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fourstringspark's review
3.0
A quaint and dated story of a winter storm, the people it impacts, and the meteorologists who track its course. Most people will know by now that this book allegedly was the inspiration for the National Weather Service's tradition of naming tropical storms. The prose is a bit stiff and about what you'd expect from someone whose dust-jacket photo looks like Floyd the barber from the Andy Griffith Show. Props to the author, though, for learning so much about various fields -- meteorology, hydrology, road maintenance, transportation systems -- for the book's numerous plot lines.
javansutton's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
souslespaveslapage's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Storm was unlike anything I've read in a long time. It veered between feeling very much like a product of its time (originally published in 1941) and incredibly contemporary. Stewart's treatment of the storm and all its many interrelated effects feels almost proto-Anthropocene, and calls to mind the work of scholar Jane Bennett on the agency of things. There are moments of Stewart's very white, American male perspective throughout which bump the reader back into the first half of the twentieth century, but I could ignore it enough to be thrilled by his ability to draw connections between places, species and subjects, as well as for the care and attention he gives his non-human actors. If you've ever wanted to read a book in which a 2x4, a chipmunk, a hog, a river and a tree were characters, then this is it.
jonvarner's review against another edition
2.0
A great concept--a storm as protagonist--wasn't enough for me to stick with the corny dialog and mid-century, slice-of-life style.
vgk's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. The writing is beautiful and I love the perspective of the book, which puts humans in their true, unremarkable place in the greater scheme of things. I did find myself skimming slightly in places though... perhaps because the more technical aspects of the meteorological processes are beyond me. A lovely book though, and worth a read.
schellenbergk's review against another edition
This 1941 eco-novel is pretty obviously the progenitor of novels such as Richard Powersѓ?? magnificent ѓ??The Overstoryѓ??, and like that book it does a great job of showing the interconnectedness of everything.
However, itѓ??s also the progenitor of the 1970s batch of disaster movies (such as Towering Inferno and Airport and Earthquake) where characters are introduced, quickly sketched, and just as quickly dispatched. This introduces a strong whiff of melodrama which dates the book.
3.25 stars, rounded down.
However, itѓ??s also the progenitor of the 1970s batch of disaster movies (such as Towering Inferno and Airport and Earthquake) where characters are introduced, quickly sketched, and just as quickly dispatched. This introduces a strong whiff of melodrama which dates the book.
3.25 stars, rounded down.
landon_n26's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What a unique little novel. I was fully engrossed in this beautifully written book about a storm. It paints a really clear picture of how humans are at the mercy of the weather, climate and the earth itself. While I would have liked to feel closer to some of the characters, I found the documentary like storytelling of this event to be riveting and really cool to read. The insights into meteorology were very cool.