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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I selected this book at random to read solely based on its cover, which I know is something I should never do, but who hasn't been swayed by a pretty cover before? Before going into Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. I had no idea of the length of this book, and believe me, this is definitely a chunky book you should be prepared to face before going into it. In face, this is the biggest book I have read so far this year, which is strange to say considering that it was a spur of the moment read.
I read through the first third of this book so quickly and I was so invested in not only the story, but the several of the characters as well. This was a good thing as this book then moved away from being more plot driven and instead turned more character driven, somewhat putting the story that first grabbed my attention and what I thought this book was going to explore, into the background, being done off of the pages, only being mentioned infrequently. This was really disappointing for me. It was lucky that the first third of this book did build up the family and the characters enough for me to have interest in the characters and their life, for me to want to keep reading and see where and how they were going to grow and develop.
There is a lot of racism, prejudices and xenophobic language and attitude within this book, as well as a lot of hypocritical behaviour. I was left felling irritated and annoyed so much while reading it, but it also did pull emotion from me, which left me thinking, both positively and negatively. It left me feeling torn and I've had to wait before being able to put my thoughts down about this book.
I don't know if I would personally recommend this book to everyone, as I think it's a book that's not going to appeal to everyone as I think it's going to have a particular audience. An audience that enjoy a more character driven book, compared to more plot driven novel, one that is centred around one particular family and one particular event and the aftermath of that event. I would suggest checking beforehand if you are triggered by certain things in books, as this book does go have some heavy discrimination when it comes to race, also xenophobia and so forth. Also, check the size of this book beforehand, before taking it on this adventure, as this is something I didn't do as this is a hefty 928 pages.
I read through the first third of this book so quickly and I was so invested in not only the story, but the several of the characters as well. This was a good thing as this book then moved away from being more plot driven and instead turned more character driven, somewhat putting the story that first grabbed my attention and what I thought this book was going to explore, into the background, being done off of the pages, only being mentioned infrequently. This was really disappointing for me. It was lucky that the first third of this book did build up the family and the characters enough for me to have interest in the characters and their life, for me to want to keep reading and see where and how they were going to grow and develop.
There is a lot of racism, prejudices and xenophobic language and attitude within this book, as well as a lot of hypocritical behaviour. I was left felling irritated and annoyed so much while reading it, but it also did pull emotion from me, which left me thinking, both positively and negatively. It left me feeling torn and I've had to wait before being able to put my thoughts down about this book.
I don't know if I would personally recommend this book to everyone, as I think it's a book that's not going to appeal to everyone as I think it's going to have a particular audience. An audience that enjoy a more character driven book, compared to more plot driven novel, one that is centred around one particular family and one particular event and the aftermath of that event. I would suggest checking beforehand if you are triggered by certain things in books, as this book does go have some heavy discrimination when it comes to race, also xenophobia and so forth. Also, check the size of this book beforehand, before taking it on this adventure, as this is something I didn't do as this is a hefty 928 pages.
I did try but i could not connect with the characters. I found it very dull and couldn't imagine trying to force my way through 700 odd pages when I was not enjoying it.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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:
Complicated
Interesting book and enjoyed to begin with. I feel the book is a couple of hundred pages too long. Got bored toward the end
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a wonderful family saga. I truly enjoyed every minute of it.
Joyce. Oh Joyce. This thing, did it need to be 800 pages? (I polished it off on a 7hr flight!) I can sum it all up in about thirty seconds, so why go on and on and on
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes