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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book combines all the human parts of loving someone while also navigating the cognitive dissonance between the people you love and their politics. I think this is a really universal book for finding common ground in places you expect there to be none.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“He thought about it, and after a moment, he said, The things you think are dull become the things you long for.” 3.5 stars
I really liked this book at first. I was even willing to overlook the annoying lack of quotation marks around dialogue. There are passages that are beautifully written, exactly what you’d expect from an Iowa Writer’s Workshop grad. Insights and observations that deeply resonate. Passages that you highlight and that stay with you.
But toward the end I started to see the two main characters as deeply selfish. I don’t need to love the characters in the books I read, but toward the end I was feeling exasperated by them.
Despite all this, it’s a book worth reading. I’ll probably read whatever this author writes next! I just got hung up on some aspects of an otherwise well-written book.
I really liked this book at first. I was even willing to overlook the annoying lack of quotation marks around dialogue. There are passages that are beautifully written, exactly what you’d expect from an Iowa Writer’s Workshop grad. Insights and observations that deeply resonate. Passages that you highlight and that stay with you.
But toward the end I started to see the two main characters as deeply selfish. I don’t need to love the characters in the books I read, but toward the end I was feeling exasperated by them.
Despite all this, it’s a book worth reading. I’ll probably read whatever this author writes next! I just got hung up on some aspects of an otherwise well-written book.
4.5 stars. I loved this book that some folks called meandering! Keeping someone interested in a slowly told tale is a true talent. I appreciated that the characters were all flawed but you were still rooting for them. Remembering that folks we differ with politically/culturally are dealing with sick spouses, financial woes, aging parents, etc... just is a gentle reminder that we are all in this together. I think everyone can identify with the feeling of both loving where you're from and wanting more.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Groundskeeping is a thoughtful book that conveys a smattering of cultural conflicts between classes, immigrants, political perspectives, regional tropes and much more. The book often created a sense of unease as though I worried what the next moment might bring yet compelled to read further. The book is well written technically and truly expresses unique and nuanced perspectives. There are times when I just didn’t like the main character but that seemed a purposeful character design flaw. A strong 4 stars recommended for fans of contemplative literary fiction.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes