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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Very much a Dave Robicheaux novel, set in the 1940s and with a protagonist with a different name. Still, the protagonist is a man of honor battling with the usual Burke's antagonists: psychopaths and the sociopathic members of the obscenely wealthy and corrupt tyrants of the South. And the story is peopled with those whose own nobility struggles internally with their weakness and corruption. So, Dave Robicheaux in so many ways but still this is a thrilling, at times frightening novel and as beautifully written as any other James Lee Burke novel.
Very disappointed. I was looking forward to reading this as it had strong reviews. It just did not work for me. It did not seem to have a proper focus and although some parts are as elegiac as other novels I ended up really not bothered about the characters. Too broad a brush with too much irrelevant detail and too many characters which just dip in and out. Perhaps if I was American I'd like it more, but for me it lacked the tightness of plotting and structure of most of his other books.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
No
"I lay back down and closed my eyes and tried to lose myself inside the drumroll of the storm on the roof and the rain gutters spouting into the driveway, flowing like a river into the street, the surface of the water crosshatched with pine needles and green leaves and camellia petals, as though the earth were attempting to cleanse itself of the attrition caused by those who were supposedly its stewards.
I received this book as a first reads giveaway and I could not have been happier.I am a huge, huge fan of James Lee Burke, but I have only read his Robicheaux series.
Burke is truly an incredible writer, one of my favorites. This book was not my favorite of his as far as storyline, but his prose is like no other. It is filled with the most beautiful descriptions of the setting, and interspersed with otherwordly visuals of a earth before man.
You often have to grasp at the deeper meaning of Burke's words. They won't jump right out at you, but that is the beauty of it. If you can appreciate that, it's worth reading every word he writes.
I received this book as a first reads giveaway and I could not have been happier.I am a huge, huge fan of James Lee Burke, but I have only read his Robicheaux series.
Burke is truly an incredible writer, one of my favorites. This book was not my favorite of his as far as storyline, but his prose is like no other. It is filled with the most beautiful descriptions of the setting, and interspersed with otherwordly visuals of a earth before man.
You often have to grasp at the deeper meaning of Burke's words. They won't jump right out at you, but that is the beauty of it. If you can appreciate that, it's worth reading every word he writes.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book sat in my to-read pile for quite awhile & I kept thinking I'd just get rid of it. Then I'd look at reviews raving about it so I finally decided to read it. The first part was very interesting, the middle was not very interesting & the ending was good. A story of a family just after WWII who end up in the oil business doing the pipelines.
This is the best book I've read so far this year (I've read 82 so far) and I'm sure it will be the best or right at the top when this year is over! Great characters with believable traits and flaws. You won't be disappointed reading this book.
Don't read this book if you're one of the people who think that the American Dream is alive and well. Don't read this book if you think the Greatest Generation was composed of honorable people who wanted nothing but the best for the USA. This book is a dose of cold water and one of the most beautifully written books I've read this year. James Lee Burke obviously knows his history and this novel, which starts as young Weldon Holland is trying his best to stay alive after being lost in the Ardennes after the Battle of the Bulge. He is a young lieutenant and his companion is his Sargent,Herschel. They stumble upon a small concentration camp where everyone is dead except one woman. He and his Sargent carry her out of the camp, and he marries her in Paris. She is a Spanish Jew whose father was a radical and supporter of the Spanish Revolution and is related to Rosa Luxembourg, a well known Communist. This is unimportant to Weldon, but becomes crucial as the novel goes on. Weldon gets out of the army and is planning to become a writer and anthropologist until Herschel convinces him to go into business with him. He can "smell" an oil field, he claims, plus he has discovered that the Germans had the best pipe welds ever. Their company prospers and becomes noticed by a wealthy man who wants to buy it. When they refuse, the persecution and the heartaches begin. Their lives become entwined with a wealthy couple. The wife is a rabid antisemite as well as being mentally unbalanced. It's a lethal combination. This was a book that, for me, was hard to put down. Burke is one writer I seldom miss.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated