Reviews

Palmares by Gayl Jones

bookslayer's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

ncherone's review

😐

narpus's review

4.0

Aside from the controversy over this book, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about Palmares! It dragged a bit in the middle but the ending was a great conclusion to a very Toni Morrison-esc novel

medievaljuliana's review against another edition

Wondering if any editing or revisions went into this since clearly no research did or attention to Brazilian history, language, and culture did.

branwynnemay's review

I was confused at the Spanish used in a Brazilian setting, and looked up an explanation. The author didn’t care to research even a somewhat accurate language, the culture, or really anything about her setting for the story. I wasn’t gripped, and now I don’t care to continue.

samyag's review

1.0

If this had been a story of slavery in a mythical land it could have been really good. Instead it’s a story of American slavery dropped into a version of Brazil that’s presented as a mythical land with no real history and culture. The author admits to doing little to no research about Brazilian history. Multiple reviews by Brazilians state she uses Spanish words instead of Portuguese and that the “representation” is disrespectful at best.

It definitely doesn’t deserve its spot as a Pulitzer finalist but let’s be real, the publishing industry is a money grab and Jones is well established as a “master”, so I’m not really surprised.

But honestly though, how can we see an author admit to writing historical fiction without any research into the topic and continue to call her a master writer? She and her team should be so embarrassed.

ckzinger's review

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

willtherebesnacks's review against another edition

I’m going to try reading the book instead of listening to the audiobook. I really didn’t like how whiny the person made the narrator sound!

cuartolimon's review against another edition

I kept getting lost, I felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. I do like and am very familiar with magical realism however this book was rather chaotic. I’ll give it another chance later on.

bookobsessedmommy's review against another edition

Couldn't get into it. Storytelling is too disjointed.