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carlajo713's review against another edition
3.0
Meh... I hate to read books from the WWII era and dislike them.... But this one I just couldn't muster the love for. Maybe it was the sheer number of characters. I kept forgetting the connections. It was too slow to start and I had a hard time seeing the characters and places in my head.
dja777's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, and still wish Piercy would write a sequel.
carlislerose17's review
5.0
I feel like "sweeping epic" is a term I see used to describe war novels a lot, but this felt like one that actually deserves it. Such nuanced characters and good detail. My favorite storyline was Jacqueline - as much reading as I've done about WWII, this was the first time I've read so much detail about the Jewish Resistance Fighters. Such a good book!
emcbee's review against another edition
4.0
Another book I re-read sometimes. I enjoy the book mostly because it's a huge story told by 9 (I think) narrators. The voices aren't that distinct from each other; I ended up captivated by not just the World War II plot but the smaller stories and connections among the characters.
mrnelson99's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, War, Torture, Murder, Antisemitism, Genocide, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Grief
bookswithlevay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shirisandler's review against another edition
4.0
I've been trying to remember the title of this book for years. I was amazed by its breadth and the power of each of the characters. I wish I could find it to re-read!
wordnerdy's review against another edition
5.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2018/03/2018-book-53.html
I have seen this 1988 novel recommended a few times recently, and I am honestly surprised I have never read it before now, because it is basically Alicia catnip: an epic 700+ page novel about several women (and a few men) during WWII, most of whom are Jewish (and some of whom are from Pittsburgh!), across the globe. Plus, I love Marge Piercy! I should really read/reread all her books. Some of these voices are more compelling than others--I particularly loved petulant and pretentious teen Jacqueline's transformation, and was cheering hard for writer Louise and pilot Bernice--but on the whole this was a completely engrossing work. Anyway, I'll throw in a vague content warning here bc some of the characters have racist/Orientalist/anti-Semitic attitudes common in their era, and there are also various sexual assaults, plus, you know, concentration camps, so steel yourselves. But this was great, just breath-taking. A.
I have seen this 1988 novel recommended a few times recently, and I am honestly surprised I have never read it before now, because it is basically Alicia catnip: an epic 700+ page novel about several women (and a few men) during WWII, most of whom are Jewish (and some of whom are from Pittsburgh!), across the globe. Plus, I love Marge Piercy! I should really read/reread all her books. Some of these voices are more compelling than others--I particularly loved petulant and pretentious teen Jacqueline's transformation, and was cheering hard for writer Louise and pilot Bernice--but on the whole this was a completely engrossing work. Anyway, I'll throw in a vague content warning here bc some of the characters have racist/Orientalist/anti-Semitic attitudes common in their era, and there are also various sexual assaults, plus, you know, concentration camps, so steel yourselves. But this was great, just breath-taking. A.