Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
What a comforting read , like some hot soup in snowy mid-February Wisconsin
I think this is my third or fourth read of The Shipping News and I can definitively say at this point that it is my favorite book. The prose is simplistic but elegant and beautiful, almost like poetry, and the quiet wintery feel is so lovely. This is definitely the kind of novel you read for the writing rather than for the story so it won't appeal to everyone but the story itself isn't bad either. I love all of the characters, there are genuinely surprising moments, and there's a gentle sort of love that flows through all of it.
At this point this novel has been out so long that everything that can be said about it has been, so I don't have much else to add. I just really love it.
At this point this novel has been out so long that everything that can be said about it has been, so I don't have much else to add. I just really love it.
Despite the fact that there is no strongly discernible plot (and usually that would annoy me), I really enjoyed The Shipping News. Proulx writes incredibly evocatively and breathes life into the craggy, wind-battered landscape. The characters are also quirky and some of the scenes really made me laugh. A great holiday read.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
Her writing is amazing. The book is more driven by characters and place than a story, so be prepared for minimal action. But the characters will definitely stay with me.
I'm really on the fence with how I feel about The Shipping News. I'm calling it a love/hate relationship. Love Newfoundland as a character and getting to know the land and the sea, love the relationships, love the knots, love that it is unique. Hate (too strong of a word but I'm going with a theme here) the character development of Quoyle which I was confused by, hate the abbreviated writing style, hate the aggravation I felt with the draw to Petal and the life choices. I know the book impacted me somehow and I'll be thinking of it for a while and I wanted to keep reading, and maybe that makes it a good book and 4 stars. Or three and a half stars?
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just never quite got there for me. I enjoyed the beginning, which held a great deal of promise in terms of plot and character building, but I felt that this soon disappeared - as soon as they reach Newfoundland - and the would-be plot is replaced by a meandering nothingness which offered very little to latch on to. I lost any connection to the main character that I had developed and I failed to connect to any new characters at all. This left it all very flat for me and whilst I didn't necessarily dislike the novel, not being able to sink my teeth into an engaging narrative was disappointing.
This is a particular shame because I found the writing to be absolutely sublime. Always highly evocative and often extremely beautiful, if this had been married to a great plot then this would have undoubtedly been a 5 star read for me. The author expertly gets the setting across through her descriptions (whilst the writing itself is lovely, the setting itself sounds like somewhere I very much would not want to live) and creates such a strong sense of atmosphere.
All in all not really for me, though I can appreciate the book for what it is.
This is a particular shame because I found the writing to be absolutely sublime. Always highly evocative and often extremely beautiful, if this had been married to a great plot then this would have undoubtedly been a 5 star read for me. The author expertly gets the setting across through her descriptions (whilst the writing itself is lovely, the setting itself sounds like somewhere I very much would not want to live) and creates such a strong sense of atmosphere.
All in all not really for me, though I can appreciate the book for what it is.
Some gorgeous turns of phrase that will stick in my mind, but can't get through the slow plot and don't really care very much for any of the characters.
Interesting prose and characters that end up stealing your heart. A wonderful second read of the year.
Meh. Just meh. There were a few shining moments in which Proulx waxed poetic and I was briefly swept away by the beauty of her words. I guess I found her descriptive writing to be the best part about the novel. I really felt, smelled, and tasted Newfoundland, but, sadly, the main characters were uninspiring and hard to identify with.
Not a complete waste of time, but nothing I would highly recommend.
Not a complete waste of time, but nothing I would highly recommend.