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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
A warm story! Three stories connected in nice ways. Glad it could join us.
Normally three stars for me is still a good rating (it's a good book) but I upped it to four for all the flack it's getting.
Normally three stars for me is still a good rating (it's a good book) but I upped it to four for all the flack it's getting.
Este libro es un libro un tanto desconcertante en el sentido de las tres historias que contiene. Las tres historias están relacionadas entre sí, pero hay trozos de cada historia que se hacen pesadas de leer sobre todo la segunda parte. De las tres historias la ultima es la que me ha gustado más.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I read Life of Pi years ago and to be honest thought this would be in a similar vein. How wrong I was. For a start, these three loosely linked stories are baffling, the allegory and metaphors wrapped up in a bizzare way. At the start, I really didn't get this book but preserved, hoping it would get better. By part two, I was intrigued and by part 3 I was enthralled, the writing far more reminiscent of Life of Pi as the three stories started to come together and things fell into place. It is only on reflection that I've realised that I liked this book and the more I think about it the better it becomes. Ultimately, it boils down to grief and faith, two key themes that are perfectly nuanced and yet completely prescient in this novel. I loved the ending - once you get the metaphor, you'll know.
Oof. This book was weird AF. I feel like he was trying to do a magical realism/Isabel Allende thing but just failed completely. Would not recommend.
I listened to this, and I think I really liked it, but I have no idea what it was about. I could tell you literally what is was about, but beyond that I would just be guessing. The nature of grief definitely. What it is to be human?
The novel is made up of 3 sections. Each section is set in a different time period and with different characters, although the high mountains of the title figure in all three. In the first section set during the early 1900s, a grief-stricken man drives an automobile into the "high mountains" in search of a crucifix. In the second section a grief-stricken pathologist performs an autopsy on a man in order to discover "how he lived" and makes some unusual discoveries. In the third section a grief-stricken Canadian senator adopts a pet and moves to Portugal.
I would recommend having a print copy handy to cross reference characters and places.
The novel is made up of 3 sections. Each section is set in a different time period and with different characters, although the high mountains of the title figure in all three. In the first section set during the early 1900s, a grief-stricken man drives an automobile into the "high mountains" in search of a crucifix. In the second section a grief-stricken pathologist performs an autopsy on a man in order to discover "how he lived" and makes some unusual discoveries. In the third section a grief-stricken Canadian senator adopts a pet and moves to Portugal.
I would recommend having a print copy handy to cross reference characters and places.
Three episodes, thee lives, three times the High Mountains of Portugal. In his latest novel, Yann Martel escapes to the Portuguese mountains where a life as a recluse still is possible. The first chapter, “Homeless”, is set at the beginning of the 20th century and narrates Tomás’ quest for a crucifix mentioned in an old book. The second chapter, “Homeward”, leads us to Braganca in the late 1930s and Dr Lozora’s morgue where he established curious philosophical and religious theories. In “Home” finally, a Canadian politician of Portuguese origin returns to his native country accompanied by an ape.
It is rare that a book manages to combine humour with philosophy, love and death, Christianity and Agatha Christie and can entertain and challenge you at the same time. While reading, I went from great fun in the first episode (after the rather sad introduction) where we are sent back to the time when cars were new and people wondered about the strange animal. Martel could have been witness at the time; at least his account of how villagers react seems to be very authentic. What I appreciated most was the philosophy of Dr Lozora and his comparisons of crime novels and the bible. This actually shed a completely new light on the holy book and left me thinking for a while. It is rare that the love between two beings as represented in a novel can really drag me in. Yet, in the last part of this book you can hardly miss the connection between Peter and Odo which seems to be much stronger than anyone can imagine. While reading you could really feel the glow inside which bonds the two and leaves you with happiness, too.
All in all, if you are ready to go on a journey full of surprises and deep emotion of different kinds, take up Yann Martel’s novel.
It is rare that a book manages to combine humour with philosophy, love and death, Christianity and Agatha Christie and can entertain and challenge you at the same time. While reading, I went from great fun in the first episode (after the rather sad introduction) where we are sent back to the time when cars were new and people wondered about the strange animal. Martel could have been witness at the time; at least his account of how villagers react seems to be very authentic. What I appreciated most was the philosophy of Dr Lozora and his comparisons of crime novels and the bible. This actually shed a completely new light on the holy book and left me thinking for a while. It is rare that the love between two beings as represented in a novel can really drag me in. Yet, in the last part of this book you can hardly miss the connection between Peter and Odo which seems to be much stronger than anyone can imagine. While reading you could really feel the glow inside which bonds the two and leaves you with happiness, too.
All in all, if you are ready to go on a journey full of surprises and deep emotion of different kinds, take up Yann Martel’s novel.
Check out pageofnoreturn.wordpress.com for more reviews. This review was completed after reading 76 pages of The High Mountains of Portugal.
The Reason for the Reaping: Yann Martel wrote Life of Pi, so, you know, this has promise.
As I Lay Summarizing: Tomás is grief-stricken in Lisbon the year 1906. His uncle lends him the weird-ass contraption that is an automobile, and Tomás heads to the High Mountains of Portugal in pursuit of...something. :)
The Line That Killed Me: "Does it not make more sense to face the elements--the wind, the rain, the sun, the onslaught of insects, the glumness of strangers, the uncertainty of the future--with the shield that is the back of one's head, the back of one's jacket, the seat of one's pants?" (9). Death by backward clarity.
Best Character: Martim
Why [As] You Like It: Tomás and his interactions with this car are comic and wonderful. Martel captures the wonder and foreignness of the carriage without horses to great effect. Plus, he makes Portugal sound like a beautiful and scenic place. Someone's done their homework concerning Portugal in 1900 (not me).
Why I’m Gone, Girl: Yann's current obsession is lists that are lines and lines (and lines) long. Nouns, nouns everywhere. It's happened so much that a) it's annoying, and b) I straight-up skip over them because my eyes glaze over anyway. This may be a small misgiving, but these lists seem to be the thing that is supposed to spice up the prose. And it's not working.
Last Line, Last Chance: “… rocking to and fro and side to side, hold on to the edge of the….”
Will I turn the page, or toss it into Mount Doom? I don't know. Boring is the wrong word to describe this novel. But, really, it kind of is. There's no promise, and someone like Yann Martel has a lot (see above). With a sigh, I'll set it down.
The Reason for the Reaping: Yann Martel wrote Life of Pi, so, you know, this has promise.
As I Lay Summarizing: Tomás is grief-stricken in Lisbon the year 1906. His uncle lends him the weird-ass contraption that is an automobile, and Tomás heads to the High Mountains of Portugal in pursuit of...something. :)
The Line That Killed Me: "Does it not make more sense to face the elements--the wind, the rain, the sun, the onslaught of insects, the glumness of strangers, the uncertainty of the future--with the shield that is the back of one's head, the back of one's jacket, the seat of one's pants?" (9). Death by backward clarity.
Best Character: Martim
Why [As] You Like It: Tomás and his interactions with this car are comic and wonderful. Martel captures the wonder and foreignness of the carriage without horses to great effect. Plus, he makes Portugal sound like a beautiful and scenic place. Someone's done their homework concerning Portugal in 1900 (not me).
Why I’m Gone, Girl: Yann's current obsession is lists that are lines and lines (and lines) long. Nouns, nouns everywhere. It's happened so much that a) it's annoying, and b) I straight-up skip over them because my eyes glaze over anyway. This may be a small misgiving, but these lists seem to be the thing that is supposed to spice up the prose. And it's not working.
Last Line, Last Chance: “… rocking to and fro and side to side, hold on to the edge of the….”
Will I turn the page, or toss it into Mount Doom? I don't know. Boring is the wrong word to describe this novel. But, really, it kind of is. There's no promise, and someone like Yann Martel has a lot (see above). With a sigh, I'll set it down.
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A