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hellsbell's review against another edition
5.0
originally posted on HellyReads
I picked this up from the library on impulse simply because of the cover. Shallow? Yes. Do I regret it? Not at all.
I had never heard of the book or the author before, I went into it totally unknowing, and I fell in love. This book just blew me away page by page. It started off slowly, building up an idea of who Kate was, and what her relationship was like, but as soon as she met Jean... BOOM!
This isn't a simple story, although on the face of it, it appears that way.
Over a long period Jean tells Kate the story of her life, along with that of her family. In return Kate remains sober. Her new found sobriety changes her, and she begins to develop and learn a lot about herself and the world. The stories Jean tells aren't just on a personal level. They involve a lot of modern American history, shown through a personal lens.
I am finding it so difficult to put into words why I loved this so much. It was beautiful on a personal level, but at the same time it encompassed a bigger picture.
Fantastic. One of my favourites of the entire year so far!!
I picked this up from the library on impulse simply because of the cover. Shallow? Yes. Do I regret it? Not at all.
I had never heard of the book or the author before, I went into it totally unknowing, and I fell in love. This book just blew me away page by page. It started off slowly, building up an idea of who Kate was, and what her relationship was like, but as soon as she met Jean... BOOM!
This isn't a simple story, although on the face of it, it appears that way.
Over a long period Jean tells Kate the story of her life, along with that of her family. In return Kate remains sober. Her new found sobriety changes her, and she begins to develop and learn a lot about herself and the world. The stories Jean tells aren't just on a personal level. They involve a lot of modern American history, shown through a personal lens.
I am finding it so difficult to put into words why I loved this so much. It was beautiful on a personal level, but at the same time it encompassed a bigger picture.
Fantastic. One of my favourites of the entire year so far!!
salve58's review against another edition
3.0
There is a nice story in here but you have to fight your way through slabs of unnecessary waffle.
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
This novel focusses on the redemptive power of storytelling both for the narrator and the listener.
It is set in 1999 and Kate Lambert is a film studies student in a mid western university. She is living with a charismatic boyfriend laurits (not particularly likeable character) and slipping into alcoholism after the death of her father, a man who dominated her life after her mother left but himself is a troubled soul, disappearing periodically into the wilderness. Laurits sends her out to find stories from strangers for one of his projects where she meets Jean culvert an old lady living a solitary life in a large home. Jean instantly diagnoses Kate's problem and promises that if she remains sober for three days she will tell her stories.
The subsequent tales are those of Jean's life from her father's work as a campaigning lawyer which gives the title, to her relationship with her brother, a lost love, and the stories of her niece and nephew. it is the these latter tales that were captivating as we learn of ' The weather underground' an anarchist group in 60's and 70's America and the shadow of the Vietnam war.
This is a really good read which I enjoyed thoroughly, being immersed in the storytelling itself in a well crafted story. I was signposted to the book by an interview with the author on the vintage podcast, and this Scottish poet is a writer whose works I will now look forward to exploring as demonstrated well written and poetic prose.
It is set in 1999 and Kate Lambert is a film studies student in a mid western university. She is living with a charismatic boyfriend laurits (not particularly likeable character) and slipping into alcoholism after the death of her father, a man who dominated her life after her mother left but himself is a troubled soul, disappearing periodically into the wilderness. Laurits sends her out to find stories from strangers for one of his projects where she meets Jean culvert an old lady living a solitary life in a large home. Jean instantly diagnoses Kate's problem and promises that if she remains sober for three days she will tell her stories.
The subsequent tales are those of Jean's life from her father's work as a campaigning lawyer which gives the title, to her relationship with her brother, a lost love, and the stories of her niece and nephew. it is the these latter tales that were captivating as we learn of ' The weather underground' an anarchist group in 60's and 70's America and the shadow of the Vietnam war.
This is a really good read which I enjoyed thoroughly, being immersed in the storytelling itself in a well crafted story. I was signposted to the book by an interview with the author on the vintage podcast, and this Scottish poet is a writer whose works I will now look forward to exploring as demonstrated well written and poetic prose.
green_apple_supremacy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
currerbell's review against another edition
4.0
A good novel has the ability to envelop its readers in its setting and environment so fully that it feels as though we have been psychologically and physically pulled inside to linger among the pages. When I finished Ashland & Vine, I not only had a well-developed image of Kate sitting in Jean's kitchen on a snowy day, but I could almost smell the exotic tea and the fried apple pie.
Even though I am fairly new (albeit fiercely devoted) to Burnside's work, I knew that this novel would be different from his others. In retrospect, I'm ashamed for treading lightly around something that I knew would be different from that which feels familiar and which is characteristically Burnside. Ashland & Vine is not eerie, atmospheric, chilling, or disturbing in the way that The Dumb House or The Glister are, but perhaps it shouldn't be compared to them at all - this is a new animal, even though the familiar Burnside inevitably trickles through.
Even though I am fairly new (albeit fiercely devoted) to Burnside's work, I knew that this novel would be different from his others. In retrospect, I'm ashamed for treading lightly around something that I knew would be different from that which feels familiar and which is characteristically Burnside. Ashland & Vine is not eerie, atmospheric, chilling, or disturbing in the way that The Dumb House or The Glister are, but perhaps it shouldn't be compared to them at all - this is a new animal, even though the familiar Burnside inevitably trickles through.
soavezefiretto's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up without knowing anything about it, and I don't regret it. I enjoyed the poetry, the calm of the prose. I liked the characters and the stories. What kept me from getting too invested in it was the feeling that it was all a fable. It's probably meant to be one, and I don't like fables, so if it had been more obvious I wouldn't have read it. What made it a tiny bit off-putting was that I never could make out if I was actually supposed to believe it all. I'm ready to believe the most outrageous stories, but only if I sense the writer wants me to. I wasn't sure here. At the same time, that uncertainty and fleeting quality was what made out this book's charm. Recommended if you are looking for a book that will make you feel a bit more inspired, in a quiet sort of way. Also if you're interested in the history of the United States in the last 100 years or so.
murasaki2021's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The main character has to make peace with her personal losses and has to learn a lot about American politics around the sixties and seventies of the last century.
bookish_sabrina's review
DNFed around page 150.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. Some of the writing is beautiful. But there are two things that prevented me from fully investing in this book, and have made me want to put it down unfinished.
Firstly, this book is very dialogue heavy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the dialogue doesn't feel real or believable. The unnatural-feeling dialogue is only accentuated by how much of it there is.
This leads into my second issue. This is a novel that takes place in America and has American characters. There's nothing wrong with a British person writing a book about Americans. However, I feel like this should have been read and edited by at least one American before hitting the presses. The characters do not sound American. They use turns of phrase that I have never heard in conversation, or are slightly off from how they would be used in conversation. You cannot tell me that these characters were born and raised in the States. The inaccuracies, again, were accentuated by the amount of dialogue in the novel. I can see how one unfamiliar with American speech and turns of phase may be able to believe these characters to be American, but I cannot. They speak so strangely that I spent more time being distracted by the unnatural sounding speech than investing in the story. I could finish this, but I am choosing to not.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. Some of the writing is beautiful. But there are two things that prevented me from fully investing in this book, and have made me want to put it down unfinished.
Firstly, this book is very dialogue heavy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the dialogue doesn't feel real or believable. The unnatural-feeling dialogue is only accentuated by how much of it there is.
This leads into my second issue. This is a novel that takes place in America and has American characters. There's nothing wrong with a British person writing a book about Americans. However, I feel like this should have been read and edited by at least one American before hitting the presses. The characters do not sound American. They use turns of phrase that I have never heard in conversation, or are slightly off from how they would be used in conversation. You cannot tell me that these characters were born and raised in the States. The inaccuracies, again, were accentuated by the amount of dialogue in the novel. I can see how one unfamiliar with American speech and turns of phase may be able to believe these characters to be American, but I cannot. They speak so strangely that I spent more time being distracted by the unnatural sounding speech than investing in the story. I could finish this, but I am choosing to not.