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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
There are three novellas making up this book, centered around the High Mountains of Portugal. For the life of me, I cannot tell you why I continued to read this book. It took me about 6 months. I loved The Life of Pi, and heard an interview with Yann Martel. Ironically, the book sat on my shelf until I had a large block of time to savor the writing. It would return to the shelf again and again, until I felt I had the wherewithal to tackle it again.
Novella No. 1, Homeless, is the story of Tomás, who walks backwards after the death of his wife and child. He borrows a car to search for an artifact which would change history. This was tedious reading of pages and pages of description about the car, about driving where there are no roads (early 1900’s), camping in the wilderness. Nevertheless, I persevered, perhaps only because I really enjoyed the writing style and had to see if Tomás was going to come out of this alive (no spoilers, but Tomás is a bit of a klutz even when not walking backward). While trying to make sense of all the imagery and symbolism, I kept rereading sections, thinking somehow I was missing the big picture.
After a hiatus of a few months, I started on Novella No. 2, Homeward. This was nothing if not bizarre. A woman, from the High Mountains of Portugal, brings her husband’s body to a pathologist in order for him to tell her how he lived. His body is full of strange things, and I challenged myself to suspend belief and continue reading, hoping that something would connect. The story ends and, again, the big picture was beyond my comprehension.
So, a few months later, on to Novella No. 3, Home. This also takes place in the High Mountains of Portugal, and connects the three novellas together. This is the story of Peter, a Canadian senator, who adopts an ape after his wife passes away. He and Odo, the ape, move to, you guessed it, the High Mountains of Portugal, where his family roots are.
The beautiful writing does draw you in, makes you think, but there are no answers to what any of it means. After the third story, I thought perhaps happiness is where you find it, and we should live in the moment. Too simplistic, I think. Other reviewers have given faith as the story line, but I didn’t see that. The other is how people deal with grief, as each of the central characters lost someone they loved which sent them on a quest (an artifact, answers, peace).
Perhaps this needs to be read in pieces and discussed with a book club. If anyone has any insight to share, I would love to hear your views!
https://wordpress.com/stats/day/candysplanet.wordpress.com
Novella No. 1, Homeless, is the story of Tomás, who walks backwards after the death of his wife and child. He borrows a car to search for an artifact which would change history. This was tedious reading of pages and pages of description about the car, about driving where there are no roads (early 1900’s), camping in the wilderness. Nevertheless, I persevered, perhaps only because I really enjoyed the writing style and had to see if Tomás was going to come out of this alive (no spoilers, but Tomás is a bit of a klutz even when not walking backward). While trying to make sense of all the imagery and symbolism, I kept rereading sections, thinking somehow I was missing the big picture.
After a hiatus of a few months, I started on Novella No. 2, Homeward. This was nothing if not bizarre. A woman, from the High Mountains of Portugal, brings her husband’s body to a pathologist in order for him to tell her how he lived. His body is full of strange things, and I challenged myself to suspend belief and continue reading, hoping that something would connect. The story ends and, again, the big picture was beyond my comprehension.
So, a few months later, on to Novella No. 3, Home. This also takes place in the High Mountains of Portugal, and connects the three novellas together. This is the story of Peter, a Canadian senator, who adopts an ape after his wife passes away. He and Odo, the ape, move to, you guessed it, the High Mountains of Portugal, where his family roots are.
The beautiful writing does draw you in, makes you think, but there are no answers to what any of it means. After the third story, I thought perhaps happiness is where you find it, and we should live in the moment. Too simplistic, I think. Other reviewers have given faith as the story line, but I didn’t see that. The other is how people deal with grief, as each of the central characters lost someone they loved which sent them on a quest (an artifact, answers, peace).
Perhaps this needs to be read in pieces and discussed with a book club. If anyone has any insight to share, I would love to hear your views!
https://wordpress.com/stats/day/candysplanet.wordpress.com
It was not even a book. It felt more like a hostage situation, where 3 random stories are kidnapped in the middle of the night, forced to stay together against their will, violently stitched with a rope and a glue and pretend to be hight literature. Yann Martel, please Sir, move to High Mountains of Portugal and never write another book.
4.5/5
This book starts off a little slow. The first two stories are interesting, but demanding. However, the book picks up at the third story, which ties together the loose ends of the first two.
The third story is heart-wrenchingly phenomenal.
There are two things to keep in mind when reading this book:
1. Everything is a parable
2. The three stories are connected in their symbolism and interpretation of the mysterious/divine more so than in their plot
If nothing else, this book is worth reading just for the relationship between Peter and Odo.
This book starts off a little slow. The first two stories are interesting, but demanding. However, the book picks up at the third story, which ties together the loose ends of the first two.
The third story is heart-wrenchingly phenomenal.
There are two things to keep in mind when reading this book:
1. Everything is a parable
2. The three stories are connected in their symbolism and interpretation of the mysterious/divine more so than in their plot
If nothing else, this book is worth reading just for the relationship between Peter and Odo.
That was an odd one, but good quarantine reading! The story is told in three parts, the thread connecting them revealed as the story unfolds. I didn’t care much for the second part, but I found the third captivating.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't really know how to review this book. It comes in three parts that tell different but connected stories. I liked the first, didn't like (or didn't really get) the second, and loved the third.
Loneliness comes up to him like a sniffing dog. It circles him insistently. He waves it away, but it refuses to leave him alone.
The High Mountains of Portugal is not really a novel, but rather three interconnected stories. The theme in all three the stories are loss, the grieving process and loneliness. I thought the first story was okay, sometimes absurd and funny and sometimes sad, but it never truly grabbed hold of my heart. I really liked the magical realism in the second story, as well as the interesting and quirky ideas shared by Maria. But the magic in this book lies in the third story - the writing, the characters, their relationship. I absolutely loved everything about it, and wished it was much longer.
Yann Martel is an amazing author, as he writes each story in a different style and it ends up feeling like you've read three different genre's in one book, but all of them written beautifully.
I wasn't sure if this should be 3.5 or 4 stars, but because I so adored the last story I've pushed up my rating. If you enjoy surrealism then this is for you.
There were some moments of real beauty in this narrative. The language spoke to me and lingered with me. However, there were some interminable periods of tedium, such as the descriptions of the automobile, the decomposing human body, the autopsy.
Overall, I am glad I read the story but also glad that it is over.
Overall, I am glad I read the story but also glad that it is over.
This book was super confusing and boring at the beginning, yet still intrigued me to finish.