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cami19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
kdurham2's review against another edition
1.0
A short and sweet review - I wasn't a fan. A book that switched between two different voices - the first being the character being in the present and living, while the other he is talking to someone from his past and reminding them of things from their past. I had to read the first four chapters twice to get it.
I kept reading because I thought it could get better and I just couldn't figure out whether I just didn't like it or if I really didn't like it. After every page was read and I sat for twenty-four hours to stew on it, I have to say I didn't hate it, but I am not sure I could pass it along to my friends.
I kept reading because I thought it could get better and I just couldn't figure out whether I just didn't like it or if I really didn't like it. After every page was read and I sat for twenty-four hours to stew on it, I have to say I didn't hate it, but I am not sure I could pass it along to my friends.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, another book from Tin House Publishing that is a winner. "Bright Before Us" is a very, very dark book. The protagonist is hard to like, as he openly admits to being cruel and manipulative. However, he did garner some sympathy from me, as he is in constant conflict and knows his faults, in particular his anger and resentment issues.
The subject matter hit a little too close to home with the subjects of mourning and parents dying. I could completely relate to the falling apart that happens during grief, as it often happens in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Much like the characters in the book, grief does not always manifest in ways that people generalize. I think that although it's possible to have compassion for people going through loss, it is impossible to really understand it, unless you are experiencing it. I think the author captivated these emotions too precise to have not experience them herself. I felt like those parts of the books left me feeling raw and exposed.
My only problem with the book was the way it flipped around from different time periods and characters. On one had, this was part of what made the book so unique and from a narrative perspective, it set the tone for the story and gave it an air of mystery. On the other hand, there were several moments that I had to stop and think about where the story was currently. It worked for the most part, but without remembering specifics, there were moment where the narrative style didn't quite gel. That aside, it was a fantastic, compelling read. I would recommend it to anyone ready to take a dark ride!
The subject matter hit a little too close to home with the subjects of mourning and parents dying. I could completely relate to the falling apart that happens during grief, as it often happens in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Much like the characters in the book, grief does not always manifest in ways that people generalize. I think that although it's possible to have compassion for people going through loss, it is impossible to really understand it, unless you are experiencing it. I think the author captivated these emotions too precise to have not experience them herself. I felt like those parts of the books left me feeling raw and exposed.
My only problem with the book was the way it flipped around from different time periods and characters. On one had, this was part of what made the book so unique and from a narrative perspective, it set the tone for the story and gave it an air of mystery. On the other hand, there were several moments that I had to stop and think about where the story was currently. It worked for the most part, but without remembering specifics, there were moment where the narrative style didn't quite gel. That aside, it was a fantastic, compelling read. I would recommend it to anyone ready to take a dark ride!
ula_j's review against another edition
3.0
Great first novel for an author. Not quite 4 stars for me since I don't think re-reading it would give me new insight but the writing is solid an the story very interesting. Even though I hate the main character, I wanted to see what happened in the end.
mkat303's review against another edition
2.0
I got about halfway through this and decided not to finish. I liked that it was set in the Bay Area and dealt with characters struggling financially, but I just found myself annoyed at the narrator and not really caring what happened.
linnyb's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was beautiful and different. I appreciated that, but I found myself unable to fully enjoy this book because I disliked the main character, Francis, so much. Greta said two things about Francis that capture who he is throughout the entire story:
1) "You choose the path of least resistance and then you find it boring. You choose the high road then fall off it. You'll keep on doing things you hate so you can keep on feeling robbed walking around bewildered, wondering how you got cheated out of everything you ever wanted."
2)"You took a difficult situation and made it worse."
1) "You choose the path of least resistance and then you find it boring. You choose the high road then fall off it. You'll keep on doing things you hate so you can keep on feeling robbed walking around bewildered, wondering how you got cheated out of everything you ever wanted."
2)"You took a difficult situation and made it worse."
canadianbookworm's review
4.0
I got this book in the mail from Powell's on Friday, and it sounded so interesting I started reading. What a great read. This is a debut novel from a promising new writer. The main character here is Francis. Francis is in his first year of teaching, and has a second grade class. On a field trip, some of the children discover a body on the beach and Francis begins a downward spiral. Immediately he doesn't react as he should by protecting and helping the children, and it only gets worse. He connects the body to a woman from a past relationship and his behaviour becomes erratic and unpredictable. He lets down his students and his wife. The book moves back and forth between Francis in the present, and his past relationship with the woman in the past he still hasn't moved past. Francis is still stuck in the past, reliving his mistakes in this past relationship, and obsessing on his relationship with his parents. His grief is strong, and he uses the coping mechanisms that he knows, which have never really worked for him.
The event of finding the body seems to release a lot of emotion that he has buried and forced him to finally deal with it. But it isn't easy for him to move forward, and even by the end of the book, he still has a lot of difficult times ahead.
The event of finding the body seems to release a lot of emotion that he has buried and forced him to finally deal with it. But it isn't easy for him to move forward, and even by the end of the book, he still has a lot of difficult times ahead.
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