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jrabbit12's review
1.0
This book is so bad. So, so bad. I'm a little more than half way through and the corny just keeps coming. Helprin doesn't develop characters but instead barely alters the Disney-esq clichés he borrows from. Every couple is essentially the same as the couple before, the only distinction is that they become more irritating with every reiteration/reincarnation. I struggled to discover why these paper-thin personalities were ever attracted to each other and what actual content their relationships held (none by the way).
I hardly ever abandon books, because I'm of the opinion that if I verbally dislike something, I should be able to cite reasons why. Well, here's at least one reason. Yesterday I turned to reviews on the book for guiding advice on whether or not I should steady on through the novel. In reading the reviews, I discovered there's supposedly a villain in this story. Yes, the character has been reference two or three times in the first section of the book, as a mysterious bridge builder. Oooohhhh. And as of the end of section two (more than half way through the book) that is all that is known about the "villain". There is yet no indication that he is good or bad, just that he builds bridges. Apparently, he's a fallen angel, something something dark side, blahblahblah, this book is so boring, and maybe it's because an evil bridge builder was introduced and as of more than half way through the book HASN'T DONE ANYTHING. I hope his eventual role is to build a bridge that every character in the book jumps off of. Some magical-evil-rainbow-cloud-bridge that attracts white horses, people with consumption, newspaper columnists, and people who fall in love through walls.
Lake is an idiot, Beverly is obnoxious, who cares about Christiana going from poverty, to a Daisy Buchanan lifestyle, to being a maid, to falling in love through a wall? Virginia and Haberdashery, or whatever his stupid name is, are the most filled out characters in the book and they are boring too. These are not fleshed out characters but shadows of the exact same archetype regurgitated over and over.
I didn't intend to be so vitreous, but the more I think about this book the more annoyed I get. I’m actually having a hard time picking my next book to start because this one made reading seem like a punishment.
This is the worst magical realism book I've ever read. This isn’t even magical realism, it’s a poorly executed mash-up of magical elements held together by nothing more than the front and back covers. Should an actual alter-dimensional-cloud wall exist, I would throw this book into it and Helprin as well. If you are at all curious about the actual story, if there even is one, then just wait for the movie to come out. This is one of the few cases in which I'm sure the movie will be better than the book. If Russel Crowe's face can't fix this mess, then nothing can.
I hardly ever abandon books, because I'm of the opinion that if I verbally dislike something, I should be able to cite reasons why. Well, here's at least one reason. Yesterday I turned to reviews on the book for guiding advice on whether or not I should steady on through the novel. In reading the reviews, I discovered there's supposedly a villain in this story. Yes, the character has been reference two or three times in the first section of the book, as a mysterious bridge builder. Oooohhhh. And as of the end of section two (more than half way through the book) that is all that is known about the "villain". There is yet no indication that he is good or bad, just that he builds bridges. Apparently, he's a fallen angel, something something dark side, blahblahblah, this book is so boring, and maybe it's because an evil bridge builder was introduced and as of more than half way through the book HASN'T DONE ANYTHING. I hope his eventual role is to build a bridge that every character in the book jumps off of. Some magical-evil-rainbow-cloud-bridge that attracts white horses, people with consumption, newspaper columnists, and people who fall in love through walls.
Lake is an idiot, Beverly is obnoxious, who cares about Christiana going from poverty, to a Daisy Buchanan lifestyle, to being a maid, to falling in love through a wall? Virginia and Haberdashery, or whatever his stupid name is, are the most filled out characters in the book and they are boring too. These are not fleshed out characters but shadows of the exact same archetype regurgitated over and over.
I didn't intend to be so vitreous, but the more I think about this book the more annoyed I get. I’m actually having a hard time picking my next book to start because this one made reading seem like a punishment.
This is the worst magical realism book I've ever read. This isn’t even magical realism, it’s a poorly executed mash-up of magical elements held together by nothing more than the front and back covers. Should an actual alter-dimensional-cloud wall exist, I would throw this book into it and Helprin as well. If you are at all curious about the actual story, if there even is one, then just wait for the movie to come out. This is one of the few cases in which I'm sure the movie will be better than the book. If Russel Crowe's face can't fix this mess, then nothing can.
letamcwilliams's review
3.0
Felt like a combo of East of Eden and Time Traveler’s Wife that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
theemolibrocubicularist's review
3.0
Honestly, I liked the plot, the characters, the action and the romance between Beverly and Peter but reading the book with how it was written was painful. About half the time I was reading it, I didn't know what I was reading. I felt like I was reading poetry but worse. Some of the classics had long winded sentences but I had an easier time of understanding what I was reading from the beginning to end. To anyone who plans on reading this, prepare yourself!
literarycrushes's review
2.0
Winter’s Tale is a slow burn of a book with ambitions almost as aggressive as its physical size, which comes in at 748 pages. This is a work of magical realism, that’s been described as the first “capitalist fantasy,” set in a mythical turn-of-the-century New York. We’re introduced to Peter Lake, an Irish orphan who is taken in by a group of ruffians before being turned back out into the city at twelve, where he’s taken in by a well-known street gang, the Short Tails and their fiercely eccentric leader, Pearly Soames. After more than a few wrong turns, he ends up fending for himself, adopting a life of petty street crime, which, more often than not, lands him in trouble.
Until he meets Athansor, his literal white horse, who turns out to have magical abilities; with him by his side, Peter gains stealth that allows him to up his burglary skills. These eventually lead him to the ethereal Beverly; a young woman dying of consumption who was left alone in her family’s mansion on the very night Peter plans to rob it. From there, the two embark on a strangely moving romance, and the novel breaks off into many, many more side plots.
This is a book that’s been on my shelf for years, so I was excited to read it over the holidays. While I don’t normally go for magical realism, I was sold on the NYC-centric plot and the Colin Firth film adaptation. Still, I had a difficult time getting into it. I almost put it down many times until I hit the page 200 mark, when things picked up for me (it says a lot about a book to be still so unsure if I liked it while knowing there were another 500 pages…). The plot was incredibly complicated – which says a lot about the author’s talent, but it felt over-written, as though he were more interested in proving he was a good writer rather than actually being one. Like, there was probably a solid hundred pages just dedicated to describing what the snow looks like in New York City. But, who knows, I could easily see how someone else might come into this book and absolutely love it.
Until he meets Athansor, his literal white horse, who turns out to have magical abilities; with him by his side, Peter gains stealth that allows him to up his burglary skills. These eventually lead him to the ethereal Beverly; a young woman dying of consumption who was left alone in her family’s mansion on the very night Peter plans to rob it. From there, the two embark on a strangely moving romance, and the novel breaks off into many, many more side plots.
This is a book that’s been on my shelf for years, so I was excited to read it over the holidays. While I don’t normally go for magical realism, I was sold on the NYC-centric plot and the Colin Firth film adaptation. Still, I had a difficult time getting into it. I almost put it down many times until I hit the page 200 mark, when things picked up for me (it says a lot about a book to be still so unsure if I liked it while knowing there were another 500 pages…). The plot was incredibly complicated – which says a lot about the author’s talent, but it felt over-written, as though he were more interested in proving he was a good writer rather than actually being one. Like, there was probably a solid hundred pages just dedicated to describing what the snow looks like in New York City. But, who knows, I could easily see how someone else might come into this book and absolutely love it.
mollie_makebelieve's review
4.0
What did I just read? This book was certainty different, and it will definitely take some time to process it! Yet another literary epic that I can mark off my list! There were parts I absolutely loved like the cloud wall, and the way Beverly saw the world around her. Both things that I really connected with. There were other parts I found extremely frustrating but overall, I am glad I read it.
Word of warning if you are looking for something similar to the "major motion picture" that was made based on this novel I'd say just watch the movie it was loosely based on the novel at most! with the exception of a few characters and a few moments in the first 1/8 of the book the rest of the 700+ pages are vastly different!
Word of warning if you are looking for something similar to the "major motion picture" that was made based on this novel I'd say just watch the movie it was loosely based on the novel at most! with the exception of a few characters and a few moments in the first 1/8 of the book the rest of the 700+ pages are vastly different!
sksrenninger's review
3.0
An experience. I found it really hard to understand and push through the beginning and the heavily descriptive language but it picked up as we were introduced to new characters and learn more of their stories as opposed to just setting the scene. Being an impatient reader, I skimmed a lot--it's a long book! The magical mystery fate part was kind of appealing to me, but could easily turn someone else off. The ending was definitely less than satisfying: vague and inconclusive
gginnola's review against another edition
1.0
A very long book with no plot, no character development. The author just leaves you hanging after you invest a lot of time reading. I wish as much thought would have been put into a plot, any plot, as to the descriptions of everything. I love to read. This is one of the worst books I've ever read. Total waste of my time that I can never get back. The ending actually pissed me off. After reading and reading and reading, there was no pay off. Just don't waste your time.