You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After reading Stone Yard Devotional, I am in awe of Charlotte Wood. Nothing much happens during the book, there isn't even a lot of dialogue, but the silences are so introspective. For most of the book, the unnamed narrator is going into herself- small incidents spark off memories. She doesn't just talk about her memories, she tells us how she felt then, and how she now feels.
Time itself is fluid. The book begins with the narrator spending a few days in a secluded nunnery- each day is described with what we later realise is great detail. When she returns to the nunnery after an indeterminate period of time (which we know would have been a few years since old inmates have passed on), there is nothing to indicate the passage of time. They are plagued by rats and struggle to control them humanely, the remains of a nun who disappeared under mysterious conditions is returned and the nuns watch over the coffin till they receive permission for internment, an activist-nun who had once been bullied by the narrator comes back into her life.
There are musings on death and forgiveness. The death of the narrator's mother (though the father she loved is also dead, that doesn't claim her thoughts), of a friend who had a terminal illness, of a neighbourhood 'boy' who shot dead his parents. Seeking forgiveness, withholding forgiveness, receiving forgiveness- musings on whether one has the right to demand forgiveness or to feel guilty about withholding it.
I cannot put my finger on why I loved the book as much as I did, but I did. This is a book about human emotions, and I found it simply brilliant.
Time itself is fluid. The book begins with the narrator spending a few days in a secluded nunnery- each day is described with what we later realise is great detail. When she returns to the nunnery after an indeterminate period of time (which we know would have been a few years since old inmates have passed on), there is nothing to indicate the passage of time. They are plagued by rats and struggle to control them humanely, the remains of a nun who disappeared under mysterious conditions is returned and the nuns watch over the coffin till they receive permission for internment, an activist-nun who had once been bullied by the narrator comes back into her life.
There are musings on death and forgiveness. The death of the narrator's mother (though the father she loved is also dead, that doesn't claim her thoughts), of a friend who had a terminal illness, of a neighbourhood 'boy' who shot dead his parents. Seeking forgiveness, withholding forgiveness, receiving forgiveness- musings on whether one has the right to demand forgiveness or to feel guilty about withholding it.
I cannot put my finger on why I loved the book as much as I did, but I did. This is a book about human emotions, and I found it simply brilliant.
emotional
reflective
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
Self-reflective and thoughtful.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got through this quickly. There was something very gripping about the tension between the past and present and the reflections on the passage of time, life and death. Enjoyable and engaging read.
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
50% through dnf... it was okay. I was enticed by the meditation on our footprints on the earth and other people, but did not find it engrossing
emotional
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
A very slow book to read. No strong plot so I lost interest
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character