was both beautiful and sad, watching the deterioration and ending of human life. It departs from the standard biography formats, but I personally think that is what makes it what it is. Ondaatje takes us on a journey across Sri Lanka, through the jungles of Colombo, dark tunnels, sunny hilltops, over the top parties. This was a treat to the heart and the mind.
apurvanagpal's review against another edition
3.0
Running in the Family is Michael Ondaatje’s memoir about his family history and birthplace.
After 25 years of moving to Canada, Ondaatje takes a trip back to his native Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to meet his parents’ close friends, acquaintances and extended family to get a glimpse of his ancestors life and culture. He takes us on an exquisite journey and shares with us his family history in little snippets and brief stories, drawing a lot from the visual beauty of the landscape into his account.
We learn about his passionate grandmother, his alcoholic father, their social circle in the 1930s and some treasured memories of their past. There are a couple pages about how his parents defined and looked at their marriage, before it fell apart, and it’s beautifully written!
I found myself a little confused because the chapters were quite small and the stories very fragmented but even in a nonfiction format , Ondaatje’s prose is so lyrical and makes you want more.
I give this one 3/5 and recommend The English Patient as an introduction to the author’s writing style!
It was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and I know it took me more than a year to get back to his works but I finally did!
After 25 years of moving to Canada, Ondaatje takes a trip back to his native Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to meet his parents’ close friends, acquaintances and extended family to get a glimpse of his ancestors life and culture. He takes us on an exquisite journey and shares with us his family history in little snippets and brief stories, drawing a lot from the visual beauty of the landscape into his account.
We learn about his passionate grandmother, his alcoholic father, their social circle in the 1930s and some treasured memories of their past. There are a couple pages about how his parents defined and looked at their marriage, before it fell apart, and it’s beautifully written!
I found myself a little confused because the chapters were quite small and the stories very fragmented but even in a nonfiction format , Ondaatje’s prose is so lyrical and makes you want more.
I give this one 3/5 and recommend The English Patient as an introduction to the author’s writing style!
It was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and I know it took me more than a year to get back to his works but I finally did!