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2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
This book just went on and on and on. Some say it's still going on to this day. Though I gave up halfway.
Statement through stories
Intertwined lives; histories
All life’s ironies
Intertwined lives; histories
All life’s ironies
Great cover - but a depressing and ultimately horrifying read. I don't know why I sometimes read books about slavery: I should spare myself the nightmares.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
I see how it won awards but it's so meandering and slow that 70 pages in I feel like I've learned 1 page of context. The writing style isn't for me either with it's heavy accent and lack of punctuation
slow-paced
The premise was solid, but the book was long and very dry.
I had a hardcover edition sitting on my shelves, since this book won the 2002 Giller Prize.
To be honest, I don’t think that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did now, 22 years later.
The majority of my friends absolutely hated this book, so I was expecting to be bored. But I was surprisingly blown away by the storytelling.
I was completely hooked and fascinated from the beginning to the end.
Although its development is a slow one, I didn’t feel a moment of boredom.
How delightful!
And the audiobook narrated by Robin Miles is fantastic!
I did read and listened to the audiobook simultaneously. What a a double joy!
The storytelling is superb!
The descriptions are beautifully detailed. Even the passion and lust were captured perfectly.
But there are also heartbreaking and shocking accounts.
This is not a book of action or a thriller, and I know it will not please everyone, but I loved everything about it.
The main character introduces interesting characters through out her accounts of her life and what she knows about other generations.
It’s practically a monologue (there are plenty of dialogues through her accounts).
The conclusion, although gory, was perfect, especially after so many years of abuse.
In this book, the power of memory is the real focus.
I think that what really drawn me to this is that I could feel a lot of heart within the pages. It’s a work of love.
PS. this author was born in Barbados and used to live in Toronto, where he passed away on June 26, 2016.
Hardcover (2002 edition) by Thomas Allen Publishesers: 462 pages (there are no author’s notes, acknowledgments, introduction or foreword) - this was the edition I read.
Ebook (Kobo -original edition): 538 pages (default), 156k words
Ebook (Kobo -20th a edition - with a new foreword by Rinaldo Walcott): 592 pages (default), 161k words (I may go to the bookstore just to read the foreword)
Audiobook narrated by Robin Miles: 18.8 hours (normal speed) - highly recommended