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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought that this was going to be a Western and it was going to check the "book in a genre you don't typically read" category for my summer reading challenge. It isn't a western at all, but it is a really remarkable book. Despite being written in 1976, it read like it could have been written yesterday (other than a few references to Nixon). Although it wasn't a mystery novel, the Countess has a mysterious past that kept me intrigued right up until the very end. And of course there was the secondary mystery-what transpired between Joe and the Countess all those years ago? The ending was perfect.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful language. One of those books where nothing much happens but it’s ok.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
reflective
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
Stegner’s prose is strong. Not terribly unique compared to other writers of his era, but still good. My issue with this book is mainly in the characters, none of which I found to be likable or interesting, and the plot, which felt too long for what it was. When the reveal you’re building up to through the novel happened, I found myself asking “is this it?” I might consider reading another book of Stegner’s in the future, but I finished this one with an overall feeling of “meh.”
I listened to this on audio and thought the reader captured Joe’s voice very well, though the sound mixing wasn’t great and I often had to adjust the volume depending on what was being said.
slow-paced
Gorgeous. I'm not normally drawn in by tales of aging white men thinking back on their lives, but this was exceptionally written.
Some references were over my head, made it hard to get into. Once I got going though I enjoyed the characters and story. Appreciate what you have, even if it seems mundane.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated