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janlo26's review against another edition
4.0
Steeped in a patriarchal mindset but brilliant writing just the same.
slrsmith's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been languishing unread on my shelf for years. Finally got around to it. WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG??? It is an unbelievably good book.
wordsobsessed's review against another edition
4.0
A slow starter, very slow, but some 100 pages in, the story unravels at light speed! A satisfying read.
thepentheimk's review against another edition
1.0
Oh lord, this is awful. A historical romance set around the Halifax explosion sounds like a terrible concept, and the execution is equally bad. The setting feels forced; McLennan is very focused on making it authentic, at the expense of the storyline and general readability. The characters are, on the whole, extremely unlikeable, especially the "hero". And McLenna's prose is unbelievably melodramatic; he adores his adjectives, which is, honestly, an awful way to write. When the description of a tragedy as powerful as the Halifax explosion has me rolling my eyes at how even a tragedy is overwrought, that is an awful sign.
marygreenhahaha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
taleswithtea's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in high school and enjoyed it. Getting ready to read it again for my Modern Canadian uni class! :)
booktwitcher23's review against another edition
4.0
Although dated I found much of interest in this 1941 novel of the Halifax, Nova Scotia explosion of 1917. It explores issues concerning the place of Canada in the early twentieth century, 'old country' people from the Highlands of Scotland and those who have been in Canada for four generations. There is also a love story.
lucillemeeps's review against another edition
3.0
We read this for my Canadian Literature class. There are three major things in it: nationalism, sexism, and some good old fashion cousin-love. If you don't enjoy reading about any of those things, this is maybe not the book for you. If you think that a book set during WWI in Halifax at the time of the Halifax explosion is going to be action-packed and about either of those events, you're mistaken. Prepare yourself for a lot of introspection, and all of the sexism. But actually. So much.
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
Last year I received three boxes of books that were library discards that would have been recycled for their paper if they were not taken. In other words they had failed to sell at the normal "friends of the library" type sales and were taking up precious space. Among those books was Barometer Rising, a romance set against the events of the Halifax explosion of 1917.
Barometer Rising is one of those books I've heard of but haven't read. It is considered as a classic of Canadian literature though perhaps not as well known outside of Canada as MacLennan had hoped it would be. Having now read the book I have conflicted feelings about it. One the one hand, I learned about the Halifax explosion and was inspired to read more about it from other sources. On the other, the romantic bits of the book bored me to tears.
The descriptions, actions and dialogue of the main characters were wooden. The heroine came of as a weird blend of the stock L. M. Montgomery protagonist and "Rosie the Riveter". Although she was like Penelope pining for her lost love at a time of war I didn't like her enough as a character to emphasize with her.
Barometer Rising is one of those books I've heard of but haven't read. It is considered as a classic of Canadian literature though perhaps not as well known outside of Canada as MacLennan had hoped it would be. Having now read the book I have conflicted feelings about it. One the one hand, I learned about the Halifax explosion and was inspired to read more about it from other sources. On the other, the romantic bits of the book bored me to tears.
The descriptions, actions and dialogue of the main characters were wooden. The heroine came of as a weird blend of the stock L. M. Montgomery protagonist and "Rosie the Riveter". Although she was like Penelope pining for her lost love at a time of war I didn't like her enough as a character to emphasize with her.