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mindgunk's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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
sebds3036's review
4.0
A really interesting and well written book that I am working on for my Extended Essay. The way Ondaatje melds many different story lines into one is fantastic and the depth of his characters is wonderful. Also the various reoccurring themes of dreams, storytelling and language and culture add to the overall experience of the novel.
dr_oligo's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it. Took me a couple of tries to get going but am glad I stuck with it. Terrific characters and fascinating portrayal of the period.
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
2.0
Mmmhh... Avsnitt og deler i denne boka er aldeles nydelig skrevet. Roman i poesiform. Det som trekker kraftig ned er at den hopper frem og tilbake, persongalleriet er lite engasjerende og jeg vet ikke helt hvor Ondaatje vil med boka - verken før, under eller etter. Ja det er et bilde av samtidens Canada - forskjellen på fattig og rik og samfunnet forøvrig. Likevel, gav opp 100 sider før mål. Det er sjeldent! Spesielt med så tidvis god tekst. Vel..
meag143's review against another edition
1.0
Hated it but apparently it gets better with rereads. Don’t see myself picking up this book again though.
stmchester's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful writing, worth spending the time it takes to figure out what is going on!
thematinee's review against another edition
5.0
The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.
Goddamned right, Mr. O.
Goddamned right, Mr. O.
loosegeese's review against another edition
4.0
The novel is set in the early 1900s in and around Toronto, the homeland of Ondaatje. Essentially, the work is a love poem to the manual labourers of America, who silently power the country and are constantly changed by their work - dyers shed the skins they stain, limbs and lives are lost, scars embedded in flesh. Language is a constant barrier and bridge, and the labourers of the country are often only linked by their work. The work is sprawling, with threads of lives knotted through one another, and treats both violence and love with the same tenderness. Only the wealthy are handled unkindly, understood to be inherently different from others. This was a prettily done novel, and I look forward to reading more Ondaatje.
_rusalka's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the fist Ondaatje book I read years ago, so was looking forward jumping into this one.
This book spans over three decades of characters in and around Toronto, and enjoyably for someone like me who isn't a fan of short story books full of disjointed stories and completely different settings and characters, the characters weave in and out of each others' lives as they would living in a certain part of a smaller city.
Even though his first book, he still has a beautiful way of writing that pulls you along with the story. Which was needed in half this book. Half was captivating and you wanted to know what happened to the characters. The other half or so I wasn't really fussed. SO half the stars.
This book spans over three decades of characters in and around Toronto, and enjoyably for someone like me who isn't a fan of short story books full of disjointed stories and completely different settings and characters, the characters weave in and out of each others' lives as they would living in a certain part of a smaller city.
Even though his first book, he still has a beautiful way of writing that pulls you along with the story. Which was needed in half this book. Half was captivating and you wanted to know what happened to the characters. The other half or so I wasn't really fussed. SO half the stars.