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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Oh dear... I wanted to like this book so much, but I’m afraid that I just couldn’t make it beyond halfway because I have no idea what’s happening in this book. Others may like the structure, but it isn’t similar to “The Book Thief”, which I was expecting.
Phew. This is a hard one to rate. It was kind of slow-going until the last quarter or so. And hard to follow at times, because it’s not chronological. Parts of the story are revealed out of order and revisited.
But I had tears in my eyes as I read the last page. And I have this sense that I just finished something great, even if I didn’t quite get all of it.
But I had tears in my eyes as I read the last page. And I have this sense that I just finished something great, even if I didn’t quite get all of it.
Ughhhh why Markus Zusak, why? He had such great bones of a story, but buried it beneath a twisted, bloated, unnessersarily confusing writing style. Such a struggle to get through what was actually a great story with characters that really grew on me.
A story about family, brothers and grief. It’s told in a non-linear way and all the different stories converge with each other in a fun way.
Told from the POV of Matthew, the oldest of 5 brothers, this is the story of their family, and in particular the fourth brother, Clay.
It took me a while to get used to Matthew’s voice. He’s a little dramatic in the way he tells stories, which is fine, except I think he misses some details that are important to helping the reader understand what’s going on. I was kind of bored for the first 100 pages or so for this book because I felt like it took a while for Matthew to warm up as a writer.
All in all, this book is as compelling and heartbreaking as The Book Thief, but it’s more rough around the edges and more of a slog to get through. Maybe that was the point - that Matthew is not the best storyteller, but he feels like it’s his job to get his family’s, and Clay’s, story out there.
Told from the POV of Matthew, the oldest of 5 brothers, this is the story of their family, and in particular the fourth brother, Clay.
It took me a while to get used to Matthew’s voice. He’s a little dramatic in the way he tells stories, which is fine, except I think he misses some details that are important to helping the reader understand what’s going on. I was kind of bored for the first 100 pages or so for this book because I felt like it took a while for Matthew to warm up as a writer.
All in all, this book is as compelling and heartbreaking as The Book Thief, but it’s more rough around the edges and more of a slog to get through. Maybe that was the point - that Matthew is not the best storyteller, but he feels like it’s his job to get his family’s, and Clay’s, story out there.
It's well written, there is some beautiful prose in there. But underneath the flowery language there just isn't much there. It's like Tim Winton, with none of the heart.
So [b:The Book Thief|19063|The Book Thief|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522157426s/19063.jpg|878368] may be my favorite book of all times, definitely in the top five. I also enjoyed the audio version of [b:I Am the Messenger|19057|I Am the Messenger|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398483261s/19057.jpg|2737065], though it was a little more quirky. And despite the criticism to come, I think Zusak is an amazing writer and storyteller.
Truth be told, I'm not really sure what to make of [b:Bridge of Clay|7767276|Bridge of Clay|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520973548s/7767276.jpg|45347996]. It's marketed as a YA book, but it has a heavy, adult feel to it; indeed, the narrator is a grown man with children. Despite the frequent flashbacks, the story is told as an adult looking back on childhood, not through a young person's perspective. I honestly don't know what type of teen reader I would suggest this book to.
And then I think about the language Zusak uses, the characters he brings to life, the emotion his story evokes. And I love it. So I'm leaving my four stars, from my very adult point of view.
Truth be told, I'm not really sure what to make of [b:Bridge of Clay|7767276|Bridge of Clay|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520973548s/7767276.jpg|45347996]. It's marketed as a YA book, but it has a heavy, adult feel to it; indeed, the narrator is a grown man with children. Despite the frequent flashbacks, the story is told as an adult looking back on childhood, not through a young person's perspective. I honestly don't know what type of teen reader I would suggest this book to.
And then I think about the language Zusak uses, the characters he brings to life, the emotion his story evokes. And I love it. So I'm leaving my four stars, from my very adult point of view.
The depth of this story is limitless and Zusack’s writing is witty and unique. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Markus Zusak’s writing never fails to blow me away. His prose is so beautiful, his characters so clear. His work always puts me in a trance. The Dunbar boys are no exception—they made me laugh, cry, and want to keep turning pages even when there were none left. I’m sure I’ll be rereading this and The Book Thief many times to come.
3.5
Forgot how much I loved Markus Zusak's writing. His prose is a joy to read, his way with words is incredibly impactful, creating memorable imagery no matter the meaning. Just a genuine delight to take in.
The story itself is told in a non-linear format, and with a large number of characters it takes a little while to get to grips with what’s going on – or at least it did for me. When it does come together, a rather moving tale of coming of age, loss, abandonment, and forgiveness is revealed.
Granted, there were one or two things that didn’t quite work for me, but in the wider story they were negligible.
This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With kind thanks to NetGalley and Random House.
Forgot how much I loved Markus Zusak's writing. His prose is a joy to read, his way with words is incredibly impactful, creating memorable imagery no matter the meaning. Just a genuine delight to take in.
The story itself is told in a non-linear format, and with a large number of characters it takes a little while to get to grips with what’s going on – or at least it did for me. When it does come together, a rather moving tale of coming of age, loss, abandonment, and forgiveness is revealed.
Granted, there were one or two things that didn’t quite work for me, but in the wider story they were negligible.
This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With kind thanks to NetGalley and Random House.