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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This novel was a recommendation—otherwise, I’m not sure I would’ve found the plotline intriguing enough to read. While this story did have its moments where I couldn’t put it down, it took a lot of forceful reading to get there. Dubus likes to spend an exhaustive amount of time with the introspection of his characters. This is wonderful for explaining their rash actions and inner turmoil but the monologues went in circles one (or twenty) times too many. There were only three characters I liked (Carol, Nadi, and Esmail) which I guess is the point—the others just plowed paths of destruction which frustrated me to no end but also kept the story very realistic by paralleling truthful scenarios. Obviously, the book’s content is for adults but I still don’t see myself recommending it anytime soon. It’s a read only for those who like the slower-paced, unhappy, “real” endings.
The writing deserves 5 stars stars but I found the story to be incredibly stressful and depressing. A tragic story about what fear, ignorance and blame can lead to. Glad I finally read it. The audio book is pretty good.
The author does a good job showing two different points of view and getting the reader into the characters head. There is a lot of tension and drama but honestly it's a pretty boring book. It took me awhile to finish it and just. meh.
This one physically hurt. It takes a pretty incisive piece of total fiction to elicit that kind of response from me, but in truth this hardly felt like fiction at all: too close to life, too close to reality, to ever be take at less than face value. This is a heartbreaking story of the evils of capitalism and colliding values, and of the black rot at the core of the American Dream. Unlike anything I’ve read and likely anything else I ever will.
This book was a bit slow to get into but it was so powerful. The characters are incredibly believable and it almost feels as if you are experiencing each of their problems along with them. My only complaint is the ending- wish it could’ve been different.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Total departure for me but I really enjoyed this one. It's tense, dark and gripping.
I found this story incredible. It felt like a Greek tragedy just unfolding piece by piece in front of me. I loved it, and was so invested in the characters from the very beginning. Loved it.
I couldn't quite give it 5 stars because the ending felt oddly extended. I could have finished the story about 50 pages sooner, and it would have been artistically balanced and satisfied. I'm still a little puzzled by why we follow Kathy into prison. I'm mulling on it.
On the whole, though, so good.
I couldn't quite give it 5 stars because the ending felt oddly extended. I could have finished the story about 50 pages sooner, and it would have been artistically balanced and satisfied. I'm still a little puzzled by why we follow Kathy into prison. I'm mulling on it.
On the whole, though, so good.