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krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2021/11/19/review-1756-the-cold-millions/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2021/11/19/review-1756-the-cold-millions/
lgmaxwell722's review against another edition
4.0
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Was it the lyrical prose or the story line which held me? The Cold Millions follows the lives of the Dolan brothers who come to Spokane, WA in search of work, but find themselves getting involved in the local labor strike against bogus hiring companies who take advantage of day laborers. I liked how the stories of each character was interwoven with that of the next. The relationship between Ursula and Gig felt a little flat for the weight it had in the narrative. I also found the epilogue a bit repetitive in parts as if the reader hadn’t been paying attention to the story line. A coming of age meets Wild West and espionage.
kathieboucher's review against another edition
5.0
Two young brothers get involved with the labor union agitators in early 1900s Spokane, and run up against robber barons, crooked cops, double-dealing private detectives, and burlesque stars. Gripping and satisfying story. My enjoyment of the story overrides the annoyance of finding several typos in the book.
sarah_u's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 engaging characters and informative, but the overall story fell flat. The epilogue was the best part imo.
jlfairley's review against another edition
4.0
Man this book started SLOW for me. It took me until a little more than half way through to get into the story. Loved the ending! I listened to this on audiobook (loved having a full cast) and I’d say about the last 2 hours of the audio is what made it for me.
hannah_klaassen's review against another edition
4.0
A compelling and worthwhile read, at least in part because it's set in the city where I live, work, socialize, and vote.
danrosan's review against another edition
5.0
Fast moving, striking, with characters you love and a story which you don’t see coming. Incredible personalities crackle off the pages. Both the male and female characters are deeply and thoughtfully drawn - in surprisingly few words. Plus, Spokane itself is almost a character. A great & quick read.
aleighc's review against another edition
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I liked the way the book wrapped up. However, I didn't connect with any of the characters. The jumping around was a bit confusing at first and then you realized how they were all connected. Usually I like that type of storytelling, but this just fell a bit flat.
littlelady_28's review against another edition
3.0
This was almost a DNF for me. It started off soooooo slowly, but I eventually got used to the pacing and started to like the characters.
The story centers around two brothers, Gig and Rye, who are just trying to get by in Spokane, Washington at the start of the 20th century. Work is scarce, they're barely paid anything, and corruption is rampant. Gig is active in the IWW, trying to get rights for the workers, and Rye gets unwillingly sucked in.
Despite the slow start, I'm glad I stuck with it. It was interesting reading a book that took place in this particularly time in history, and the characters were very real and human. It's definitely not a happy ending, feel good book, but it wraps up in a nice way. The plot gets a 6 out of 10 and the characters get an 8. Overall, I give this book a C.
The story centers around two brothers, Gig and Rye, who are just trying to get by in Spokane, Washington at the start of the 20th century. Work is scarce, they're barely paid anything, and corruption is rampant. Gig is active in the IWW, trying to get rights for the workers, and Rye gets unwillingly sucked in.
Despite the slow start, I'm glad I stuck with it. It was interesting reading a book that took place in this particularly time in history, and the characters were very real and human. It's definitely not a happy ending, feel good book, but it wraps up in a nice way. The plot gets a 6 out of 10 and the characters get an 8. Overall, I give this book a C.