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eyoung19's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
stevmwhite's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lukakay's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
illustriousnewt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
robinorozco's review against another edition
2.0
The writing it beautifully done. I felt in the moments that were described. However, I just couldn't find myself wanting to continue to read this book. I stopped at 100 pages. I kept asking myself "why am I reading this book rather than something else". Normally this would cause me to give a book 1/5 but the writing is so beautiful that I bumped it to 2/5. Maybe another day i will be more in the mood.
webjoram's review against another edition
4.0
Suele ocurrir que cuando empiezas un libro sin expectativas acabas disfrutando mucho de su lectura y esto es lo que me ha pasado con Gravel heart. No sé si la historia es en parte autobiográfica o no pero lo que el autor deja claro es que sabe cómo transmitir las emociones y los pensamientos de sus personajes. Es un libro que toca muchos temas, el colonialismo, la inmigración y por supuesto la familia que creo que es el centro de la historia. Como personas somos el producto de nuestro entorno y nuestra familia y eso es algo que autor ha sabido plasmar en la historia de Salim. Un joven que se ha criado en un ambiente difícil, con unos padres separados, sin saber a quién culpar, y que condiciona su vida y sus decisiones. Obligado a emigrar, sus propios miedos y el entorno extraño en el que tiene que vivir hace que convierta en un joven retraído, al que le es complicado mantener relaciones estables y que acaba asumiendo que no pertenece realmente a ningún lugar.
Una historia triste pero también muy real y cercana.
Una historia triste pero también muy real y cercana.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
This is the story of boy growing up and coming to terms with his family's story. It's also the story of his parents and how an act of love destroyed their marriage. It's about a young man, taken away from all he knows to study in a foreign country, living with relatives who expect constant gratitude, then building his own life. It's about a fraught relationship between a father and a son and how Salim comes to understand his father.
Gurnah is a talented writer who builds a vivid picture of Zanzibar in the 1970s and of what life was like for an African in London. His writing is both clear and understated. There's a feeling of telling a tale and of grounding the story firmly in the world as it is. I'm very interested in reading more by this author.
Gurnah is a talented writer who builds a vivid picture of Zanzibar in the 1970s and of what life was like for an African in London. His writing is both clear and understated. There's a feeling of telling a tale and of grounding the story firmly in the world as it is. I'm very interested in reading more by this author.