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ada_elisabeth's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I feel like saying that I didn't like this book would be a crime. It's one of those books that feels important, packed with history and suffering, aimed to make readers more empathetic and knowledgeable. But I just didn't enjoy it. Yes, it was extremely poetic and lovely. Yes, the story was one I needed to read. Yes, the writing was very good. But the plot was hard to follow, and the book felt far, FAR too long in my opinion. I'm glad I read it, but if I had known anything about it, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. 3/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
firebreathingmermaid's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a while since I read this as I didn't used to ever write reviews, but now I kind of want to, so I'll say what I can recall from it. Mostly this: that it was one of the most beautifully written novels I have ever read. The prose is just pure art. It's gorgeous.
Story-wise, it's an excellent historical fiction of an era and an event that many (myself included) have learned far too little about. For me, it was both an experience of art and and education, and for that I appreciate it very much.
Story-wise, it's an excellent historical fiction of an era and an event that many (myself included) have learned far too little about. For me, it was both an experience of art and and education, and for that I appreciate it very much.
naomi41's review against another edition
3.0
Farming of the bones is a novel written by Edwidge Danticat in 1998; the fourth novel that I've read from her alongside "Behind the Mountains", "Breath, Eyes and Memory" and "Krik Krak?". The setting is in 1937 in the Dominican Republic,m as tensions rise between the Dominicans and their bordering country Haiti. Amabelle's lover Sebastian lost one of his close friends and co- cane cutter in a car accident, which rose the level of distrust between the Haitians and Dominicans. Once Amabelle and Sebastian are separated, she goes on a journey to find him- but the pain and sufferings she has had faced mounts up to sadness and dissatisfactions as she fails to find her true love, and experiences trauma after the massacre occurred. What makes the story so touching is Danticat's ability to bring her experiences growing up in Haiti, and creating a connection with her audience as Amabelle's journey progresses. And I think at some point, an author who shares there culture and similar backgrounds as the reader, it definitely strengthens the meaning of the book.
zober's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Woah. This was intense and beautiful. Simple but lyrical writing paired with a somewhat detached tone. Good symbolism and narrative structure. Can't wait to read more books by Danticat.
linneaandspybat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3littlewordz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It can be challenging to capture humanity in massacre and devastation. It can sometimes come across as macabre… too focused on the gore. Edwidge Danticat masterfully captured beauty, pain, violence, and death within a massacre in The Farming of Bones. She didn’t shy away from descriptions of violence, nor did she seem to glorify the brutality that was inflicted upon the Haitian population targeted in the 1937 Parsley Massacre. Danticat also movingly explored ache: the ache of the loss of parents and children, the ache of poverty, and the ache of dreams deferred and never realized. Through Amabelle’s eyes, we see the dichotomy between the Haves and Have Nots; those in power and those subjugated. Though this is a work of fiction, I learned so much about the Trujillo regime that I knew nothing about prior to reading this novel. In fact, I never knew that the US occupied Haiti for several decades! The Yanki occupation was also mentioned in this work, which sent me down another rabbit hole of research. This is a heavy heavy book, but I highly recommend. Another great novel about the Trujillo dictatorship is In The Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Between these two novels, I’ve gained a much better understanding of that time period in history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Grief, Racism, Death, Xenophobia, War, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and Child death
whatevermarlene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5