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txreader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lifelivedbooked's review against another edition
4.0
Heiroglyphics by Jill McCorkle tells the tail of two families: Lil and Frank were attracted to each other by shared childhood tragedy and find themselves at their end of lives in the small NC town where Frank's childhood tragedy occurred. Shelley is a single mother and court recorder struggling to cope with the horror of her own childhood and protect her children from the stigma that type of childhood can bring to the victims. Shelley also happens to live in the very same home Frank did when he lived in NC as a boy.
The experience of reading this book was very much like spending several afternoons listening to your grandparents tell you the stories that were most formative in their lives, except this book doesn't leave out the bits your grandparents might omit for the sake of propriety. I love how this novel drips with nostalgia and imperfect memories. Lil's passages are written as journal entries, which especially adds to this feeling of times past. What is also effective is the way Lil and Frank recount their memories of the same events and time periods: each telling just slightly aligned to its owners biases and motivations.
If you love a book that goes deep on character development and don't need much plot to keep the pages turning, Hieroglyphics may be the book for you.. The writing is brilliant and I just loved the way McCorkle structured her story to really show us all the angles of who these characters are and how they became.
The experience of reading this book was very much like spending several afternoons listening to your grandparents tell you the stories that were most formative in their lives, except this book doesn't leave out the bits your grandparents might omit for the sake of propriety. I love how this novel drips with nostalgia and imperfect memories. Lil's passages are written as journal entries, which especially adds to this feeling of times past. What is also effective is the way Lil and Frank recount their memories of the same events and time periods: each telling just slightly aligned to its owners biases and motivations.
If you love a book that goes deep on character development and don't need much plot to keep the pages turning, Hieroglyphics may be the book for you.. The writing is brilliant and I just loved the way McCorkle structured her story to really show us all the angles of who these characters are and how they became.
literary_cosmos's review against another edition
3.0
Hieroglyphics Review
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨
Available now!
_______________________________
Hieroglyphics is a story like nothing I have ever read before. A story told mostly in the past through letters and notes. This is told in multiple POVs. I loved how McCorkle told this story it really brought the characters to life and I loved reading about each of them However, I had trouble connecting it all together at the end to see the point of it all. It didn't feel complete to me. I did enjoy the story and would recommend this to someone who enjoys a character driven story.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨
Available now!
_______________________________
Hieroglyphics is a story like nothing I have ever read before. A story told mostly in the past through letters and notes. This is told in multiple POVs. I loved how McCorkle told this story it really brought the characters to life and I loved reading about each of them However, I had trouble connecting it all together at the end to see the point of it all. It didn't feel complete to me. I did enjoy the story and would recommend this to someone who enjoys a character driven story.
rachel_from_avid_bookshop's review against another edition
5.0
I've read Jill McCorkle's books for over twenty years and she continues to create interesting multi-faceted characters that are fascinating. This ninth novel of hers tells the story of two very different families and how they are connected. Are you a fan of Ann Tyler's books? If so, you'll want to read HIEROGLYPHICS.
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