Reviews

In the Distance by Hernán Díaz

callahan08wood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

karrahp1's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

Emotionally challenging book for a beach vacation lol. But fun way to examine the ecology here in Baja while driving or hiking. Beautiful, soul altering prose. I loved how many ways the author was able to make loneliness and inescapable character. But I also teared up at times which was hard - to hold appreciation and despair simultaneously. 

The way that hawk unearths human nature just as I’m grasping a scene as a reader is deeply satisfying (e.g he witnesses a play, without knowing what it is, and both reader and character have the realization dawn that this is a reenactment and not real life at the same time 

harry23's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

art_h's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mstorace's review against another edition

5.0

A tremendous story that follows Hakan's journey as an isolated immigrant, stranded and estranged, as he wanders in solitude through out the American West. He encounters an array of unsettling people, must avoid people for fear of recognition for his past acts, and learns to survive on his own by making practical use of his often inhospitable surroundings.

saladbar's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

hiro_mtb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

roam_'s review against another edition

4.0

What a great narrative; haunting, intimate, innocent. Great concept, a variety of characterizations, poetic landscapes, but I did find the plot a bit too pat - so useful for creating the isolation which is essential to the book but just too one-dimensional.

And - finally - it is one of the books where I just care about the main character a lot. Channelling maternal instincts I think - why it is a 4 instead of a 3.

jedspence's review against another edition

4.0

Fairly bleak story, and I loved it. Unique to anything I've read in a long time! fanks benny <3

janebinks's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75