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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Took me a while to get into the stream-of-consciousness-like writing but I got really invested 2/3 into the book. Lots to think about. Would recommend.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wonderful. I love the old preacher as much as the priest in Les Mis. Will reread.
Still my favorite Marilynne Robinson. Still makes real so many of the questions I struggle with. And, in its profound loneliness, makes me feel less lonely.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I could tell that this was a good book but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I thought the structure, language, and story to be well done however the characters weren't as fleshed out as I wanted them to be. I just couldn't connect with them. I found myself unable to focus and am not sure if it is because I wasn't in the mood for this type of book or if I just wasn't interested. I could definitely understand how someone else could really enjoy the novel and wouldn't discourage someone from reading it.
When ever read Marilynne Robinson I feel like I am one with nature, sitting in a forest next to a crystal clear lake meditating. Which would be an unusual spot for me unless it was next to a train line there was no bugs and I was able to meditate by playing Candy Crush. Though Robinson has this was of completely blocking out world around you. She just has simple earthy writing, like Lila who likes to leave dirt on her fingers you want to linger of sentences as long as possible. I love the way Robinson writes the outcaste, with the community verses drifter it would too easy to caste one better than they other, but every character is written with a delicate understanding, but she doesn't go out of her way to explain or resolved. Just good, so so very good.
I wanted to love this book like I loved Gilead. Granted I didn’t read Home so maybe that would have helped me feel more connected to Lila and John. There were sweet moments but just didn’t really feel invested in them by the end.
Edit June 2021
In my binge of Marilynne Robinson I’ve the last year I must upgrade my ⭐️⭐️⭐️ to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. While it’s probably not my favorite book, I was able to get in the groove and appreciate who she is. Perhaps I’ve grown since my last reading. I can see Lila through compassion and openness.
Edit June 2021
In my binge of Marilynne Robinson I’ve the last year I must upgrade my ⭐️⭐️⭐️ to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. While it’s probably not my favorite book, I was able to get in the groove and appreciate who she is. Perhaps I’ve grown since my last reading. I can see Lila through compassion and openness.
Although I only gave this a 3 - I did enjoy this book. Robinson is an intense writer - her characters are well-crafted and her stories resonate. This one is no exception. I struggled more with the character of Lila - a young, homeless gal, who has a VERY tough life, she meets up with an elderly preacher and they are married. Even after her life has taken such a drastic change, she still can not hardly fathom it and continues to look for a way out - or at the possibility of leaving. The preacher and Lila do have a child, which brings more impetus to stay with the preacher but I still felt her non-committal and it almost wore off on me - where I didn't care as much about the book as I had hoped.