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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
This was fine. Perhaps a victim to being overhyped. But I never was excited to pick up the book. To the books credit, when I started reading, I was able to keep reading for over an hour no problem. It's just that 99% of the time I had to force myself to get started.
I think be books biggest strength is also simultaneously it's biggest weakness. Demon is a fantastic and fully fleshed out character, he definitely comes to life in the story. However, there's just too much of him. There's this 200 page slog in the middle where he just becomes grating in an Holden Caufield-esque way and you just want to shake some sense into him or to at least tell him to stop whining if he's going to be so self destructive.
My biggest qualm is the length of the book. I understand this book closely follows David Copperfield but we know Dicken's was paid by word when writing his novel in serial form... Kingsolver, though accurate in retelling, has so much bulk that weighs the story down. Maybe you could say this problem is also the same with David Copperfield... I'm not sure, I haven't read it. I'm not a scholar of Dickens, but my understanding is that these serials were all combined afterwards so becoming a novel seemed more like an afterthought. Plus if you're getting paid per word, may as well milk it. Kingsolver could've done the story justice but also cut out some of the fat ie some of the seemingly never-ending misery death spiral that is Demon's life. If this was maybe a weakness in the original this could have been addressed. Or, perhaps modified to suit more modern reading preferences. At first the slew of despair and drudgery was effective in becoming sympathetic to Demon, but honestly after a while I, as the reader, became so weary that lost both my patience and interest. While the ending was good, it's payoff enough where I could confidently since it was worth slogging through the middle bit.
Honestly, the writing was good though. I am looking forward to more Kingsolver in the future (namely Poisonwood Bible). I just wish this book was more heavily edited.
I think be books biggest strength is also simultaneously it's biggest weakness. Demon is a fantastic and fully fleshed out character, he definitely comes to life in the story. However, there's just too much of him. There's this 200 page slog in the middle where he just becomes grating in an Holden Caufield-esque way and you just want to shake some sense into him or to at least tell him to stop whining if he's going to be so self destructive.
My biggest qualm is the length of the book. I understand this book closely follows David Copperfield but we know Dicken's was paid by word when writing his novel in serial form... Kingsolver, though accurate in retelling, has so much bulk that weighs the story down. Maybe you could say this problem is also the same with David Copperfield... I'm not sure, I haven't read it. I'm not a scholar of Dickens, but my understanding is that these serials were all combined afterwards so becoming a novel seemed more like an afterthought. Plus if you're getting paid per word, may as well milk it. Kingsolver could've done the story justice but also cut out some of the fat ie some of the seemingly never-ending misery death spiral that is Demon's life. If this was maybe a weakness in the original this could have been addressed. Or, perhaps modified to suit more modern reading preferences. At first the slew of despair and drudgery was effective in becoming sympathetic to Demon, but honestly after a while I, as the reader, became so weary that lost both my patience and interest. While the ending was good, it's payoff enough where I could confidently since it was worth slogging through the middle bit.
Honestly, the writing was good though. I am looking forward to more Kingsolver in the future (namely Poisonwood Bible). I just wish this book was more heavily edited.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes