Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bit of an oddity. Essentially a collection of shaggy dog stories held together by a central plot in the Texas Panhandle. In many ways it comes across as very homespun, lots of good ol' boys etc. but then every so often something a bit more disturbing is recounted - the KKK, incest, mass shootings to name a few. Annie Proulx's writing is always entertaining though, so despite the limitations of it's premise it's still well worth reading.
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Clever rich prose that places you in the heart of the Texas panhandle. The story never quite lives up to the writing but it’s a fun read anyway.
A flatland tale. Perfect - slow to start (ambling), multi-threaded, Ace doesn't even show up until after page 100. But it gets better and better and ends fantastic. Hope for the great plains and fore people. A great tale that captures the panhandle(s).
Thanks for the recommendation, Carrie & Mom!
Thanks for the recommendation, Carrie & Mom!
A little slow to start, but by the end I was enjoying all of the different characters and how their lives interwove so much, I didn’t want it to end!
adventurous
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
De Nederlandse versie is 'vertaald uit het Amerikaans'. Raar. Maar los daarvan leutert Proulx veel onnodig om dingen heen en worden irrelevante zijpaadjes ingeslagen omdat... Ja waarom eigenlijk? Omdat Proulx wil laten zien dat ze het goed heeft uitgezocht? Het zorgt in ieder geval voor ongeduld aan mijn kant. Verder voelt zo'n heel erg Amerikaans boek (want dat is het wel) in het Nederlands toch heel gekunsteld. Dieren en planten die in -vermoedelijk- gewone Engelse (Amerikaanse?) namen worden benoemd in het boek, zijn in de vertaling totaal onbekend en klinken gekunsteld. Kortom: sowieso al geen boek voor mij en zeker niet in vertaling. Na een pagina of 50 heb ik het alsnog opgegeven. Zonde van mijn tijd.
slow-paced
I've read a few of Annie Proulx's books and I was looking forward to this. However, it took me ages to get into the book. When I got to halfway and it still wasn't interesting to me, I nearly gave up. Then I checked Goodreads to see what others had said about the book, i.e. was it worth finishing? With mostly very positive reviews, I decided to keep going. The reviews were right. The second half was more interesting and I'm glad I persevered. Would I read it again? No.
A rambling tour around the Texas panhandle at the turn of the century. Filled with colourful characters and landscapes, it reads like a travelogue rather than a novel. The plot is as hard to find as a waterin' hole, but enjoyable nonetheless.