Reviews

Pastoral by André Alexis

rosapeachdrift's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

heelturn2's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

fsr I thought this was a horror novel before starting it. it was not! whoops!

slow, thoughtful meditation on place/faith/love/nature. made me actually feel nostalgia, fondness and love for southern Ontario! a difficult feat!!! but slow, thoughtful meditations are not really my thing… alas………….

ovenbird_reads's review against another edition

4.0

This is the fourth book I read in the Quincunx series (though the first published) and another amazing read. I can't wait to read all five of these books again when the eventual revised omnibus is released. Alexis is working some serious literary magic here.

krobart's review against another edition

3.0

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/day-663-pastoral/

lezreadalot's review against another edition

4.0

Of course, it’s wonderful to contemplate Nature, but without the miraculous the earth is only a coffin.

  
I do think I need to revise my list of things I don't like in fiction/writing. I always go on about how much I dislike omniscient POV, and I really truly do, but something about the way it's employed in literary fiction and classics just always works for me. I would be tempted to say it's because there's no abrupt head-hopping (the thing I hate most) but that's not always true! This was such a well-crafted piece of fiction. Went into it completely blind, as is my wont, and even though it ticked almost none of my usual boxes, I really enjoyed it. We're following a pastor who has just moved to a small town, the relationships he builds with some of his parishioners (including the caretaker at the parish and a young woman in an unwilling love triangle) and the strange events that take place around him. Or are they miracles? I loved the descriptions of the land, the beauty of the landscape, the pastoral. Very interesting writing, the way we'd flow from character to character. It has a magical realism sorta vibe without ever really going there? I love when books get weird, and this does, in a really particular way. It's very thoughtful and slow, but I felt engaged the entire time. I don't particularly like reading about religious characters, but this was sublime. And I loved Lowther so much; I want to travel back to uni days and write an essay about him.

Listened to the audiobook as read by the author; enjoyed it a lot. I'll definitely be reading more from Alexis. Even though I wanted a little more from the ending of this, wanted it to go a bit longer, I just adored the craft and the writing and the style. Super interesting.

Comfort came from the continuity of submission. Kneeling, praying, he was himself at his most open and at his most genuinely human: ignorant, hopeful, humble in the face of the unknown.

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

4.0

I knew I had read Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis previously but thought it was last year, but turns out it was this year! This book went a lot better for me, although I gave the other book 3 stars and this one 4 stars. I enjoyed Pastoral million miles more but not quite enough for a 5 stars. I found myself more invested and enjoyed the format more with this audiobook and didn't feel like I've should have read it as an ebook instead. Worked out just fine as an audiobook

twopuffins's review against another edition

3.0

I liked this ok, but it just wasn't for me. Although, I did enjoy the prose. Elizabeth and Jane fell flat as characters and I wish they had as much depth as Lowther and Pennant. The slight surrealist qualities reminded me of Boris Vian's "Heartsnatcher."

mjayc3's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another cleverly written book from this author. Everything flowed really nicely and the characters were interesting enough to want to learn more about their stories. It was fresh, thought provoking, and hit on some interesting themes.

The title is also very clever since it's about a pastor, yes, but also about the countryside, nature, and many sheep which all connect with the various definitions of 'Pastoral.' Plus the bonus of it being connected with Beethoven's Sixth Symphony (Pastoral Symphony). All a nod to the layers found within the novel, I'd imagine.

I'll admit, I wouldn't have thought to pick it up if I didn't read (and enjoy) Fifteen Dogs first, but I'm glad I did. Looking forward to reading the other books in the Quincunx!

mcipswitch's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

franksreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity