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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
An amazing novel. (I could say "debut novel", but that is like saying, "Well, pretty good for the first one." but this is just plain wonderful.)
I am sure that some readers have been put off by the non-linear presentation of a story, but it would have been impossible to tell this intergenerational story of interwoven families in strictly chronological order. I loved moving among characters, locations, and years as their stories unfolded.
I am sure that some readers have been put off by the non-linear presentation of a story, but it would have been impossible to tell this intergenerational story of interwoven families in strictly chronological order. I loved moving among characters, locations, and years as their stories unfolded.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
A beautiful exploration of people, their relationships to each other, and their relationship to their society told in a non-linear fashion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Infidelity, Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Sexual assault
Gdybyście zapytali mnie, o czym są „Podróżni” Reginy Porter… Nie byłabym w stanie Wam odpowiedzieć. To książka z masą wątków, bohaterów (których ilość na początku nieco mnie przeraziła) i lat historii.
Nie sądziłam, że życiorysy kilku rodzin, powiązania między nimi, ich problemy, kłótnie, czy odkrywanie swoich powołań, seksualności, walka z rasizmem tak na mnie wpłyną, że tak się z nimi zżyję. Ta książka zdecydowanie poszerzyła moje horyzonty czytelnicze, jak i nauczyła mnie nieco o historii Ameryki oraz ewolucji tamtejszego społeczeństwa. To była niesamowita podróż.
Nie sądziłam, że życiorysy kilku rodzin, powiązania między nimi, ich problemy, kłótnie, czy odkrywanie swoich powołań, seksualności, walka z rasizmem tak na mnie wpłyną, że tak się z nimi zżyję. Ta książka zdecydowanie poszerzyła moje horyzonty czytelnicze, jak i nauczyła mnie nieco o historii Ameryki oraz ewolucji tamtejszego społeczeństwa. To była niesamowita podróż.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So
The cool thing about having a million characters is that it kind of feels like you're reading a short story collection about all these different people and you're looking into the windows of their colourful lives and histories. The uncool thing about having a million characters is that I kept thinking, I don't care about any of these people and some of these vignettes aren't so great. I liked the book overall though, it was good.
The cool thing about having a million characters is that it kind of feels like you're reading a short story collection about all these different people and you're looking into the windows of their colourful lives and histories. The uncool thing about having a million characters is that I kept thinking, I don't care about any of these people and some of these vignettes aren't so great. I liked the book overall though, it was good.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lost interest, a lot of characters and not very compelling
Occasionally, you'll come across a book that critics describe as "ambitious." I never knew what that meant. I think ANY attempt to create a story out of nothing but your imagination is an ambitious undertaking. But this book is something else entirely. 'The Travelers' is an active reading experience. It makes you work for it. Jumping back and forth in time and among multiple points of view, the author takes us on a journey of intersecting lives over several decades, cities and continents. The intersections alone were so intricate, I found myself referring to the character glossary at the beginning. I have to admit, when I opened the book and saw that list, explaining who people were, and how they were connected to each other, I thought, 'Get a grip. This book isn't even 350 pages long. Why would we need a character glossary?' Ahm ... wrong! It was necessary, but not in that overwhelming way that makes you want to give up, like when you open 'War & Peace'.
So, the intricacy of characters was one thing that impressed me. The other was the plotting. Everyone in the book was connected, even when they didn't know they were. Each encounter had meaning and consequence and reverberations and made me think existential thoughts about how all humankind is connected in ways we sometimes don't even realize, and how one action that could seem to have significance only in a single life could in fact go on to affect the lives of dozens of others, and in ways that they might never imagine, and may never come to understand.
I was also intrigued by the writer's voice. I didn't love it at first. It seemed a little stilted and distant, making me doubt I would feel anything for any of the characters. But ultimately, I felt something for them all; even from a place of distance, I felt them. The omniscient voice actually worked as the book progressed to make me feel closer to the characters, which is weird, since it most often does the opposite. I think some people will actually hate this book. I mean, I practically guarantee it. It doesn't sound like anything else out there that I've read in a long time, and went down for me like my first taste of coffee did -- a taste like no other, which at first I was sure I didn't like, but which grew on me to such a degree I later lamented that I hadn't discovered it sooner.
I'm eager to read more from this author, to see whether this book, and this voice is a device that she will shed when the story is different, or whether she has more in this voice to share. Either way, I'm here for it. This is the kind of writing you learn from, if words are your craft.
Recommended for lovers of literary, and experimental fiction.
So, the intricacy of characters was one thing that impressed me. The other was the plotting. Everyone in the book was connected, even when they didn't know they were. Each encounter had meaning and consequence and reverberations and made me think existential thoughts about how all humankind is connected in ways we sometimes don't even realize, and how one action that could seem to have significance only in a single life could in fact go on to affect the lives of dozens of others, and in ways that they might never imagine, and may never come to understand.
I was also intrigued by the writer's voice. I didn't love it at first. It seemed a little stilted and distant, making me doubt I would feel anything for any of the characters. But ultimately, I felt something for them all; even from a place of distance, I felt them. The omniscient voice actually worked as the book progressed to make me feel closer to the characters, which is weird, since it most often does the opposite. I think some people will actually hate this book. I mean, I practically guarantee it. It doesn't sound like anything else out there that I've read in a long time, and went down for me like my first taste of coffee did -- a taste like no other, which at first I was sure I didn't like, but which grew on me to such a degree I later lamented that I hadn't discovered it sooner.
I'm eager to read more from this author, to see whether this book, and this voice is a device that she will shed when the story is different, or whether she has more in this voice to share. Either way, I'm here for it. This is the kind of writing you learn from, if words are your craft.
Recommended for lovers of literary, and experimental fiction.
The story is really interesting and fascinating, but the writing is kind of messy. It switches a lot between different narrators in different perspectives and times which makes it difficult to stay in the story. One chapter would be written in the first person present and the next in the third person past. Every new chapter I had to get back into the story.