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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
he lost me about half way through....maybe a third of the way through. i loved rose's story and would have liked a whole book based on her but he started making each chapter (or 4) about different characters that intersected with her. and those characters were unfortunately oftentimes annoying. oh well.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
This is the first book by Lethem I've read and am pretty much awed by his artistry. He moved across several decades capturing the lives of a family of leftists across 3 generations. The hold of the matriarch Rose over her family is evident to the end of her life. I appreciated the way Lethem constructs the story by foreshadowing and even announcing events to come without details. As a reader I realized that he would give me the details in a later chapter. Instead of seeming gimmicky, it worked to keep me reading. Also, I enjoy books with clearly defined chapters, and appreciated the elegance of his crafting of each. His characterization of the mindset of leftists from 1950's members of the Communist Party to the Occupy movement was particularly brilliant.
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Though following a leftist family, the novel very much focused on interpersonal relationships rather than politics generally. The author really did a wonderful job giving each character a voice once their turn came around. Though Tommy's part in the middle was definitely a lull (I couldn't tell if it was purposeful or not, but either way it was tough to get through). But the rest of the characters were easily recognizable if you've ever worked with any kind of organizing. I really appreciated the strong central female characters. Definitely worth the read.
I really enjoy Lethem's writing, but the characters and story in this book did not grab me as some of his past novels had.
Very good but not perfect. Of the main characters, I found one duller than dirt, plus I didn't think the Archie Bunker part worked. Generally though, an excellent look at family, Queens, Communism, folk music, and attachment. That Lethem pulls it all together while jumping among characters and time periods is admirable.
Iniziato con alte aspettative, finito con un po' di pigrizia. Però il capitolo sul quiz televisivo è fenomenale!