Reviews

The Fisher King by Paule Marshall

sculpthead's review

medium-paced

3.0

bookguyinva2022's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mmcloe's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Picked up a copy of this at a used book store many many years ago and just decided to read it. I like the ways that Marshall began to approach non-normative shapes of families and sexual entanglements. 

I found the structure of the novel to be a bit too imprecise for my liking. Too much of an ensemble cast for an individual perspective, not polyphonic enough for something more collective. 

Excited to get into Marshall's earlier works! 

anthonyk's review

challenging informative reflective 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? Yes

1.75

i'd highly recommend every character of this book go seek therapy because they need and deserve it <3

leilaniann's review

4.0

Another book club read. All the folks will be happy because I actually finished this one...

emohell's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

read this for class and am so incredibly glad i did because i would never have picked it up otherwise. the most interesting parts for me are the flashbacks at the end, which i wish had taken up more of the story at large. overall a really interesting novel, but one that i wish had done more with its focus on the past.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism

joelletribbiani's review

3.0

I liked this book, but nothing much actually happened in the present day. Most of the intriguing material came at the very end, told as a quick flashback. I did like the characters of the great-grandmothers and the general story, but I wish the book were longer. I would have enjoyed the entire tale told in "real" time, finishing with The Fisher King as the last segment in an epic story.

pussreboots's review

3.0

An 8 year old boy's 2 week trip from France to New York helps a family heal old wounds. While it's a nice idea for a story there isn't much substance to this story. Things happen and then the story is over.

audreylee's review against another edition

2.0

Reading this book is standing on the edge of something beautiful but never being fully immersed in that experience. It is a bunch of snapshots tossed into the air landing helter skelter with no defined beginning or end. The characters are lively and interesting but so remote it is impossible to really understand why they do the things they do. The main story lines take place in Paris and Brooklyn and yet atmosphere isn't a significant part of the story.