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jrsands's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katzreads's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed it on so many levels. Great story, great characters, very relatable.
caseysilk's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a slow burn which is actually perfect for a quarantine read. A story of love, loss and tragedies. Beautifully written.
goneabroad71's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a lot going for it. I love the way the author explores the ups and downs of a five decade marriage. I appreciated the themes of memory, and of the ways that the fates of our parents shape us throughout our lives. But...the book was just too scattered for me. The Shelley/Harvey narrative had only the most tenuous tie to the Frank/Lil narrative. Neither story had much of a plot, and the Shelley storyline in particular just didn’t go anywhere. I would definitely try another book by this author, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
hopeykatt's review against another edition
3.0
HIEROGLYPHICS by Jill McCorkle is a beautiful examination of how one’s past can affect their present through showing the deep connection that exists between two families.
Told through four perspectives, Hieroglyphics looks into the lives of Lil, an aging woman desperately trying to cling onto the memories that remain by reading the diary entries that detail her life; her husband Frank, a retired professor haunted by his past and finds himself fixated on visiting his childhood home; Shelley, a single mother struggling to keep her job and who just moved into Frank’s old house where she takes care of her son Harvey; who suffers from cleft lip and a troubled mind filled with visions of ghosts and mass murderers.
HIEROGLYPHICS follows these characters as their lives are laid out and interwoven through their experiences with loss and tragedy, revealing how family and memory constantly shape one another and reminds us that we’re all trying to make sense of our own lives.
An emotionally charged story that tugs on the heart, McCorkle uses poignant prose and vivid descriptions to prove herself as a profound author who has written a truly mature work that speaks on the difficulties of those who struggle with the scars of their past.
“Don’t we all harbor the hope, the wish, that something magnificent will happen? Don’t we all marvel at how easily we can get lost within a work of art?” –Jill McCorkle
Told through four perspectives, Hieroglyphics looks into the lives of Lil, an aging woman desperately trying to cling onto the memories that remain by reading the diary entries that detail her life; her husband Frank, a retired professor haunted by his past and finds himself fixated on visiting his childhood home; Shelley, a single mother struggling to keep her job and who just moved into Frank’s old house where she takes care of her son Harvey; who suffers from cleft lip and a troubled mind filled with visions of ghosts and mass murderers.
HIEROGLYPHICS follows these characters as their lives are laid out and interwoven through their experiences with loss and tragedy, revealing how family and memory constantly shape one another and reminds us that we’re all trying to make sense of our own lives.
An emotionally charged story that tugs on the heart, McCorkle uses poignant prose and vivid descriptions to prove herself as a profound author who has written a truly mature work that speaks on the difficulties of those who struggle with the scars of their past.
“Don’t we all harbor the hope, the wish, that something magnificent will happen? Don’t we all marvel at how easily we can get lost within a work of art?” –Jill McCorkle
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
RATING: 4 STARS
2020; Algonquin Books
Hieroglyphics is a difficult book to describe. It is beautifully written with such realism and emotion. I will say that I would describe this novel as a character study rather than plot driven. It all begins with a house that ties the characters, and families together. While it is a contemporary story, the characters, depending on the ages, do go back in time with memories. It reminded me a bit of [b:Olive Kitteridge|1736739|Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1)|Elizabeth Strout|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320430655l/1736739._SY75_.jpg|3263906] but the characters's stories repeat in this novel. Based on this book I have put [b:Life After Life|15952899|Life After Life|Jill McCorkle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354232941l/15952899._SX50_.jpg|21704329] on hold. I would compare her writing style to Sue Miller, Elizabeth Berg, Anne Tyler or Jennifer Haigh. It's a novel with more than a story. You get to know the characters and feel their emotions. I highly recommend this novel for those that want to get lost for awhile.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2020; Algonquin Books
Hieroglyphics is a difficult book to describe. It is beautifully written with such realism and emotion. I will say that I would describe this novel as a character study rather than plot driven. It all begins with a house that ties the characters, and families together. While it is a contemporary story, the characters, depending on the ages, do go back in time with memories. It reminded me a bit of [b:Olive Kitteridge|1736739|Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1)|Elizabeth Strout|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320430655l/1736739._SY75_.jpg|3263906] but the characters's stories repeat in this novel. Based on this book I have put [b:Life After Life|15952899|Life After Life|Jill McCorkle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354232941l/15952899._SX50_.jpg|21704329] on hold. I would compare her writing style to Sue Miller, Elizabeth Berg, Anne Tyler or Jennifer Haigh. It's a novel with more than a story. You get to know the characters and feel their emotions. I highly recommend this novel for those that want to get lost for awhile.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
bags_and_bookz's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgalley, Algonquin Books and Jill McCorkle for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.
Hieroglyphics is a complicated narrative from few different perspectives. The reader hears the story of Lil and Frank and from Shelley and Harvey. With flashbacks from the past, they managed to draw a complete picture of all of their lives which strangely intercept in one town in one house. I find the story interesting and engaging. The characters are well developed thorough notes, observations and their own voices. Hieroglyphics has many themes opened and slowly goes from one to another. At times, it feels a bit much but at the end it all comes together.
Hieroglyphics is a complicated narrative from few different perspectives. The reader hears the story of Lil and Frank and from Shelley and Harvey. With flashbacks from the past, they managed to draw a complete picture of all of their lives which strangely intercept in one town in one house. I find the story interesting and engaging. The characters are well developed thorough notes, observations and their own voices. Hieroglyphics has many themes opened and slowly goes from one to another. At times, it feels a bit much but at the end it all comes together.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
DNF. Just couldn't connect with the characters, although I had never given thought to the effects on court stenographers of listening to all the evils in the world before this book.
kaycee_k's review against another edition
3.0
Hieroglyphics follow Lil and Frank who married young and throw decades. This is a book about loss, growing, family. Jill McCorkle writing is simple, it's not over the top, but it makes you think. It's also about memories, thinking about them and how they change over time; what memory is like depending on your age. I like how the characters are dealing and handly how the past affects the present. The read was slow for me, but I like the message it stands for. This is was a solid book, I wasn't dying to know what was going to happen, it was just a calm read for me.