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jmcook's review against another edition
challenging
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
chelsea21's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
grayjay's review against another edition
4.0
Ducks, Newburyport is an experimental novel taking the form of mostly one, long, list sentence, many beginning with the phrase “that fact that”. Ellman's style approximates the stream-of-consciousness of an unnamed woman living in Ohio as she goes about her day. Through the references she makes, the word plays and associations, the open carry guys, the school shootings, Julie & Julia, hating the Aurora Borealis, Uranus' ocean of diamonds, the Wetsueten, fake news, and old movies, the reader is able to build a picture of this woman, and by extension, the cultural moment she lives in.
It is the kind of novel that walks a very fine line between tediousness and masterpiece. I enjoyed the challenge, but I found it difficult to take in more than twenty-page chunks. Perhaps it is just a tedious masterpiece. It maybe depends on the reader. At over 1000 pages of one sentence, it takes devotion to get through.
There is a pay off however—all though it doesn't seem like it at first, there is a plot evolving slowly through the glimpses of this woman's day, it it builds satisfyingly to a climax and resolution.
It is the kind of novel that walks a very fine line between tediousness and masterpiece. I enjoyed the challenge, but I found it difficult to take in more than twenty-page chunks. Perhaps it is just a tedious masterpiece. It maybe depends on the reader. At over 1000 pages of one sentence, it takes devotion to get through.
There is a pay off however—all though it doesn't seem like it at first, there is a plot evolving slowly through the glimpses of this woman's day, it it builds satisfyingly to a climax and resolution.
amydotreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
4.0
took me a million years but i'm done. award bait for sure but some parts were good.
lsparrow's review against another edition
1.0
this shelf is one of the smallest - I hardly ever give up on a book. I could not handle the stream of words that feel more whiney than insightful. I cannot believe how long it is - I hope she was paid by the word but that is the only possible justification for the length.
abbie_bryant's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Sometimes I felt like the narrator and I were kindred spirits and I liked the steady progression of the story. However, this book absolutely did not need to be 1000 pages and was around 300 too long.
evetoi's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
I have some mixed emotions about this book. I liked it. I see why it has been picked for awards, because it was anti-America. I understand; however, it was so negative that it was exhausting. Reading this book was like living with someone who constantly complains about everything, never really seeing that there are good things in life.
The main character was constantly complaining about the police and I am going to get on my soap box here, if I may. I see it from both sides. Police have to be vigilant when they are confronted with criminals and have to make split second decisions, and sometimes those decisions are wrong. They are dealing with difficult people, people who want to kill them, people who are in bad mood, all day long, everyday. I have seen state troopers with a chip on their shoulder, and I have seen troopers that stopped by my house, saw me shoveling, asked me if I wanted help. Bottom line is: you don't want a society that doesn't have police.
The book is well written, and I liked the word play and the style, and she pulled it off.
The main character was constantly complaining about the police and I am going to get on my soap box here, if I may. I see it from both sides. Police have to be vigilant when they are confronted with criminals and have to make split second decisions, and sometimes those decisions are wrong. They are dealing with difficult people, people who want to kill them, people who are in bad mood, all day long, everyday. I have seen state troopers with a chip on their shoulder, and I have seen troopers that stopped by my house, saw me shoveling, asked me if I wanted help. Bottom line is: you don't want a society that doesn't have police.
The book is well written, and I liked the word play and the style, and she pulled it off.