Scan barcode
zsofielek's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
callieisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely and lyrical, the story of a woman named Xuela whose mother died in childbirth and whose father was distant at best. Also the story of Dominica and the way that the various cultures (native Carib, descendants from African slaves, and the white colonizers) interact on the island. The writing is gorgeous, and there were so many passages that I marked and will return to. I need to read more Jamaica Kincaid for sure.
temegill's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
janae126's review against another edition
4.0
If I could rate 4.5 I would. (Something about 5 stars that I just don't often give out)
I really enjoyed the poetic frankness of Kincaid's writing, and the life her character of Xuela had. The repetition was beautifully done. It wasn't the best life, nor was it the worst. Something about it just felt so real though. There were so many word choices that seemed that a person might only think, or dance around the thought of, but this character articulated them. I got slightly frustrated when I realized that the chronology of things, and her assumed age at different times, was not as what originally seemed, but I got over it. A pretty quick read, with a multitude of easily accessible plot/theme/analysis points living just beneath the surface. I would certainly read more of Kincaid (though each book on my TBR list is in a tough battle with each other).
I really enjoyed the poetic frankness of Kincaid's writing, and the life her character of Xuela had. The repetition was beautifully done. It wasn't the best life, nor was it the worst. Something about it just felt so real though. There were so many word choices that seemed that a person might only think, or dance around the thought of, but this character articulated them. I got slightly frustrated when I realized that the chronology of things, and her assumed age at different times, was not as what originally seemed, but I got over it. A pretty quick read, with a multitude of easily accessible plot/theme/analysis points living just beneath the surface. I would certainly read more of Kincaid (though each book on my TBR list is in a tough battle with each other).
macknz_p's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
florismeertens's review against another edition
Keiharde prachtige woorden over een liefdeloze wereld. Herhaling benadrukt de wonden.
lostcupofstars's review against another edition
3.75
I enjoyed the first half of this and the second half a little less so. Was still well written and raised some interesting questions and thoughts around race and sex.
From a sensory pov I did not enjoy a lot of those descriptions of smells etc lol
From a sensory pov I did not enjoy a lot of those descriptions of smells etc lol
dycook's review against another edition
2.0
This book is incredibly redundant, as if Kincaid had enough fodder for a short story and decided to draw it out for over 200 pages. She tries very hard to be poetic and create beautiful literary moments, but these attempts are so frequent that they feel very forced and unnatural.