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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Human, tragi-comic, relatable, timely, a deep breath of good writing. Hated the "explanation" of an author's note at the end though, really not sure why that was needed/included, took away rather than added to the novel.
Really 4.5 stars. Sprawling family drama with complicated relationships and dynamics. Initially it is difficult to keep track of characters and how they are related, but this becomes clearer and clearer throughout the novel. Characters are complicated - both beautiful and awful. As Big Angel faces his death, members of the family reckon with actions they are ashamed of and have harmed each other.
The final dramatic scene was a bit over the top for me.
Family relationships are described deeply and with few words. Example: "The fam kept him in the loop out of some nostalgia for better times that had never actually happened."
The final dramatic scene was a bit over the top for me.
Family relationships are described deeply and with few words. Example: "The fam kept him in the loop out of some nostalgia for better times that had never actually happened."
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Big Angel is the patriarch of a large Mexican family, mostly illegally settled in the South of the USA. He is dying of cancer and plans his last birthday party. The story spans over two days, starting with his mother's funeral and ending with the birthday party. Despite the death theme woven throughout the book, The House of Broken Angels is anything but grim: the minute account of the family gathering bursts with colourful characters and with humour. Big Angel's failing health prompts him to revisit childhood memories and to mend broken ties with siblings and children. His attention to the small details of daily life brings also a lovely touch of poetry to the story. Inspired by his own family history, Luis Alberto Urrea explores complex relationships and celebrates eventful lives full of love. Beautifully written, The House of Broken Angels is my favourite book of the year so far.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
A family saga in two scenes over two days. Oh so close to four stars!
There's so much I loved about this book. The voice is genuine, I connected with Little Angel almost immediately and could see myself sitting next to him as he told this story. Many of the stories are funny - one made me guffaw out loud! Some of the stories are unexpectedly gentle and poignant. Urrea does a great job weaving so many characters into the two (!) days over which the story takes place.
But there were missteps and, for me, missing information that distracted me; sometimes a lot. There were places where characters just showed up unannounced, did their thing and then just disappeared. They often moved the plot along but their abrupt arrival confused me. Some of the storylines just seemed out of context. I really appreciated the family tree at the back of the paperback edition AND that it was pointed out to me before I started reading. I referred to it often. Maybe it should be at the front of the text? And, as a non-Spanish speaker, I would have loved translations of the Spanish. Even using Google there were phrases that didn't translate and I was left hanging.
This is definitely a 3.5-star book. Maybe even more. It's unequivocally a good read.
There's so much I loved about this book. The voice is genuine, I connected with Little Angel almost immediately and could see myself sitting next to him as he told this story. Many of the stories are funny - one made me guffaw out loud! Some of the stories are unexpectedly gentle and poignant. Urrea does a great job weaving so many characters into the two (!) days over which the story takes place.
But there were missteps and, for me, missing information that distracted me; sometimes a lot. There were places where characters just showed up unannounced, did their thing and then just disappeared. They often moved the plot along but their abrupt arrival confused me. Some of the storylines just seemed out of context. I really appreciated the family tree at the back of the paperback edition AND that it was pointed out to me before I started reading. I referred to it often. Maybe it should be at the front of the text? And, as a non-Spanish speaker, I would have loved translations of the Spanish. Even using Google there were phrases that didn't translate and I was left hanging.
This is definitely a 3.5-star book. Maybe even more. It's unequivocally a good read.