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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
There’s nothing I can point to that I disliked about this book, but it never really gripped me, either. I love the way Kingsolver writes about nature and enjoyed each section on its own merits, but there’s not a particularly strong or cohesive narrative. Even though the 3 main storylines are tangentially connected, they feel self-contained. I was hoping we would see more connection between the characters by the end, but, just as the threads are coming together, the book ends as abruptly as the changing of the seasons. An intentional move, I’m sure, but not a satisfying one.
It turns out I have read most of Kingsolver's novels, starting back in the 1990s, but somehow I had missed this one. It's excellent. There are two things I particularly like about her stories: Her characters have a lot of interesting thoughts and make sometimes startling associations in their minds. In the course of the story, each of the main characters grows a lot.
Nature and the natural balance of plants and animals (and insects!) play a big role in this book. One character is up on a mountain, in the forest. Three others live at the base of the mountain, where most people make a living from farming. (If you don't know anything about life on a small family farm, you'll learn some new things here.) All these people are very different from me, but I enjoyed spending time with them and absorbing their lives and their routines. I really liked the process of Lusa (not a farmer) slowly finding out how to fit in with her husband's farming family. She has made a lot of assumptions about what they think about her, and slowly she comes to see that on many counts, she was mistaken.
It's a good story. By moving among the three storylines (Deanna, Lusa, and Garnett), Kingsolver binds us to the land and the processes of growth and decline. I liked the pacing and the ending, even though it does not neatly wrap up all these lives. The people and the mountain will go on living after we leave them.
Nature and the natural balance of plants and animals (and insects!) play a big role in this book. One character is up on a mountain, in the forest. Three others live at the base of the mountain, where most people make a living from farming. (If you don't know anything about life on a small family farm, you'll learn some new things here.) All these people are very different from me, but I enjoyed spending time with them and absorbing their lives and their routines. I really liked the process of Lusa (not a farmer) slowly finding out how to fit in with her husband's farming family. She has made a lot of assumptions about what they think about her, and slowly she comes to see that on many counts, she was mistaken.
It's a good story. By moving among the three storylines (Deanna, Lusa, and Garnett), Kingsolver binds us to the land and the processes of growth and decline. I liked the pacing and the ending, even though it does not neatly wrap up all these lives. The people and the mountain will go on living after we leave them.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A lovely early book by Kingsolver that focuses on the Appalachian forests.
Three threads:
1. A forest ranger interested in preserving the apex predators of the forest. When she meets and falls for a bounty hunter, she is forced to sort out where here loyalties lie.
2. A 28-year-old entomologist who, when her husband dies, she has to sort out a direction for her life.
3. An old conservative codger who is interested in resurrecting the American Chestnut, but has to sort out what role organic farming plays in his quest.
A charming and poetic exploration of human's role in the natural world.
Three threads:
1. A forest ranger interested in preserving the apex predators of the forest. When she meets and falls for a bounty hunter, she is forced to sort out where here loyalties lie.
2. A 28-year-old entomologist who, when her husband dies, she has to sort out a direction for her life.
3. An old conservative codger who is interested in resurrecting the American Chestnut, but has to sort out what role organic farming plays in his quest.
A charming and poetic exploration of human's role in the natural world.
Given to me by my dear mama, it is my number one recommended book of all time
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was okay. I would not choose to read it again or recommend it.
Barabara Kingsolver did a good job with the writing and characters. She can make minor characters have a lot of personality. However, in this particular book not a lot happens and her environmental message really gets tedious.
Barabara Kingsolver did a good job with the writing and characters. She can make minor characters have a lot of personality. However, in this particular book not a lot happens and her environmental message really gets tedious.
didn't like it... didn't finish... not going to. At least not now.
I found this novel true to its title. At first it was difficult for me to become involved in the characters because the personification of the setting felt too prodigal but then the story and the characters' development rapidly became engrossing. I loved the segmenting of the story focused on three people's lives and also the subtle ways in which the connections between these stories developed. I found Barbara Kingsolver's attention to biology, ecology, and various ways of relating to the environment to be very moving and als overy informative. Finally, I almost can't think of a more satisfying conclusion to a novel. This is a great read.
I LOVED this book! I love Kingsolver's characters, and related so much to the women in this book. I enjoyed the natural history information and emphasis on the damages of pesticides and herbicides and the value in appreciating nature.