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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
a great historical overview through following a family line.
I found the ending felt rather soft.
I found the ending felt rather soft.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An epic narrative - although 713 pages long it reads quickly. Given the cast of characters I would suggest reading it in large chunks to keep up with who's who. It is a compelling story of white America's beginnings ushering in natural and human degradation. An important and recommended read, showing how versatile Annie Proulx is.
okay here’s the thing
like i get where this was going
and i love conservation as much as the next gal
however
by the time i got to the halfway mark i had no clue who any of the characters were and i already felt like the point was hammered home about as much as it was going to be
that being said there are some very nice quotable moments in here and yeah, we should save the trees.
like i get where this was going
and i love conservation as much as the next gal
however
by the time i got to the halfway mark i had no clue who any of the characters were and i already felt like the point was hammered home about as much as it was going to be
that being said there are some very nice quotable moments in here and yeah, we should save the trees.
If One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Thornbirds had a baby that outstripped them both, that genius child would be Barkskins. Breathtaking in scope, rich in vocabulary, mind-searingly meticulously researched and impressively consistent in tone through all 700+ pages. If you enjoy flashy NYT bestsellers, move along. If you're a serious reader looking for a serious writer, then step inside, my friend.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book needs two different reviews: Before Lavinia and After Lavinia.
Before Lavinia, I would've given this book 4 stars at least. It galloped through the years and cycled through dozens of characters, but it did it really well! The old growth forests, New France, Boston, Duke & Sons Timber; all of these were characters in their own right. The book just danced and it was enjoyable and informative and still managed to give some great storytelling. My only big complaint was that I wanted a woman to have the narrative voice, just once. Which is ironic, because...
After Lavinia, the quality noticeably deteriorates. Lavinia's section itself was good, maybe it went a little long, but the sections after that are so rushed that I completely lost the thread of who was who, which was challenging enough Before Lavinia but once less effort was made to differentiate characters it got even harder. The Duke line wrapped up great, and at a moment that felt appropriate. The Sel line...just kinda faded, which was a bummer because that was the plotline I enjoyed much more. So yeah, the last 150 pages or so, 3 stars. Really disappointing.
Before Lavinia, I would've given this book 4 stars at least. It galloped through the years and cycled through dozens of characters, but it did it really well! The old growth forests, New France, Boston, Duke & Sons Timber; all of these were characters in their own right. The book just danced and it was enjoyable and informative and still managed to give some great storytelling. My only big complaint was that I wanted a woman to have the narrative voice, just once. Which is ironic, because...
After Lavinia, the quality noticeably deteriorates. Lavinia's section itself was good, maybe it went a little long, but the sections after that are so rushed that I completely lost the thread of who was who, which was challenging enough Before Lavinia but once less effort was made to differentiate characters it got even harder. The Duke line wrapped up great, and at a moment that felt appropriate. The Sel line...just kinda faded, which was a bummer because that was the plotline I enjoyed much more. So yeah, the last 150 pages or so, 3 stars. Really disappointing.
Seems like a well researched novel... But oh dear God what a slog. I listened to it in audiobook format so I could tune in and out as desired. I now know more about the history of forestry/timber mills than I ever wanted.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Main takeaways: The story went along a lot faster than I was expecting. Thank goodness for the family trees at the back of the book. Would probably be a different/better book with a different last chapter.