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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
I love how Markus Zusak writes, and moments of this story were very good, but I found it too long and slow
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
I really loved reading this book, but I cried so many times I don’t think I would have finished it if it hadn’t been a book club book. It’s was also very confusing for the first 100 pages. But persevering was worth it.
**4 months later I still think about it. Updated to 5 stars.
**4 months later I still think about it. Updated to 5 stars.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The audiobook of this was so hard to follow along. Like many other reviewers, I picked this up at a Goodwill because I LOVED The Book Thief, but this didn’t resonate with me at. All.
It's a good book and I've read it before but even then I couldn't follow the plot as an audio book. It frequently changes years and speaks about characters without names and it's so hard to understand when you can't glance back to reference.
reread jan 2021:
my favorite part in this whole thing—
“Look at him!” he said.
I looked.
“He doesn’t want this—this...goodness.” To Clay now. “Do you want it, kid?”
And Clay had shaken his head.
And Rory didn’t relent.
He shoved a hand right into my heart. “He needs to feel it here.” There was suddenly such gravity, such pain in him, and it came like the force of a piano. The quietest words were the worst. “He needs to hurt nearly enough to kill him,” he said, “because that’s how we goddamn live.”
jun 2019–
love me some family drama with close bros and pages of lengthy backstory and a mule named achilles yes please
my favorite part in this whole thing—
“Look at him!” he said.
I looked.
“He doesn’t want this—this...goodness.” To Clay now. “Do you want it, kid?”
And Clay had shaken his head.
And Rory didn’t relent.
He shoved a hand right into my heart. “He needs to feel it here.” There was suddenly such gravity, such pain in him, and it came like the force of a piano. The quietest words were the worst. “He needs to hurt nearly enough to kill him,” he said, “because that’s how we goddamn live.”
jun 2019–
love me some family drama with close bros and pages of lengthy backstory and a mule named achilles yes please
6 stars.
What can be said of Clay and his bridge that rescues and saves him from all that has happened? Or, that at least tries?
What can be said of the other four Dunbar sons, or more accurately, brothers, who love with bleeding knuckles and pound each beat of their love into the other’s flesh?
And what about the Dunbar parents, long since gone or disappeared?
In a story that sweeps from grandfather to grandchild, Bridge of Clay is as complex as it is captivating, violent as it is gentle, and full as it is empty. I began with an airy form of discontent - to the characters and their lives - to deeply enraptured, heartbroken and healed. Zusak ultimately asks “how hard do you have to break your family before you can heal it?”
I read 90% of this but listened to about 10% of it and I much preferred the paperback to the audio. Zusak’s narrative is stunning but his narration leaves a lot to be desired.
Though Zusak has often remarked this book doesn’t seem finished, and doubted it ever would, it’s hard to imagine how it could be improved. The story was tightly wound, making it a feat of epic proportions, and masterfully executed by a writer hiding out for a decade. The characters were palpable and electric. I miss them already. The message was clear and elegant; the prose was delicious. I will remember these words long after they leave me, and keep them close for the same.
What can be said of the Dunbar boys, their zoo, and the muscles that bulge from their backs? Nothing worthy enough I could offer, so I leave you only with the recommendation to pick this up. Immediately.
What can be said of Clay and his bridge that rescues and saves him from all that has happened? Or, that at least tries?
What can be said of the other four Dunbar sons, or more accurately, brothers, who love with bleeding knuckles and pound each beat of their love into the other’s flesh?
And what about the Dunbar parents, long since gone or disappeared?
In a story that sweeps from grandfather to grandchild, Bridge of Clay is as complex as it is captivating, violent as it is gentle, and full as it is empty. I began with an airy form of discontent - to the characters and their lives - to deeply enraptured, heartbroken and healed. Zusak ultimately asks “how hard do you have to break your family before you can heal it?”
I read 90% of this but listened to about 10% of it and I much preferred the paperback to the audio. Zusak’s narrative is stunning but his narration leaves a lot to be desired.
Though Zusak has often remarked this book doesn’t seem finished, and doubted it ever would, it’s hard to imagine how it could be improved. The story was tightly wound, making it a feat of epic proportions, and masterfully executed by a writer hiding out for a decade. The characters were palpable and electric. I miss them already. The message was clear and elegant; the prose was delicious. I will remember these words long after they leave me, and keep them close for the same.
What can be said of the Dunbar boys, their zoo, and the muscles that bulge from their backs? Nothing worthy enough I could offer, so I leave you only with the recommendation to pick this up. Immediately.
(1.5 stars). I loved I am the Messenger and The Book Thief so I have been waiting for Bridge of Clay, however Zusak's new book doesn't live up to his previous works. It took me almost a month to get through this book, and if it weren't a Zusak book I would have not finished it. I spent the first 120 pages trying to figure out the point of things, and had it been any other author, I would have given up on the book then. Bridge of Clay is dense, meandering, and at times very dull. While Clay is the protagonist of the story, he's not as well developed as I would expect. I found his character to be pretty flat which made it hard to stay engaged in the story. The other brothers merged into one for me, and I found it hard to tell them apart. The most engaging story line is Penelope's. In her story I saw more of what I liked about Zusak's storytelling.
I feel bad disliking this book, especially because Zusak spent years working on it, but now that I have read the whole thing, maybe it's a book that should have been left unfinished.
I feel bad disliking this book, especially because Zusak spent years working on it, but now that I have read the whole thing, maybe it's a book that should have been left unfinished.