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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
So after sitting on this over the night, this was a good read. It was just a bit too wordy for me. I enjoyed the story but I struggled with wanting to stop listening (I didn't except for hockey) and then finding myself thinking about it after I finished.
The Heavenly Table is another winner from Pollock. It's gritty unapologetic storytelling with loathsome and unforgettable characters set in a Wild West/Southern Gothic style. I enjoyed his last novel The Devil All The Time better, but that takes nothing away from Table. Pollock takes you on a wild ride. Great fun and great writing.
This is why I am in a book club. I would never have read this book if it wasn't for this club. The reviewer from the Dayton Daily News commented that he could not stop laughing. I have no idea what he was laughing at! It is a sad tale about three brothers. I will not give anything away, but I was satisfied with the end of the story. There are a few different plot lines which were not brought together until near the end of the book. For the longest time I was wondering how they were linked, but it was resolved well.
Well, I definitely wouldn't have picked this one up on my own, but it's this month's book club selection, so I gave it a go. It was not my favorite, to be honest. I could appreciate the dark humor at times, but some parts were just too much for me- to senselessly violent, too grossly descriptive, too much. I struggled keeping track of the characters at times, even though I knew they'd come together in the end. I was somewhat satisfied with the ending, but mostly I was just glad it was over.
I loved Knockemstiff and The Devil All the Time, but I found myself disappointed by this offering. I don't mind brutality in books (and really expected it here), but it was oppressive and at times senseless. Too many tangents, not enough time spent developing the characters who made the most baffling choices.
WOW!! Mr. Pollock never wastes a word and almost everything feels like a punch to the gut. His ability to take many separate characters and weave them it to a tight story is masterful. I went to one of his readings recently and he likes "southern Ohio gothic" to describe his genre. If you haven't read any of Mr. Pollock's work, please move him to the top of your To Read Pile.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Contender for 2024.
Dare I say that Pollock's writing becomes more hopeful as it evolves?
I have now read all of his works, and I must say, having finished Knockemstiff earlier this year, this novel positively brims with hope.
It maintains his gritty style and grim tone but the whiff of upliftment at the end is really rather beautiful and I think this actually makes The Heavenly Table his strongest work yet.
I truly hope we can get more from this man. I don't know if he intends to publish more, but I will always read what he writes.
Dare I say that Pollock's writing becomes more hopeful as it evolves?
I have now read all of his works, and I must say, having finished Knockemstiff earlier this year, this novel positively brims with hope.
It maintains his gritty style and grim tone but the whiff of upliftment at the end is really rather beautiful and I think this actually makes The Heavenly Table his strongest work yet.
I truly hope we can get more from this man. I don't know if he intends to publish more, but I will always read what he writes.
What a fun book! It's Carson McCullers meets Quentin Tarantino. I'll definitely read more of his work.
Without taking hold of some of the misery in the world, there can't be no redemption.