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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Poetic but hard to follow, more of a vibe than a story
An unapologetic and explicit commentary on grief, moving on and its effect on a family. Incredible, unlike anything I have ever read or will read agin.
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
A poetic reflection on Ted Hughes that is also not about Ted Hughes or Sylvia Plath that becomes its own creation while explicitly invoking the Crow by Ted Hughes. Confusing but often direct and heartbreaking.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is about two boys and their father coping with the grief from losing their mother/wife. It is a mix of verse and prose poetry, and I had to read it slower than normal as there were a lot of nonsensical words mixed in. Their counselor - if you will - was a crow. Some parts made me smile, and the last few pages made me cry. It was quite strange overall, but I do think that Max Porter fairly accurately described what grief can look and feel like.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this was a hard read for me on account of some things in my life right now, but the prose was too beautiful for me to put it down, so i just read it deliberately slowly. max porter has such a way with words! in fact i think he is king of having a way with words. at times it slightly reminded me of Dave Eggers’ writing on grief, just stark and yet hopeful, circling in itself all the time. the actual main image, crow as death, crow as distraction, crow as hope, was masterfully done. i think porter really really comes into his own with Lanny, and there are glimpses of that in here, but yeah, I think that was better. Having said that though, this was so beautiful and would’ve been a perfect introduction to him had I read it first. Also, cover illustration by Eleanor Crow!? Come on!
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A father and his 2 young sons lose the mother of the family and we follow their perspectives on their journey of grief. The father and the 2 boys have their own narration as well as a crow, which is the physical manifestation of the grief that embodies the father and 2 boys.
The part essay and part poetic writing style with the use of many notable literary devices like onomatopoeias and metaphors in the crow’s and the boys’ narrations help elevate the narration of the father the most. It captures his anger, longing, sadness, calmness and responsibilities as the parent whose still alive. It captures his dying and new found hope.
Reading this book is done best in 1 (maybe 2) sittings so that once you’re in, you get it. Following the father navigate this time of sorrow felt like a whirlwind of emotions that were not always easy to understand but felt just right and what was needed.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A reread!
A poetic exploration of grief... in the form of a crow. A young newly-widowed father is greeted by a crow in the aftermath of his wife's death. Him and his two sons welcome or tolerate the crow, learning how to live after such a loss.
This book is part essay, part poem, part fable... But it is all around beautiful.
A poetic exploration of grief... in the form of a crow. A young newly-widowed father is greeted by a crow in the aftermath of his wife's death. Him and his two sons welcome or tolerate the crow, learning how to live after such a loss.
This book is part essay, part poem, part fable... But it is all around beautiful.