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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Interesting story and overall enjoyable enough, although some of the writing was pedestrian. I think it suffers from having to be compared to "Big Love."
Let's get one thing straight right at the outset - you don't need to know about, or have sympathy with polygamist relationships to enjoy this novel. Udall uses the setting of the polygamist family much the same as Winton used the ramshackle house in Cloudstreet, to draw together a cast of individuals and characters and explore their humanity, love and foibles, and boy does it work. Despite a cast of 1 husband (with some priors hanging around in the background), 4 wives, 28 children, and a range of supporting characters, Udall manages the amazing trick of fleshing out all those that matter as fully realised individuals. Whilst the book often reads as a comedy of circumstance (and in that, Udall is not specifically picking fun with the Mormom culture, it's more a by product of the situation quirky characters find themselves in) as it progresses, the deeper emotional heart of the book is laid bare, and it packs some punch on that score, there are parts of this that will break your heart. It's a long book but the narrative never flags, or bores. What impressed me most was that this is a very touchingly human tale. Top drawer stuff.
Blah... what a terrible book. And I have no idea why I finished it. I have been distracted by other things the last few months and this book was so uninteresting that I basically never wanted to read. Lesson learned.
I thought it was pretty depressing and stupid. Considered three stars because that annoying kid dies, but whatever. Way way too long and MFA. The Iowa Writer's Workshop Will Kill Your Talent Originality and Soul
This book could have been so much better, but I still can't figure out how. I was disappointment in how apathetic this book was overall. It could have been a really moving work of fiction, but instead, it just plodded along on it's chosen path. I'm not saying the book was boring, it was actually quite engaging, but for some reason it didn't pull any emotions out of me.
One of the weirder feelings I have experienced was the lack of caring with what happened to the protagonist Golden. At first I liked him a little bit and I could really understand his point of view, and then I realized that I no longer could, and I was unsure when that changed. Overall this feels like a book where everyone settled, all the characters and even the author. I did actually enjoy this book, but it didn't pull me in and hold me like I wanted it to. Maybe that was the point?
Spoiler
Even when the bomb went off, I put down the book (mid-chapter) and got myself a snack. Did I feel sad when Rusty was in the hospital, yes. He was actually one of the most enjoyable characters, but for some reason I wasn't overly sad when he died.One of the weirder feelings I have experienced was the lack of caring with what happened to the protagonist Golden. At first I liked him a little bit and I could really understand his point of view, and then I realized that I no longer could, and I was unsure when that changed.
Spoiler
I no longer was rooting for him to stay with his family and not screw up everyone elses lives, I just didn't care. I also didn't care if he was happy, because he had almost no redeeming qualities and I just didnt want him to "win".
This book is a lot like "A Prayer For Owen Meany" in that it relies almost entirely on character-building rather than plot. It is also like "Owen Meany" in that it had some moments that made me laugh out loud, which is rare for me while I'm reading. It was good in the beginning, lagged in the middle, and then picked up at the end.
I did not like this book as much as Christy did - I found most of the characters to be unlikable and in poor situations of their own making, constantly made worse by even poorer decisions. The only characters I really liked were Trish and Huila, even with the few surprises that occurred throughout the book. Definitely not a book that recommends the polygamist lifestyle,nor that really goes into tawdry details, so if you're looking for that then this is not the place.
I really enjoyed this book. There were some brilliant insights about family life and relationships in large, chaotic families. Very enjoyable and well written.