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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book so much. The first part takes place in the early 1960s on a Canadian Air Force Base. I got so sucked into this time and place with the author’s writing. Then all the events that are happening to the characters are so intriguing. I also learned a lot about post WWII and Nazi scientists that I had not known before. It is a very long book( 800 pages) but so worth the read.
If I were to draw a cartoon version of myself and this book to describe the effect it had on me, I would show this book flying out of nowhere to punch me in the stomach and knock me on the ground, kicking me until I cried first out of pain and then out of sadness, then letting me calm down a bit, then giving me an asthma attack despite not being asthmatic. Believe it or not, I mean this as a compliment to the author. It has been a long time since a book has moved me to tears - my poor husband didn’t know what to do with me as I sobbed into the pages last night. This book was good, folks. This book was DAMN good. I realize that "good" is in the eye of the reader, and many of you might not enjoy getting the crap beaten out of you by a book, so I will also say that it is well-written and engrossing.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This year I read a lot of books that broke my heart. I kept searching out lighter fare, something that would make me laugh and provide some respite from all the darkness taking place in the world. Instead I found yet another book that uncovered the complexity of human life, the darkness that exists amongst the light.
This book being the last one I will read in 2016 is entirely within that realm. It speaks to the secrets, lies and darkness that are kept hidden so that we can go about our happy lives. The book probes at what is behind big political events like the moon landing, the cold car and the everyday life of a family, a community and a murder. What we don't talk about, what we refuse to see and acknowledge so that we can keep telling ourselves a comforting story.
A meaty read, with plenty of complexity that has left me unsettled and with a desire to pull back the curtain and look deeper into what we think we know.
This book being the last one I will read in 2016 is entirely within that realm. It speaks to the secrets, lies and darkness that are kept hidden so that we can go about our happy lives. The book probes at what is behind big political events like the moon landing, the cold car and the everyday life of a family, a community and a murder. What we don't talk about, what we refuse to see and acknowledge so that we can keep telling ourselves a comforting story.
A meaty read, with plenty of complexity that has left me unsettled and with a desire to pull back the curtain and look deeper into what we think we know.
Probably one of the greatest books i have read in 10 years. So gripping and so 'non-flashy'. Set in Canada, it makes it even more interesting to me, with many plot twists throughout.
It was a good book - there was a lot going on - but for me it just drug on too long.
Exquisite writing. Somehow the setting - the place, the time, the characters - are so well described, without ever feeling that you are reading chunks of descriptive text. There is an extensive cast of characters, who I can honestly say I really cared about. But throughout the story, there is a thread of darkness. We are given subtle reminders of the tragedy that is unfolding at the centre of this book. The local tragedy (a murdered little girl) becomes a part of tragedies at a global scale; the Cold War, CIA conspiracies, and Nazi war criminals. She writes these so well, there is so much build up, you know something terrible is coming and it is so suspenseful you are almost relieved when it happens, but then it is so much worse than you expect, and the next tragedy is already on the horizon.
Had to debate with myself for 4 vs 5 stars. It's definitely 4.5. I liked it more than Fall on Your Knees for sure (which I also gave 4 stars). I hope she has another novel in the works!
Had to debate with myself for 4 vs 5 stars. It's definitely 4.5. I liked it more than Fall on Your Knees for sure (which I also gave 4 stars). I hope she has another novel in the works!
Excellent literature. Amazing symbols (eg butterflies, birds, planes) motifs (eg dogs) multiple themes (eg truth/lies) woven throughout the book. The characters are dynamic, round, and well developed so that you care about them (hate/love). There are enough hints to make you see what the author wants you to see (but does not want to tell you outright) and still many things left to the end.
I love the caricature of the 1950s/60s household: innocence and appearances in the memory of WWII and the face of the Cold War. I love the areas of grey that the author invites you to see. I love the writing style -- descriptive without being narration-heavy, for instance. Also, in the change in story between Parts 3 and 4 there is a shift in the writing that echoes the changes in time and characters -- the characters are older, the world is different, and without being completely different, the voice is also more adult, more mature. Brilliant.
The setting of this story is completely different from [b:Fall on Your Knees|5174|Fall on Your Knees|Ann-Marie MacDonald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517999s/5174.jpg|941309] but both books deal with disturbing subject matter. They both are so well written, however, that I still can call them excellent.
I love the caricature of the 1950s/60s household: innocence and appearances in the memory of WWII and the face of the Cold War. I love the areas of grey that the author invites you to see. I love the writing style -- descriptive without being narration-heavy, for instance. Also, in the change in story between Parts 3 and 4 there is a shift in the writing that echoes the changes in time and characters -- the characters are older, the world is different, and without being completely different, the voice is also more adult, more mature. Brilliant.
The setting of this story is completely different from [b:Fall on Your Knees|5174|Fall on Your Knees|Ann-Marie MacDonald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517999s/5174.jpg|941309] but both books deal with disturbing subject matter. They both are so well written, however, that I still can call them excellent.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dark, but poignant. A read one never forgets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder
An extraordinary novel. MacDonald brings the early sixties to life with vivid detail. THe characters so well-crafted that you can construct their faces, voices, and shapes as well as any loved one in real life and imagine with clarity how they inhabit their world. The story, so original in plot, is devastating to the reader. You want so much to step in and share what you know to save these characters from such heartache and destruction. A powerful, loving, ingenious novel.