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mjanemartin's review
4.0
I almost gave up on this book. I rarely read reader reviews before I finish a book, but read a few to see if I could keep going. I read several that said "the second half is worth it." And so it was. The second half was a solid 5 stars. All of a sudden I realized how philosophical the book was...with themes of betrayal, redemption, man friendship, the prisons we place ourselves in, addiction (in this case gambling addiction, not drugs which seems to be the topic of many books right now). There were some flaws for me...the slow first half, the female character didn't add much for me, and I had trouble reconciling the young Bill with the older, animal-lover Bill, they seemed two different people (and maybe that was the point...how people change, or don't change). But Bill's character was fleshed out in the second half and really probably one of the best developed characters I've ever read. I agree with some reviewers the hopping back and forth in time was occasionally confusing. And the trend of not using quotation marks is absolutely maddening to me (do the publishers want to save on ink, or what?). This also added to my confusion at times.
My advice is to pay attention to the first half. I started it with the expectation that it was just a novel telling a story. I fear I may have missed the slow building of the above mentioned themes. Beware this is not a book of likable characters with everything tied up all nice and neat, served to you a platter. But the writing is very good even in the slower first half, with the writing in the second half superb. I'll read Kiefer's first novel and eagerly await his next. Recommended.
My advice is to pay attention to the first half. I started it with the expectation that it was just a novel telling a story. I fear I may have missed the slow building of the above mentioned themes. Beware this is not a book of likable characters with everything tied up all nice and neat, served to you a platter. But the writing is very good even in the slower first half, with the writing in the second half superb. I'll read Kiefer's first novel and eagerly await his next. Recommended.
sarahsbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
Visit my blog, www.sarahsbookshelves.com, for the full review:
This majestic debut “Grit Lit” (but, not Southern) thriller combines suspense, a heartfelt story of redemption, and the bond between humans and animals.
What I Liked:
- This book feels like “grit lit” (see Rory’s great discussion of this term), but it’s not Southern. What to call it?! The Animals had me scouring the Internet for a term for this!
- I expected to be immediately swept away by the suspense surrounding Bill’s criminal past. What did he do and how does it come back to haunt him? Instead, I was surprised to find myself swept away by Bill’s relationships with the animals in his rescue (including a blind grizzly bear and a three-legged wolf). They are his friends and family and saviors. Kiefer’s writing about the animals is beautiful and heartfelt and had me emotionally invested in their fates.
This majestic debut “Grit Lit” (but, not Southern) thriller combines suspense, a heartfelt story of redemption, and the bond between humans and animals.
What I Liked:
- This book feels like “grit lit” (see Rory’s great discussion of this term), but it’s not Southern. What to call it?! The Animals had me scouring the Internet for a term for this!
- I expected to be immediately swept away by the suspense surrounding Bill’s criminal past. What did he do and how does it come back to haunt him? Instead, I was surprised to find myself swept away by Bill’s relationships with the animals in his rescue (including a blind grizzly bear and a three-legged wolf). They are his friends and family and saviors. Kiefer’s writing about the animals is beautiful and heartfelt and had me emotionally invested in their fates.
elysecdx's review
5.0
"He could feel the animals as they unscrolled themselves in that single loop of endless time, and he wondered if there had been any meaning or purpose in it at all."
If I didn't already love this book, I would love it for this sentence. I think Christian Kiefer is someone who shares my worldview and articulates it better than I can. I wish I could take him to dinner and talk about what it means to be wild and alive.
If I didn't already love this book, I would love it for this sentence. I think Christian Kiefer is someone who shares my worldview and articulates it better than I can. I wish I could take him to dinner and talk about what it means to be wild and alive.
leia_lynn's review against another edition
This was an interesting book. It makes you think about the complexities of human life.
I had two main issues with the book. It wanted to be gritty and realistic while at the same time employing a lot of dreamy, lyrical writing, and the author didn’t quite manage to make those two things jive, in my opinion. The other weird thing was the overuse of oddly specific phrases, such as describing a character’s skeleton trying to slide out of his skin or milky eyes. It was as though the author did not trust the reader to remember what had already been said, and so just repeated itself over and over.
I had two main issues with the book. It wanted to be gritty and realistic while at the same time employing a lot of dreamy, lyrical writing, and the author didn’t quite manage to make those two things jive, in my opinion. The other weird thing was the overuse of oddly specific phrases, such as describing a character’s skeleton trying to slide out of his skin or milky eyes. It was as though the author did not trust the reader to remember what had already been said, and so just repeated itself over and over.
madtraveler's review against another edition
5.0
Great combo of fine literary writing, nature, and a page-turning thriller.
popynes's review against another edition
4.0
Un roman noir se déroulant en Idaho à la fin des années 1990. On nous présente trois personnages aux traits de caractères assez bruts. Les liens entre eux se tissent au fur et à mesure des chapitres pour ne nous dévoiler l’événement principal que par retours dans le passé jusqu'à la fin du livre.
L'écriture est magnifique. L'auteur a su dépeindre avec brio l'ambiance et les paysages en présence. L'histoire est très bien construite, bien que je déplore la confusion des premiers chapitres quant à l'époque à laquelle chacun se déroule. Finalement, le puzzle se construit au fur et à mesure, mais il est tentant de décrocher. Cela vaut le coup de continuer, car on ne peut alors plus poser le livre. Un dernier petit bémol cependant, l'absence de ponctuation pour marquer les dialogues rend la lecture difficile.
Bref, si vous chercher un livre qui parle de personnages tourmentés, de nature et de grands espaces, foncez !
L'écriture est magnifique. L'auteur a su dépeindre avec brio l'ambiance et les paysages en présence. L'histoire est très bien construite, bien que je déplore la confusion des premiers chapitres quant à l'époque à laquelle chacun se déroule. Finalement, le puzzle se construit au fur et à mesure, mais il est tentant de décrocher. Cela vaut le coup de continuer, car on ne peut alors plus poser le livre. Un dernier petit bémol cependant, l'absence de ponctuation pour marquer les dialogues rend la lecture difficile.
Bref, si vous chercher un livre qui parle de personnages tourmentés, de nature et de grands espaces, foncez !
squidbag's review against another edition
4.0
Brutally honest and straightforward and encapsulated in terms of philosophy by its construction and relentless progression toward its final events and lines, this book is not fun by any stretch, but it is really meaty and emotional without being melodramatic. The author has decided not to use the formal convention of quotation marks or any other traditional punctuation in order to indicate dialogue, and this serves to flatten all of the emotion that might be normally contained in certain interactions. I found this to be a big help, due to where this story goes. Some ambiguous animal rights thinking here; not everyone will be okay with their treatment or individual fates. The book is messy, like life, with the past intruding upon the present, and it works.
midnightfogs's review against another edition
4.0
2015 READING CHALLENGE 8/50: A book by an author you've never read before
It was pretty heavenly to lose myself in Kiefer's stunning prose, and he has a very polished style. However, I'm getting pretty tired of reading books descibed in terms such as "a portrait of the human condition" that end up only being about a couple of white men making bad choices. It's just such a tired topic, in my opinion. Saying that, it's difficult to give a poor rate to such a beautifully crafted novel.
It was pretty heavenly to lose myself in Kiefer's stunning prose, and he has a very polished style. However, I'm getting pretty tired of reading books descibed in terms such as "a portrait of the human condition" that end up only being about a couple of white men making bad choices. It's just such a tired topic, in my opinion. Saying that, it's difficult to give a poor rate to such a beautifully crafted novel.
ehunsy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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