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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
This was an amazing book. Reading it immediately after Pamela Aidan's Pride & Prejudice trilogy was especially instructive.
The Descendants tells the story of a man's emotional journey while his wife is dying in hospital. Aidan's book told the story of Darcy's emotional journey. Darcy's journey was less complex, but Aidan took pages - and pages and pages - of internal monologue to convey it. Every nuance was explained in exhaustive detail.
Contrast that with The Descendants: the whole book was told from Matt's point of view, but his internal monologue wasn't detailed or even entirely coherent. Yet I got a better sense of his inner turmoil simply because he couldn't express it clearly. It was also a great example of "show not tell" - I didn't need the author to spell it out for me, I could see his feelings in the way he reacted to his children and other people.
Hemmings also deals with back story exceptionally well. We don't get flashbacks showing that Matt and Joanie have been absentee parents - we realize it gradually as the story unfolds. We don't get flashbacks or dialogue telling us what Joanie was really like - the picture unfolds from comments and asides, and by the mess she's left behind.
Overall there is a great economy of writing on display. Love it.
I was surprised to see some other readers refer to comedy. I didn't laugh or even smile during this book at all. The behaviour of Scottie, Alex and Sid did lighten the sombre mood occasionally but I wouldn't have called it funny. That's not a criticism - I didn't feel the book needed humour.
The Descendants tells the story of a man's emotional journey while his wife is dying in hospital. Aidan's book told the story of Darcy's emotional journey. Darcy's journey was less complex, but Aidan took pages - and pages and pages - of internal monologue to convey it. Every nuance was explained in exhaustive detail.
Contrast that with The Descendants: the whole book was told from Matt's point of view, but his internal monologue wasn't detailed or even entirely coherent. Yet I got a better sense of his inner turmoil simply because he couldn't express it clearly. It was also a great example of "show not tell" - I didn't need the author to spell it out for me, I could see his feelings in the way he reacted to his children and other people.
Hemmings also deals with back story exceptionally well. We don't get flashbacks showing that Matt and Joanie have been absentee parents - we realize it gradually as the story unfolds. We don't get flashbacks or dialogue telling us what Joanie was really like - the picture unfolds from comments and asides, and by the mess she's left behind.
Overall there is a great economy of writing on display. Love it.
I was surprised to see some other readers refer to comedy. I didn't laugh or even smile during this book at all. The behaviour of Scottie, Alex and Sid did lighten the sombre mood occasionally but I wouldn't have called it funny. That's not a criticism - I didn't feel the book needed humour.
Een heerlijk verhaal. En een droevig verhaal.
Matt en zijn dochters Alex (17) en Scottie (10) zitten aan het ziekenhuisbed van zijn vrouw en hun moeder. Joannie heeft een speedbootongeluk gehad en ligt in coma. Matt moet opeens zijn dochters bijstaan, maar hij is altijd een nogal afwezige vader geweest. Hij heeft geen idee hoe of wat. Sid, de 'vriend' van Alex voegt zich bij dit gezelschap en met zijn vieren vormen zij een vreemd team. Joannie, de moeder, ligt al een paar weken in coma en de behandelend arts vertelt dat er geen genezing mogelijk is en dat Joannie zal sterven. Daarop probeert Matt alle mensen waar Joannie van gehouden heeft persoonlijk te vertellen wat er aan de hand is, zodat iedereen afscheid kan nemen.
Dan vertelt Alex dat zij haar moeder gezien heeft met een andere man. Matt probeert het allemaal te begrijpen en besluit ook op zoek te gaan naar deze man.
Al met al een mooi boek, ook met humor en niet echt sentimenteel geschreven. Wel een traantje weggepinkt aan het einde.
Het verhaal speelt zich af op de eilandengroep rond Hawaï en ik heb heel wat zitten googlen om te kijken waar ze dan waren. Ik kreeg ook gelijk zin om daar een keer naar toe te gaan op vakantie.
Dit verhaal is verfilmd en ook de IMDB bladzijde over de film had mijn belangstelling. ( )
Matt en zijn dochters Alex (17) en Scottie (10) zitten aan het ziekenhuisbed van zijn vrouw en hun moeder. Joannie heeft een speedbootongeluk gehad en ligt in coma. Matt moet opeens zijn dochters bijstaan, maar hij is altijd een nogal afwezige vader geweest. Hij heeft geen idee hoe of wat. Sid, de 'vriend' van Alex voegt zich bij dit gezelschap en met zijn vieren vormen zij een vreemd team. Joannie, de moeder, ligt al een paar weken in coma en de behandelend arts vertelt dat er geen genezing mogelijk is en dat Joannie zal sterven. Daarop probeert Matt alle mensen waar Joannie van gehouden heeft persoonlijk te vertellen wat er aan de hand is, zodat iedereen afscheid kan nemen.
Dan vertelt Alex dat zij haar moeder gezien heeft met een andere man. Matt probeert het allemaal te begrijpen en besluit ook op zoek te gaan naar deze man.
Al met al een mooi boek, ook met humor en niet echt sentimenteel geschreven. Wel een traantje weggepinkt aan het einde.
Het verhaal speelt zich af op de eilandengroep rond Hawaï en ik heb heel wat zitten googlen om te kijken waar ze dan waren. Ik kreeg ook gelijk zin om daar een keer naar toe te gaan op vakantie.
Dit verhaal is verfilmd en ook de IMDB bladzijde over de film had mijn belangstelling. ( )
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The stillness and banal reality of Hawai’i radiates through the writing. A simple yet powerful story.
Writing realistically without going on and on about realism is very hard to do, and it's a feat Hemmings achieves with The Descendants. Matt King doesn't know what to do with his daughters once their mother is in a coma, they confuse him, they are odd strange creatures, they are teenage girls. He tries to be the dad he thinks he should be, but does he always succeed? No. Of course not. He's a human being, he thinks things he shouldn't, he yells, he swears, he lets his daughters take advantage of him. He's a middle-aged man who is lost and still has to figure out what to do with the land privilege has granted him. His daughters are difficult, hilarious, strange and a little wild, but not the typical stereotype we all have of the Hawaiian surfer teenage goddesses.The way Joanie's family deals with not only her coma, but her affair, is honest, sad and a little humorous. Exactly what you would expect, what you would hope, if you were in a similar situation.
I didn't want to read the book because I'd already watched the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book had more to offer :) It was really well written, some parts were funny as hell, I learnt a lot about Hawaii, and I was happily surprised to see a different ending and a more well rounded Sid :)
Also, FINALLY understood why the book was called the Descendants. I lost that in the movie plot.
Also, FINALLY understood why the book was called the Descendants. I lost that in the movie plot.
emotional
reflective
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
Do you remember the weird shit you did when you were little? You neither? Blocked it out, eh? Well this book will remind you.
That said, I loved the chaotic, messiness of the Kings as they tried to figure out life in the midst of grief and struggles. It truly reminds you of what it means to be an imperfect little human.
That said, I loved the chaotic, messiness of the Kings as they tried to figure out life in the midst of grief and struggles. It truly reminds you of what it means to be an imperfect little human.
emotional
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-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
