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chatongriffes's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely breathtaking. I switched between the printed book and the audiobook about a third of the way and while I loved them both, the audiobook in particular just soared with all the mundane, transcendent details of daily life.
100% worth the 45 hours.
100% worth the 45 hours.
nicoleaffleck's review against another edition
5.0
The fact that my thoughts on motherhood have never been so neatly reflected as through the point of view of a mountain lioness on the first pages of the masterpiece, the fact that I’ve never known a narrator as well as I know this one, the fact that what is her name after all, the fact that I’ll miss this book, its coziness, its expansiveness, tartes tartin, Jim, the fact that Lucy Ellman has accomplished the impossible in putting to words the harried, frenetic state of our inner and outer worlds with such grace, with such honesty, I just wish I could thank her.
hlhindin's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very special book. Getting into it and finding a rhythm was laborious for the first 200 pages, but pressing on was tremendously rewarding. I highly recommend this treasure. Don’t get too stuck on understanding and absorbing everything; much like the thoughts that run through your head, they can’t be too tightly held, nor are they meant to be.
Hang in there - you’ll be glad you did!
Also, don’t miss the glossary in the back. It took me awhile to see it.
Hang in there - you’ll be glad you did!
Also, don’t miss the glossary in the back. It took me awhile to see it.
joshniesse's review against another edition
4.0
Ducks, Newburyport is a stunning & brutal portrait of American social dysfunction as told through an exhaustive catalogue of an Ohio mother‘s endless anxieties alternating with the story of a mountain lioness caring for her new pups in an America hostile to wilderness. At times challenging, & alternately profound & mundane, I‘ve never read anything quite like it. Ellman‘s ambitious new book is either insane or brilliant or maybe both.
adamcarrico91's review against another edition
5.0
Masterpiece. The most human novel imaginable. Just an amazing work of art.
I deliberately took my time reading this one and cherished every moment. I almost never wanted it to end. I can easily see myself cracking it open to a random page over time just to transport myself back into the mind of the narrator. It’s “stream of consciousness,” but in a way that’s different than normal. It’s a daunting book on the surface, but in reality is very accesible. I just loved the experience and how tangible it felt. There are many books that attempt to capture empathy, but none showcase the thoughts of an American so fully as this book.
I deliberately took my time reading this one and cherished every moment. I almost never wanted it to end. I can easily see myself cracking it open to a random page over time just to transport myself back into the mind of the narrator. It’s “stream of consciousness,” but in a way that’s different than normal. It’s a daunting book on the surface, but in reality is very accesible. I just loved the experience and how tangible it felt. There are many books that attempt to capture empathy, but none showcase the thoughts of an American so fully as this book.
audreykerr's review against another edition
2.0
Would I have enjoyed this more if I had hardcoverly read it vs listening to it?
Who knows. Maybe I would have enjoyed it less. Maybe I would have quit.
I definitely would have skimmed and skipped!
Ask me to write a book report on what this was about? Forget about it.
This book could have been at least a quarter of the size and it would not have suffered for it and made its point with the experimental style of writing. I did enjoy some of this book....but then there was just a lot of rubbish stuffed in between all the bits I enjoyed. It was roller-coaster of good and eye-roll inducing bad. I found a correlation between what I was doing when listening and my mood when was listening. I enjoyed the book more when I was in the kitchen, both cooking and cleaning. I sometimes enjoyed it on a long walk. I did not like it when sitting down to listen to it. All of this meaning nothing of course, just an observation - a sentence which can fit in after most utterances in the book.
I feel that a big chunk of this book could have been written by creating a twitter-bot based on a midwestern American remarried divorcée who likes baking and doesn't like Trump.
Who knows. Maybe I would have enjoyed it less. Maybe I would have quit.
I definitely would have skimmed and skipped!
Ask me to write a book report on what this was about? Forget about it.
This book could have been at least a quarter of the size and it would not have suffered for it and made its point with the experimental style of writing. I did enjoy some of this book....but then there was just a lot of rubbish stuffed in between all the bits I enjoyed. It was roller-coaster of good and eye-roll inducing bad. I found a correlation between what I was doing when listening and my mood when was listening. I enjoyed the book more when I was in the kitchen, both cooking and cleaning. I sometimes enjoyed it on a long walk. I did not like it when sitting down to listen to it. All of this meaning nothing of course, just an observation - a sentence which can fit in after most utterances in the book.
I feel that a big chunk of this book could have been written by creating a twitter-bot based on a midwestern American remarried divorcée who likes baking and doesn't like Trump.
mgneuff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0