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nhelregel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Such a wide, sweeping novel about people, trees, and the interactions between the two. I've been waiting on the e-audiobook to be available through libraries for *years* and it did not disappoint. Super long, but it never dragged and each of the characters fit into the narrative well. I'll definitely be ruminating on it for a while. Overall: very interesting, thought-provoking, and definitely sad (but also somewhat hopeful).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Infidelity, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Sexism, Cancer, and Death of parent
rochellem's review against another edition
I already finished a book even though I really didn’t want to and regretted it this year, so I’m not letting that happen twice. The reasons I’m stopping are the same reasons I rarely read books by straight white (especially American) men. I can live with over-flowery prose and long-windedness, but I can’t overlook multiple instances of feeling disgusted and enraged by Powers’s unnecessary descriptions of male desire. Especially later on in the book, the women are mere accessories to the men, just as in Murakami’s works. One example (which happened to be the breaking point for me):
“She told him once… about her great and youthful loves. Both sexes, no less. That disclosure, plus a feather, could have knocked him out. He’s down with whoever she might want to be. The world depends on so many different species, each a nutty experiment. He just wishes she’d let him into the inner sanctum sometime, trusted confidant, her manservant or something. Wishes she and whoever may be her life’s current answer might let him watch — watch over them, a sentry against the malevolent world.”
“She told him once… about her great and youthful loves. Both sexes, no less. That disclosure, plus a feather, could have knocked him out. He’s down with whoever she might want to be. The world depends on so many different species, each a nutty experiment. He just wishes she’d let him into the inner sanctum sometime, trusted confidant, her manservant or something. Wishes she and whoever may be her life’s current answer might let him watch — watch over them, a sentry against the malevolent world.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
indrabindra's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I'm not sure what I was expecting but this turned out differently. Poetic prose with clearly well researched facts dispersed throughout. I found character dialogue rather clunky, but the plot was captivating. Heavy handed with the mellowdrama to my taste. I don't think this is the "environmental fable" everyone says it is. It's a good story about trees and people, but it is not all-encompassing. Did not appreciate the endings for most of the characters, but I respect that ending a book is tricky.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism and Cancer
emmathetanner's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The novel is slow and has baggage in some places, but is an incredibly important and astoundingly well written novel. It follows multiple narrators through their connection with the natural world. I think people are right to suggest this novel will harken in a new era of environmentally focused fiction
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide and Death
Minor: Sexism
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