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jennyisreading's review
5.0
For the last couple of weeks this books has been transporting me to a lonely island long ago. It's an engrossing story, wonderfully capturing the lives of three women as they toil away in isolation on one of the channel islands in the late 1880 and then the 1930s. The only thing that stops me from totally loving it is how sad so much of it is.
lisagray68's review
4.0
I've never read T.C. Boyle before, but I recommend this book. I was dubious reading the reviews - reviews that say the island of San Miguel is really the main character of this book. This is historical fiction of families that really did live out on the Channel Islands, and how they coped. A fast easy read, but one that will educate you on a kind of prairie life that you might not have known existed. A great read. (and that's 75 books for 2012, I made my goal!)
innatejames's review
4.0
The author of The Road to Wellville and The Women tackles another place and time. Two families living on a remote island off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, at two different points in time weather two World Wars, the Depression, and a whole lotta sheep.
T. C. Boyle has long been a favorite author of mine. The way he weaves a fictional story through the data of his research of actual happenings (in this case, the Waters and the Lesters really did live on San Miguel during these times). Having started a blog about my family history recently, I realized the fiction I'm writing is heavily influenced by his work.
-----------SPOILERS AHOY! AHOY!-------------------
Boyle creates a solid tone and setting in the wind-swept, barren terrain of San Miguel. He also manages to gently insert his theme of environmentalism into the story. The eventual mistreatment of the island leads directly to outcome of the story.
I'm curious to know who Inez Deane is based on, if anyone; and if that part of the story is true. I can see how the combination of an overbearing father and being stranded off the coast of my country with just my family as company could build the drive it takes to be a Hollywood star.
The differences between Marantha and Elise's stories were interesting. Elise having her family across the country and only living on the island for her husband matches more into my preconceptions of women's situations in the 1910s. But Marantha's financial independence and mutual interest in the farm reminded me that women had ways to steer clear of the misogyny of the times.
My criticism of San Miguel is that the two families' stories seemed to have little to compliment each other. Aside from the setting and Jimmie, it seemed the author was telling two completely different stories. I'd have to read it again to find the common threads. I know they are there; Boyle is a highly detailed and crafty writer. I trust in his head there were plot devices that flowed the Waters's experience into the Lesters'. It just wasn't obvious to me on the first reading.
T. C. Boyle has long been a favorite author of mine. The way he weaves a fictional story through the data of his research of actual happenings (in this case, the Waters and the Lesters really did live on San Miguel during these times). Having started a blog about my family history recently, I realized the fiction I'm writing is heavily influenced by his work.
-----------SPOILERS AHOY! AHOY!-------------------
Boyle creates a solid tone and setting in the wind-swept, barren terrain of San Miguel. He also manages to gently insert his theme of environmentalism into the story. The eventual mistreatment of the island leads directly to outcome of the story.
I'm curious to know who Inez Deane is based on, if anyone; and if that part of the story is true. I can see how the combination of an overbearing father and being stranded off the coast of my country with just my family as company could build the drive it takes to be a Hollywood star.
The differences between Marantha and Elise's stories were interesting. Elise having her family across the country and only living on the island for her husband matches more into my preconceptions of women's situations in the 1910s. But Marantha's financial independence and mutual interest in the farm reminded me that women had ways to steer clear of the misogyny of the times.
My criticism of San Miguel is that the two families' stories seemed to have little to compliment each other. Aside from the setting and Jimmie, it seemed the author was telling two completely different stories. I'd have to read it again to find the common threads. I know they are there; Boyle is a highly detailed and crafty writer. I trust in his head there were plot devices that flowed the Waters's experience into the Lesters'. It just wasn't obvious to me on the first reading.
knowledgelost's review
2.0
T.C. Boyle tells us the story of a family on the San Miguel Island. The desolate island makes for a backdrop for the trials and tribulations of family. Boyle takes us on a vivid join of hard living and stubborn people in a novel of love and hate.
I’ve never actually read a T.C. Boyle novel before but I’ve heard he is a great storyteller, so I was excited to read this novel. This is a book of major family drama, I get the feeling that being stuck on a desolate island off the coast of California isn’t really helping the situation at all. The feeling of isolation is almost like having a cabin fever effect at times and this makes for highly emotional situations.
San Miguel follows the point of views of two different characters, giving us an insight of their inner thoughts and desires. Inspired by historical records, Boyle blends the facts with his own take of the story to bring us a character driven novel of the trials of this family. While at times I found this a highly emotional and somewhat endearing novel, I found myself thinking about novels like Shipping News and remembering just how that was a similar type of novel, only better. It is hard to immerse myself in a novel when I’m too busy comparing it to better novels and I truly think if I was in the right state of mind, this book would have been more enjoyable (perhaps enough to warrant 4 stars).
The characters within this novel are just wonderful; Boyle really knows how to write personalities, desires and inner thoughts, giving them real depth. Marantha and Elizabeth are great protagonists and the isolated location was the perfect backdrop for this story. But I never connected fully with the story, and I think it left too many questions unanswered.
T.C. Boyle is a great storyteller; I will be checking out some more of his work in the future, I’m hoping I can connect with them more than I did with San Miguel. It really didn’t help my enjoyment of this book. So I hope people who decide to give this novel a go, find themselves enjoying the characters and the trials that come there way.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/12/18/book-review-san-miguel/
I’ve never actually read a T.C. Boyle novel before but I’ve heard he is a great storyteller, so I was excited to read this novel. This is a book of major family drama, I get the feeling that being stuck on a desolate island off the coast of California isn’t really helping the situation at all. The feeling of isolation is almost like having a cabin fever effect at times and this makes for highly emotional situations.
San Miguel follows the point of views of two different characters, giving us an insight of their inner thoughts and desires. Inspired by historical records, Boyle blends the facts with his own take of the story to bring us a character driven novel of the trials of this family. While at times I found this a highly emotional and somewhat endearing novel, I found myself thinking about novels like Shipping News and remembering just how that was a similar type of novel, only better. It is hard to immerse myself in a novel when I’m too busy comparing it to better novels and I truly think if I was in the right state of mind, this book would have been more enjoyable (perhaps enough to warrant 4 stars).
The characters within this novel are just wonderful; Boyle really knows how to write personalities, desires and inner thoughts, giving them real depth. Marantha and Elizabeth are great protagonists and the isolated location was the perfect backdrop for this story. But I never connected fully with the story, and I think it left too many questions unanswered.
T.C. Boyle is a great storyteller; I will be checking out some more of his work in the future, I’m hoping I can connect with them more than I did with San Miguel. It really didn’t help my enjoyment of this book. So I hope people who decide to give this novel a go, find themselves enjoying the characters and the trials that come there way.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/12/18/book-review-san-miguel/
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