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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
It's unfortunate, but one book has to have this dubious distinction, so I think I have to name this book the most boring one I've read this year.
A good fictional story of how Newfoundland went from being a country to becoming a province in Canada. The story gets bogged down at times with too much detail, which while interesting, does not add substantially to the plot. I did enjoy the antagonism between the two main characters and how their stories overlapped through the years. It's a good read if you're interested in Smallwood and the history of Newfoundland.
Sentimental wordy and mixed. Vanity and self-importance mixed with impotence and frustration. Something to read on rainy day with a beside amount of Scotch
I loved this book. It was enthralling and informative, well written and funny. I know very little about the history of Newfoundland, it's the other end of the country and to be honest, from a cultural point of view, BC has more in common with Washington, Oregon and California than with the rest of Canada and I seldom think about what goes on out East.
While I realize much of this book is fictional, including one of the main characters, it fills in some very basic "how life was" in Newfoundland before joining Canada that I wasn't aware of. I certainly wasn't aware that they had been a Dominion or of the controversy over joining Canada.
The character of Fielding was fantastic, she was a Dorothy Parker-esque type person. Acerbic but fragile and full of great quips, she has an independent opinion on everything and tends to think more about herself than the big political issues. She is a great foil for Smallwood who wants to make a name for himself and tends to be depressingly serious and socialist conscious.
The story of Smallwood's life, as told by him, are alternated with sections of Fielding's diary and parts of the condensed history of Newfoundland that she is writing, very much in a sarcastic style. Her history made me laugh out loud several times, especially when they were about the unfairness of colonialism.
I polished off this book in three days, over the course of a week, though the majority of it was read on one Saturday, where I didn't move from my very comfortable chair for hours on end, except to get another cup of tea. I highly recommend this book.
While I realize much of this book is fictional, including one of the main characters, it fills in some very basic "how life was" in Newfoundland before joining Canada that I wasn't aware of. I certainly wasn't aware that they had been a Dominion or of the controversy over joining Canada.
The character of Fielding was fantastic, she was a Dorothy Parker-esque type person. Acerbic but fragile and full of great quips, she has an independent opinion on everything and tends to think more about herself than the big political issues. She is a great foil for Smallwood who wants to make a name for himself and tends to be depressingly serious and socialist conscious.
The story of Smallwood's life, as told by him, are alternated with sections of Fielding's diary and parts of the condensed history of Newfoundland that she is writing, very much in a sarcastic style. Her history made me laugh out loud several times, especially when they were about the unfairness of colonialism.
I polished off this book in three days, over the course of a week, though the majority of it was read on one Saturday, where I didn't move from my very comfortable chair for hours on end, except to get another cup of tea. I highly recommend this book.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Overall, quite an enjoyable read! I hadn't really known what I was getting into when I started this book but, I was pleasantly surprised with everything I learnt while making my way through this (nearly) 600-page book. Would definitely recommend it!
My only qualm & the reason for the loss of one (1) star is the secret which is constantly hinted at throughout the book but whose reveal was less than groundbreaking or shocking. Perhaps I feel this way because what else could it have been but that? With all the build-up I felt let down. It would have been nice to have the secret plainly explained & possibly cut some of the overall lengths of the book. However, it wasn't the end of the world to have the extra pages.
My only qualm & the reason for the loss of one (1) star is the secret which is constantly hinted at throughout the book but whose reveal was less than groundbreaking or shocking. Perhaps I feel this way because what else could it have been but that? With all the build-up I felt let down. It would have been nice to have the secret plainly explained & possibly cut some of the overall lengths of the book. However, it wasn't the end of the world to have the extra pages.