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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“The Cemetery of Untold Stories” by Julia Alvarez
Alma, a Dominican-American writer, has decided to hang up her career after taking stock of all the work she has started and never finished. Her timing coincides with her inheritance of a plot of land from her late father and she moves with all of her manuscripts to the space. She buries the stories in a cemetery of sorts, but the stories still have a desire to be told.
This was one of those reads that was an enjoyable audiobook to listen to, but I can’t say that it left a significant impact on me. There are 3-4 intersecting stories being told here that eventually come together in a meaningful way, each of them unique and thoughtful. Alvarez writes in a way which is clear and evocative, engaging in the style. However, I always felt like I was held at a distance from the story, never quite sinking into the story. I didn’t feel a drive to keep listening; it was fine when I was and I was fine when I wasn’t. I think perhaps this also comes down to the narrator, who read at a very quick pace and with an odd cadence at times; there were times where I could even hear her pause as she prepared for a particular difficult word.
I guess my overall experience with this book was a good one. It was solidly written with an interesting premise and I have no complaints about it other than for some reason it just wasn’t landing. Maybe this is just my personal readership, but it just didn’t hook the way I wanted it to. But I would say this is still worth a try for those who enjoy literary fiction and multigenerational stories.
Alma, a Dominican-American writer, has decided to hang up her career after taking stock of all the work she has started and never finished. Her timing coincides with her inheritance of a plot of land from her late father and she moves with all of her manuscripts to the space. She buries the stories in a cemetery of sorts, but the stories still have a desire to be told.
This was one of those reads that was an enjoyable audiobook to listen to, but I can’t say that it left a significant impact on me. There are 3-4 intersecting stories being told here that eventually come together in a meaningful way, each of them unique and thoughtful. Alvarez writes in a way which is clear and evocative, engaging in the style. However, I always felt like I was held at a distance from the story, never quite sinking into the story. I didn’t feel a drive to keep listening; it was fine when I was and I was fine when I wasn’t. I think perhaps this also comes down to the narrator, who read at a very quick pace and with an odd cadence at times; there were times where I could even hear her pause as she prepared for a particular difficult word.
I guess my overall experience with this book was a good one. It was solidly written with an interesting premise and I have no complaints about it other than for some reason it just wasn’t landing. Maybe this is just my personal readership, but it just didn’t hook the way I wanted it to. But I would say this is still worth a try for those who enjoy literary fiction and multigenerational stories.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Complicated
Read this on recommendation from Maureen and I did not love it. I appreciated the concept and how we were immersed in different timelines and perspectives, but I really struggled with the magical elements of this story. I had to suspend so much disbelief throughout the reading process and that requires so much energy and willpower when all I want is to relax into a story. Also- I hate the massive jumps in Perla’s plot? There’s no clarification or explanation of what happened between the murder and her apprehension. We never learn how she is found and taken into custody? I also hate that the readers are able to put all the pieces together- Dr Cruz and Tatica and Bienvenida and Filomena- but the characters never receive that information? Very anticlimactic and disappointing
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I finished this book in less than two days. I didn’t want to put it down. The story revolves around a Dominican American author and the many others whose stories, past and present are part of her life, whether she knows it or not.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes