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vampireph4ze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
it is a wonderful epic spanning generations, spanning a multitude of people, all who discover - either early or late in life - that trees are nothing short of all-powerful entities that cover the earth. almost every time i read it something brought tears to my eyes, an overwhelming sensation that this book held answers to questions i never even dreamed of, that even in the midst of all this chaos brought on by human greed, the earth will inevitably reclaim it all.
by all means, The Overstory is not a perfect book, but it made me feel something unlike anything i've ever felt before, something akin to what i believe is a spiritual awakening. i felt shivers run down my spine as a i read words that told me of our history, of humans' tiny little split-second mark on the universe, of the life within trees and the miracles that they perform that may not be miracles to them anymore. it changed me, made me feel like the thing i did not know i was searching for has been right in front of me the entire time. the two silver maples in front of my childhood home, the giant sycamore in the neighbor's backyard, the willow tree down the road, the Southern magnolia across the street, the pine tree in front of my sophomore college dorm, the first chestnut i ever saw, a thousand miles across the sea. there is every reason to give up hope, to argue that anything we do will have no impact on the future, to fall victim to nihilism and dread - but there is also every reason to keep on living, to wake up every day with the thought that things can and will improve, to look at everything around us and fall in love with every person, plant, animal, everything built by our hands and everything built by the earth's, and choose to do something that may only ever be remembered by the ground we stand on.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
auntted's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Infertility
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Dementia, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
pedanther's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Terminal illness, Infertility, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Dementia, Misogyny, Racism, Ableism, and Bullying
Minor: Drug use, Colonisation, Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Child death
gkgkgk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Infidelity
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Confinement, Excrement, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization
keegan_leech's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I think some readers might find it at times too saccharine, or—depending on how closely you agree with the novel's assessment of humanity's prospects—either overly bleak or wildly optimistic. But whatever you think of it, it's a book to provoke and change you. I certainly think about it constantly, and for that alone I'd recommend it to everyone.
The characters, prose, and structure of the novel are all good enough that it manages to walk the knife's edge of being a book I'd recommend to everyone, but there's no doubt that they are supports for the themes and content of the novel more than selling points in themselves.
I'd recommend it, even if all my criticisms sound off-putting. If you think there's any part of you that would like to marvel at trees and growing things, or wonder at the connections between living things, then please read this book.
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Police brutality
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and War
Minor: Terminal illness and Confinement
prettyfunctional's review
5.0
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Death of parent, Confinement, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident and Sexual content
lenoradavis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Terminal illness
elspeth56's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Minor: Death, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Ableism
frances__jo's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Suicide, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death
emmathetanner's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide and Death
Minor: Sexism