Reviews

The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich

jenmulsow's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

kiramke's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Erdrich is excellent, so clear and so subtle. I have a hard time seeing her books without looking at the whole, even though I did enjoy some volumes more than others; because they each give a new perspective on pieces of the others. It's such a great way to remind me that there's always more I don't know. This part of the story is a reflection on loss and healing, without the ponderousness that usually implies.

silodear's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Ughhhhh. She kills me with her writing. I loved the first person narrative of this book. The story was so deeply interwoven (even more so than I'm used to with Erdrich) and engaging. I couldn't put this book down and loved the themes of grief and healing and the ways that she complicated these already complex experiences. She's the best.

anderson65's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

"...live their disorder to completion..."

"credit-bought car"

tschmitty's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Some of the prose was lovely, but I thought the narrative grew choppy as the story of the drum history unfolded.

angief65's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Great book super on audio as anything by Anna Fields is. Read for our library book club.

bailorg's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.25

emilyrasmussen's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective fast-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

4.5

amandabcook's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

missphoebs's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

"for solitude will also break you with its yearning. you have to love. you have to feel. it is the reason you are here on earth."

some of the most exquisite prose i have ever read. literally so many great lines that were reminders of why i love to read. this book was rough for me to get through, mainly because of my current reading slump, but erdrich's writing is so rich and with an intense subject matter that forces me to take my time with reading rather than bulldozing through it in order to reach my silly reading goal. i loved this one a lot, particularly the depiction of mother/daughter relationships and sister dynamics. it was so expertly written, like .... don't even have the words to describe it !!