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constantreader471's review
3.0
3.5 stars rounded down for a book of uneven literary fiction. The first third of this book uses the Jamaican patois spoken by most people in Jamaica. Sometimes there is a translation. When there is no translation, you must sound out the words phonetically. I found this to be a distraction. The book is a love story between two people who are attracted to each other from childhood. But life intervenes and they are separated for several years. Some of the narrative is in the form of stream of consciousness of various characters, which I didn't enjoy.
Pros: The prose was lyrical at times.
One quote: "The grandmother, a longheaded woman of the countryside, tells me, Yu nuh need fi to deh so,' you do not need this long explanation of watery origins, since the ancestors of every Jamaican came over the sea, most of them in the ship's cakka, and moreover are we not an island, surrounded by water? So anyone born here is a child of water, and no more to be said."
It took me 19 days to read this book.
Thanks to Akashic Books for sending me this book through LibraryThing.
Pros: The prose was lyrical at times.
One quote: "The grandmother, a longheaded woman of the countryside, tells me, Yu nuh need fi to deh so,' you do not need this long explanation of watery origins, since the ancestors of every Jamaican came over the sea, most of them in the ship's cakka, and moreover are we not an island, surrounded by water? So anyone born here is a child of water, and no more to be said."
It took me 19 days to read this book.
Thanks to Akashic Books for sending me this book through LibraryThing.
richa700's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
karingforbooks's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I was excited for this. It sounded so good! But the dialect as written is really hard to understand (probably better via audio) and I didn’t care about the characters or understand why the events were happening. There were some interesting cultural perspectives that were intriguing to read. And I’m also sure I kissed a lot. But it wasn’t a book I wanted to pick up or keep reading and I skimmed the last 50 pages. I don’t know if I actually took anything from it which is disappointing
wordsofclover's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
A Tall History of Sugar is a story about two people, twin souls Moshe and Ariana who were born a year apart but from the moment they met, were connected by something that could only be described as beyond human learning. As they grow older, Moshe's differences within his community, the way he looks and communicates with the world as well as the mystery behind his biological parents pull him away from Ariana and his adoptive parents, and his homeland of Jamaica as questions about everything from who he is, his sexuality and what he needs to do in life to find peace plague him.
This book was very lyrical and I found parts of it enjoyable - I actually didn't mind the Jamaican patois in this book, and didn't find it too hard to understand. This may be because I recently read Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks which also had similar patois in it so my mind was slightly attuned to reading and translating it.
I do love the setting of Jamaica, and I appreciated learning more about the history of the people from the history of sugar plantations, and how integral sugar is to everyone who lives in Jamaica as well as the history and shadow of colonisation. Moshe and Ariana's childhood was simple and idyllic in many ways but we also see how Moshe's family struggles as well and while he didn't need much, there wasn't a whole lot to give him anyway despite his parents' love and struggles to provide for him.
I think the book lost me a bit by the time Moshe left Jamaica, and his rift with Ariana started. It felt like the plot was confused and I didn't know if the story was centered around Moshe and who he came from (which we never found out anyway), or more about the deep relationship between Moshe and Ariana which although is love, I question if it's the type of love either of them needed.
There was a lot of back and forth in the latter half of the book in terms of timeline as well, and there were times when I couldn't figure out where in the timeline we were and it took a couple of pages to catch up.
I just don't think I understood the deep message of this book, and that's okay too as I think I maybe wasn't meant to. This is by no means a badly written book and I'd happily read more from the author - it's just one that didn't do it for me.
This book was very lyrical and I found parts of it enjoyable - I actually didn't mind the Jamaican patois in this book, and didn't find it too hard to understand. This may be because I recently read Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks which also had similar patois in it so my mind was slightly attuned to reading and translating it.
I do love the setting of Jamaica, and I appreciated learning more about the history of the people from the history of sugar plantations, and how integral sugar is to everyone who lives in Jamaica as well as the history and shadow of colonisation. Moshe and Ariana's childhood was simple and idyllic in many ways but we also see how Moshe's family struggles as well and while he didn't need much, there wasn't a whole lot to give him anyway despite his parents' love and struggles to provide for him.
I think the book lost me a bit by the time Moshe left Jamaica, and his rift with Ariana started. It felt like the plot was confused and I didn't know if the story was centered around Moshe and who he came from (which we never found out anyway), or more about the deep relationship between Moshe and Ariana which although is love, I question if it's the type of love either of them needed.
There was a lot of back and forth in the latter half of the book in terms of timeline as well, and there were times when I couldn't figure out where in the timeline we were and it took a couple of pages to catch up.
I just don't think I understood the deep message of this book, and that's okay too as I think I maybe wasn't meant to. This is by no means a badly written book and I'd happily read more from the author - it's just one that didn't do it for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
abiofpellinor's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
DNF'd at 118 pages because I just wasn't interested 😔
madelena_n's review
It just felt too complex to read in the summer. I look forward to read it in the future tho!
mygallaget's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mariarunkelcardoso's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Achei o livro muito interessante na forma como mobiliza a questão da opressão nos seus diferentes aspetos. A relação com a história colonial e as consequências políticas da história, no dia-a-dia das personagens está feito de forma eficaz e constante. Não adorei o final, soube a pouco e inclusivamente parece nem pertencer à mesma história. A experiência de leitura foi bastante boa até.
leosun's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
stormy_reading's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0