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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
There is something absolutely captivating in Martels books that I can't stop reading and rereading them. I love how style and tone are changing throughout the book and Martel does not shy away from shocking you.
4.5 stars
I wish I could say that I had a good literary reason for picking up this book. The truth is I noticed the title (my parents are from Portugal) and then I noticed the author (I loved [book: Life of Pi]), and that was that as far as my reasons for purchasing it went.
So it's funny that it turned out to be an exploration of love and grief. The blurb didn't give much away, other than mentioning that a heartbroken man is thrown backwards, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an odd book, one that I'm sure many people would be bored by or wouldn't enjoy, but that I loved. I think we find what we're searching for (even if we don't actually know what we're searching for) so finding this book was well-timed for me.
While I was reading it, my husband asked me how I was enjoying the book. I said, “It’s very cerebral.” Because that's what it is: it's a book written to make you think. It's not an easy read (in the sense that everything is clear). The book I read before this was a prime example of 'showing and not telling', and in places, Martel does the opposite and definitely tells instead of shows. However, you can never really take any of the telling at face value because little details add up to the big picture.
The book is split into three parts: Homeless, Homeward and Home. At the outset, it's not entirely clear how the stories are connected. One of the book club questions in my copy is: "Is this a novel or a collection of novellas?" and my answer would be "both". Each part is equally thought-provoking and yet the golden thread between them is what brings it all together and makes it coherent.
It occurs to me as I'm writing this review that it may also be an exploration of religion itself. And how, to put it crudely, "the man becomes the legend" simply by being a part of other people's lives in some big or small way.
The imagery (like much of Life of Pi) is strong, and you will definitely not enjoy it if you want to read a book literally. But it's perfect if you're in the mood for something pensive and, well, a bit strange.
Here is my detailed review (hidden for potential spoilers):
There are a few themes/symbols that are common to all three parts of the book:
- The idea of home: "Esta é a minha casa. This is my home."
- Driving as a way to escape grief (Parts 1 and 2)
- Parasites
- The importance of the chimpanzee
- The mystery and lore surrounding the Iberian rhinoceros
- Grief (all three men have lost a lover/wife)
- Love for a son
- The village of Tuizelo, and the High Mountains of Portugal
Part 1: Homeless
Tomás has lost his lover, his son and his beloved father. He's also found a mysterious journal, which mentions a strange artefact from the Portuguese colony of São Tomé. His uncle, exasperated by the odd way in which his nephew is coping with his grief, loans him an automobile. So begins his journey to the High Mountains of Portugal.
This is 1904 so cars are not common methods of transportation. Some reviewers found the endless descriptions about the functioning and maintenance of the car tedious. However, I think it's a brilliant analogy for grief: the difficulty of it all, the neediness, and the strain of revving up one's engine when grieving. It's a chore to oil all of the parts and crank the starting handle day in and day out. But it's also necessary just to keep moving forward. Not to mention the strain of actually moving forward...
When he finds the artefact, expect to be confused and bewildered. It's pretty damn odd. However, even before he gets there, something happens that will cause a ripple through time.
Part 2: Homeward
At the beginning of this short chapter, I found myself having read a page or two but not really absorbing what I’d just read. However, by the time I figured out how the characters were connected to Part 1, I paid a bit more attention. I’ve been turning this chapter over-and-over in my head for a couple of days now. It’s obvious that it’s meant to be allegorical, but my head wants to rationalize what I read. It’s not possible to rationalize it though, so the allegory remains: we carry everything we love and cherish with us and within us. Grief not does expel the little things, the little moments; it merely makes these things take root inside us.
I think this part of the book will need to be re-read at some point. I’m hoping that by knowing the details of the “ending”, I’ll be able to pick up clues about how to read it as I’m reading it. I do think the first reading means that much of the detail goes over your head.
Part 3: Home
This part starts out as a more familiar story than Parts 1 and 2. Probably because it's set in contemporary time and because Peter is a pretty normal guy. In the midst of his grief (his beloved wife has died), he meets and adopts a chimpanzee. As you do. He decides to move himself and Odo to his ancestral home in - you guessed it - the High Mountains of Portugal.
I loved this part of the novel because I do love a neatly-tied bow. All of the strangeness suddenly makes sense and has a purpose. To my earlier point about the ability to read this book as an exploration of religion: I do wonder now if Parts 1 and 2 should be read from a modern point of view - the same way that we read the Bible and don't necessarily take every single word literally (well, at least I don't). This particularly applies to Part 2, which I've mentioned is impossible to rationalize.
Also, it's the part of the book that addresses the elephant (ape) in the room: the relevance and importance of the chimpanzee and the Iberian rhinoceros (which is basically the rhino version of the woolly mammoth). It's definitely not clear why the chimp is so important in Parts 1 and 2, but in Part 3, Peter talks about Odo's ability to just be:
All three men (Tomás, Eusebio, Peter) have loved and lost. And all three are lost. Odo is a foil to this constant introspection and memorializing. He is the epitome of living for the moment.
This the first real-life (print) book I've read in ages, as I usually read on my Kindle. I always end up giving my books to other people to read (I'm generous that way) so I regret that I didn't read it on Kindle instead. Reason being that I found myself using Post-its to mark pages or passages I liked or that resonated with me. I think I would have preferred to be able to highlight passages and make my own notes. I think that everyone will find something different in this book and I don't love the idea that what I've marked will colour another person's interpretation of the book.
I wish I could say that I had a good literary reason for picking up this book. The truth is I noticed the title (my parents are from Portugal) and then I noticed the author (I loved [book: Life of Pi]), and that was that as far as my reasons for purchasing it went.
So it's funny that it turned out to be an exploration of love and grief. The blurb didn't give much away, other than mentioning that a heartbroken man is thrown backwards, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an odd book, one that I'm sure many people would be bored by or wouldn't enjoy, but that I loved. I think we find what we're searching for (even if we don't actually know what we're searching for) so finding this book was well-timed for me.
While I was reading it, my husband asked me how I was enjoying the book. I said, “It’s very cerebral.” Because that's what it is: it's a book written to make you think. It's not an easy read (in the sense that everything is clear). The book I read before this was a prime example of 'showing and not telling', and in places, Martel does the opposite and definitely tells instead of shows. However, you can never really take any of the telling at face value because little details add up to the big picture.
The book is split into three parts: Homeless, Homeward and Home. At the outset, it's not entirely clear how the stories are connected. One of the book club questions in my copy is: "Is this a novel or a collection of novellas?" and my answer would be "both". Each part is equally thought-provoking and yet the golden thread between them is what brings it all together and makes it coherent.
It occurs to me as I'm writing this review that it may also be an exploration of religion itself. And how, to put it crudely, "the man becomes the legend" simply by being a part of other people's lives in some big or small way.
The imagery (like much of Life of Pi) is strong, and you will definitely not enjoy it if you want to read a book literally. But it's perfect if you're in the mood for something pensive and, well, a bit strange.
Here is my detailed review (hidden for potential spoilers):
Spoiler
There are a few themes/symbols that are common to all three parts of the book:
- The idea of home: "Esta é a minha casa. This is my home."
- Driving as a way to escape grief (Parts 1 and 2)
- Parasites
- The importance of the chimpanzee
- The mystery and lore surrounding the Iberian rhinoceros
- Grief (all three men have lost a lover/wife)
- Love for a son
- The village of Tuizelo, and the High Mountains of Portugal
Part 1: Homeless
Tomás has lost his lover, his son and his beloved father. He's also found a mysterious journal, which mentions a strange artefact from the Portuguese colony of São Tomé. His uncle, exasperated by the odd way in which his nephew is coping with his grief, loans him an automobile. So begins his journey to the High Mountains of Portugal.
This is 1904 so cars are not common methods of transportation. Some reviewers found the endless descriptions about the functioning and maintenance of the car tedious. However, I think it's a brilliant analogy for grief: the difficulty of it all, the neediness, and the strain of revving up one's engine when grieving. It's a chore to oil all of the parts and crank the starting handle day in and day out. But it's also necessary just to keep moving forward. Not to mention the strain of actually moving forward...
“The vehicle is now in the centre of the road and moving ahead. To avoid the ditch on either side, he has to hold his ship to a single fixed course: the narrow, shrunken horizon dead ahead. Maintaining a straight line towards that bottomless dot is exhausting. The machine constantly wants to veer off course, and there are bumps and holes in the road.” (pp. 50-51)
When he finds the artefact, expect to be confused and bewildered. It's pretty damn odd. However, even before he gets there, something happens that will cause a ripple through time.
Part 2: Homeward
At the beginning of this short chapter, I found myself having read a page or two but not really absorbing what I’d just read. However, by the time I figured out how the characters were connected to Part 1, I paid a bit more attention. I’ve been turning this chapter over-and-over in my head for a couple of days now. It’s obvious that it’s meant to be allegorical, but my head wants to rationalize what I read. It’s not possible to rationalize it though, so the allegory remains: we carry everything we love and cherish with us and within us. Grief not does expel the little things, the little moments; it merely makes these things take root inside us.
I think this part of the book will need to be re-read at some point. I’m hoping that by knowing the details of the “ending”, I’ll be able to pick up clues about how to read it as I’m reading it. I do think the first reading means that much of the detail goes over your head.
Part 3: Home
This part starts out as a more familiar story than Parts 1 and 2. Probably because it's set in contemporary time and because Peter is a pretty normal guy. In the midst of his grief (his beloved wife has died), he meets and adopts a chimpanzee. As you do. He decides to move himself and Odo to his ancestral home in - you guessed it - the High Mountains of Portugal.
I loved this part of the novel because I do love a neatly-tied bow. All of the strangeness suddenly makes sense and has a purpose. To my earlier point about the ability to read this book as an exploration of religion: I do wonder now if Parts 1 and 2 should be read from a modern point of view - the same way that we read the Bible and don't necessarily take every single word literally (well, at least I don't). This particularly applies to Part 2, which I've mentioned is impossible to rationalize.
Also, it's the part of the book that addresses the elephant (ape) in the room: the relevance and importance of the chimpanzee and the Iberian rhinoceros (which is basically the rhino version of the woolly mammoth). It's definitely not clear why the chimp is so important in Parts 1 and 2, but in Part 3, Peter talks about Odo's ability to just be:
"The animals live in a sort of emotional amnesia centred in the present moment."
All three men (Tomás, Eusebio, Peter) have loved and lost. And all three are lost. Odo is a foil to this constant introspection and memorializing. He is the epitome of living for the moment.
This the first real-life (print) book I've read in ages, as I usually read on my Kindle. I always end up giving my books to other people to read (I'm generous that way) so I regret that I didn't read it on Kindle instead. Reason being that I found myself using Post-its to mark pages or passages I liked or that resonated with me. I think I would have preferred to be able to highlight passages and make my own notes. I think that everyone will find something different in this book and I don't love the idea that what I've marked will colour another person's interpretation of the book.
A novel with much to say, laying out each word carefully, but somehow with the inability to speak it.
3.5 stars for The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
My father read this book first and then told me that I should read it. He liked it very much, and I tend to like the few books he recommends me. However, I was a bit disappointed.
I am not a big fan of books narrated in the present tense, especially when the time is clearly set. In The High Mountains of Portugal, we follow three men across three distinct years: 1904, 1939 and 1981. The three parts are also very distinct, it is almost as if there were three stories in one book, but they are all related in a certain way.
If the book starts slowly, it is necessary. The first part is crucial to the rest of the story. Overall, the book is touching and has very interesting metaphors about life, love and loss. It was a good read, even if the ending is a bit disappointing and sudden.
My favourite part was the second part, set in 1939. Yes, it is the strangest bit of the book, but also the one that is more metaphorical. The love stories are beautiful and there are great thoughts about religion.
Also, I never though about how it was for people to see a car for the first time before reading this book.
My father read this book first and then told me that I should read it. He liked it very much, and I tend to like the few books he recommends me. However, I was a bit disappointed.
I am not a big fan of books narrated in the present tense, especially when the time is clearly set. In The High Mountains of Portugal, we follow three men across three distinct years: 1904, 1939 and 1981. The three parts are also very distinct, it is almost as if there were three stories in one book, but they are all related in a certain way.
If the book starts slowly, it is necessary. The first part is crucial to the rest of the story. Overall, the book is touching and has very interesting metaphors about life, love and loss. It was a good read, even if the ending is a bit disappointing and sudden.
My favourite part was the second part, set in 1939. Yes, it is the strangest bit of the book, but also the one that is more metaphorical. The love stories are beautiful and there are great thoughts about religion.
Also, I never though about how it was for people to see a car for the first time before reading this book.
Surprisingly better than I expected. The story is told in three parts, seemingly separate (but are they?)
It really did had its problems - much of the story(ies) stretched and stretched without getting to the “point”, but it wrapped up great and the writing was beautiful.
Loved the magical realism elements in it!
It really did had its problems - much of the story(ies) stretched and stretched without getting to the “point”, but it wrapped up great and the writing was beautiful.
Loved the magical realism elements in it!
This book was soooooooooo boring. I don't even know how I forced myself to get through it... I did really enjoy the last part, but the rest of it was not very interesting.
I enjoyed the second and third stories better than the first, but the first story, and the consequences of Tomas actions, was the reason that the other two happened. Interesting how the stories were woven together. The characters were varied and interesting. I listened to part and then finished with the book.
A book with many layers but one that didn't always engage me. A nice exploration of grief, but I should have been compelled to feel more for the characters.
It's....unusual, and slow to start but I ended up really liking it.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Weird book. Martel’s writing is genius, but I just couldn’t get into the story or characters.