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sarosha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
libscash's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
3.5
bluejay21's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
raerae1919's review against another edition
5.0
I am a big fan of Jon McGregor's work since I first read If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, one of my favourite books which I recommend to everyone. This latest work I read almost in one sitting. It starts with an incident in an isolated expedition outpost in Antarctica and then moves back to the every day world of the United Kingdom where Robert is recovering from a stroke. The initial descriptions of the snow storm were so realistic I could picture the scenes clearly. The sense of panic and tension were intense. But what I love most about his writing is his treatment of every day life, "normal" people if you will. He writes with such simplicity and authenticity, his use of language is wonderful but it's never over-wrought. Simply a beautiful, beautiful book that will stay with me.
nightpath's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so digestible. Like watching a good movie. So solid.
The first section, Lean, is GRIPPING, the degenerating language of the protagonist to reflect his situation is so well written.
The second section, Fall, is a hard reality check. Everything has not turned out ok, and reading about how the characters are navigating it was interesting to say the least. Some characters lacked substance, like Frank, I wish I could have gotten to know him a little better. But, the family dynamics were still present, and fairly well written.
The final section, Stand, lifts your heart but leaves you with a longing, just as was intended I believe.
The first section, Lean, is GRIPPING, the degenerating language of the protagonist to reflect his situation is so well written.
The second section, Fall, is a hard reality check. Everything has not turned out ok, and reading about how the characters are navigating it was interesting to say the least. Some characters lacked substance, like Frank, I wish I could have gotten to know him a little better. But, the family dynamics were still present, and fairly well written.
The final section, Stand, lifts your heart but leaves you with a longing, just as was intended I believe.
bianca89279's review against another edition
3.0
Another novel that didn't quite do it for me. This feels like the longest dry spell, as far as 5-star reads are concerned.
I picked this on a whim when I noticed it on the new releases shelf at the library. I've been meaning to read Reservoir 13 for a while so I thought why not try McGregor's newest.
It started off well. Was it going to be an adventure/mystery kind of book? I was up for it.
The novel begins with the point of view of a young Antarctica scientist who finds himself in a sudden storm and loses track of his two other partners. The adrenaline was high, what will happen. The POV quickly shifts to the other two people in the group and what happened to them, to a certain extent. One of them was the older, very experienced technical assistant, Doc, who's been coming to the Station and Antarctica for decades. The three people find themselves in trouble. That's part 1 - Lean.
Fast forward to part two - Fall - Doc has had a stroke, which left him incapacitated and without speech. His wife in the UK is asked to come to the hospital in Santiago, Chile. Now we suddenly hear Anna's point of view and we get a better idea about her and her life with Robert, aka Doc, and their two now grown-up children. I appreciated this part regarding how a carer's life is upturned and the mixed feelings that such a huge life event has for both the affected person and those who care for them.
Stand, the last part - is about Robert's recovery journey. Another character is introduced, the therapist running a group for people with speech issues. McGregor briefly moves to her pov but not for long enough or to make it worthwhile getting to know her. There were a few barely sketched characters. Speaking of characters, even Robert and Anna's adult children, Frank and Sara, made appearances here and there, but there wasn't much substance to them.
That last part was boring and quite messy writing-wise.
While on a logical level I appreciated and I think I understood what McGregor was going for, I was always kept at a distance by the omniscient narration. There are a few characters that come in and out but they're not very well developed, not to mention that novel starts with a character's POV, barely developed who then is completely dropped.
To conclude this rambling review, I thought Lean Fall Stand was a hodgepodge of a novel. I don't know what it was about, who it was about. Well, I sort of know. It seemed to me that McGregor had these two ideas in his head and strenuously attempted to connect them into a novel.
I still hope to read Reservoir 13.
I picked this on a whim when I noticed it on the new releases shelf at the library. I've been meaning to read Reservoir 13 for a while so I thought why not try McGregor's newest.
It started off well. Was it going to be an adventure/mystery kind of book? I was up for it.
The novel begins with the point of view of a young Antarctica scientist who finds himself in a sudden storm and loses track of his two other partners. The adrenaline was high, what will happen. The POV quickly shifts to the other two people in the group and what happened to them, to a certain extent. One of them was the older, very experienced technical assistant, Doc, who's been coming to the Station and Antarctica for decades. The three people find themselves in trouble. That's part 1 - Lean.
Fast forward to part two - Fall - Doc has had a stroke, which left him incapacitated and without speech. His wife in the UK is asked to come to the hospital in Santiago, Chile. Now we suddenly hear Anna's point of view and we get a better idea about her and her life with Robert, aka Doc, and their two now grown-up children. I appreciated this part regarding how a carer's life is upturned and the mixed feelings that such a huge life event has for both the affected person and those who care for them.
Stand, the last part - is about Robert's recovery journey. Another character is introduced, the therapist running a group for people with speech issues. McGregor briefly moves to her pov but not for long enough or to make it worthwhile getting to know her. There were a few barely sketched characters. Speaking of characters, even Robert and Anna's adult children, Frank and Sara, made appearances here and there, but there wasn't much substance to them.
That last part was boring and quite messy writing-wise.
While on a logical level I appreciated and I think I understood what McGregor was going for, I was always kept at a distance by the omniscient narration. There are a few characters that come in and out but they're not very well developed, not to mention that novel starts with a character's POV, barely developed who then is completely dropped.
To conclude this rambling review, I thought Lean Fall Stand was a hodgepodge of a novel. I don't know what it was about, who it was about. Well, I sort of know. It seemed to me that McGregor had these two ideas in his head and strenuously attempted to connect them into a novel.
I still hope to read Reservoir 13.
gabitheaustrian's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
livla06's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
got baited.
alananewport's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful. Three men go to Antartica for a season to complete research. A dramatic storm collapses their program and has enormous ongoing consequences.
I loved the prose and pacing in this novel. It was a page turner, even though very literary in its depth of character exploration. McGregor nails the vibe of the community settings, and the unusual voice patterns/dialogue required to support the story.
It explores marriage and relationships with enormous restraint which is equally so illuminating. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
I loved the prose and pacing in this novel. It was a page turner, even though very literary in its depth of character exploration. McGregor nails the vibe of the community settings, and the unusual voice patterns/dialogue required to support the story.
It explores marriage and relationships with enormous restraint which is equally so illuminating. I can’t wait to read more of his work.