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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
Life affirming literary comfort food.
Winner of the 1924 Pulitzer the book certainly gives a view into life in the early part of the century. I didn't really care for the characters and the plot seemed pretty thin so that left me interested in the setting.
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-and-quotes-so-big-by-edna-ferber.html
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-and-quotes-so-big-by-edna-ferber.html
This book had amazing characters. The. main character reminded me of my grandmother, and I read this shortly after her passing so I may be biased, but it's strangely interesting for not being my normal genre. and I fucking lived the end.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Like Willa Cather but better, imo. MC becomes a single mother who must find a way to raise & educate her son in a man’s world without sacrificing her love for the arts & culture he will never comprehend. Slow for the first 2/3, then riveting until the end.
This was a book group pick that I started with some trepidation. I don't usually like books written in this era - the storytelling is too roundabout - and Pulitzer Prize winners can be a mixed bag. But this story transcends generations. It is hard to believe it was written in the 1940s when so many of the issues discussed are still issues today - the way traditional students few older college students; the trouble women or outsiders have being listened to when they have good ideas, the McMansion type building that was going on in Chicago, the growing desire for local, artisan vegetables at ritzy restaurants.
I liked the main character, who was obviously supposed to be sympathetic, but had her flaws too. She made some poor decisions, but was able to work with them. Readers really could see her grow over time. I wish the character of her husband had been fleshed out a bit more. I never really got a sense of who he was. The son's character was also a bit one-sided and predictable. The author kind of set up the way he would become from the beginning. But these are minor quibbles. I greatly enjoyed the writing, the story, and the setting.
I liked the main character, who was obviously supposed to be sympathetic, but had her flaws too. She made some poor decisions, but was able to work with them. Readers really could see her grow over time. I wish the character of her husband had been fleshed out a bit more. I never really got a sense of who he was. The son's character was also a bit one-sided and predictable. The author kind of set up the way he would become from the beginning. But these are minor quibbles. I greatly enjoyed the writing, the story, and the setting.
This is the story of Selina Peake DeJong and her son Dirk "SoBig" Dejong. Selina, the daughter of a prosperous Chicago gambler during the turn of the century, is forced to make her own life, when her father passes away. Her journey takes her to rural Illinois, not far from bustling Chicago to teach the children of the local farmers. Her life turns out very different than she expected, but Selina is a strong woman who sees the good in everything and everyone. She is the type of person that turns dreams into realities. These are the values she tries to instill in the children she meets and her own son. The overall theme of the book is about making the most of one's life. You can be rich without having money. It's all about what you do with what you have. "There are only two kinds of people in the world that really count. One kind's wheat and the other kind's emeralds." – Edna Ferber
I enjoyed this book. The writing is superb and draws you in from the beginning. It is obvious why this is a classic book worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. The characters are rich but not without their flaws and the themes are ones that still resonant today. I think this is an often overlooked classic that should be added to reading curriculums.
I enjoyed this book. The writing is superb and draws you in from the beginning. It is obvious why this is a classic book worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. The characters are rich but not without their flaws and the themes are ones that still resonant today. I think this is an often overlooked classic that should be added to reading curriculums.
I had to work to keep my head in this book. It moved slow, it was wordy, and while it may have been amazing when it was written, it fell short today.
This beautiful cabbage starts out dazzling then sadly fizzles...