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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
A short review for the time being.
I found no faults with this plotline or story. What I struggled with was the synergy from one chapter to the next. There seemed to be a lack of fluidity. At times it read like short stories. And then in other instances, several chapters were paired together. I think this lack of cadence led to some confusion on my part, as well as a disjointedness with the characters.
I found no faults with this plotline or story. What I struggled with was the synergy from one chapter to the next. There seemed to be a lack of fluidity. At times it read like short stories. And then in other instances, several chapters were paired together. I think this lack of cadence led to some confusion on my part, as well as a disjointedness with the characters.
well written, very interesting but lots to keep track of. A visual family tree would have helped me understand all the connections.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First of all, let me say that I loved this book. It was intense and real and my heart was broken after just the first 25 pages. This is not an easy book to review, because I don't know if my words can do it justice, but I will try. The writing was beautiful and so frank that it took me a couple of chapters to get used to it, but then I couldn't put it down.
The Travelers is a book about the story of so many lives. It's almost written like short stories, where every character gets a chapter to show their lives. There are not frills or flowery language. The writing is raw and candid - things that had my heart ache, were described without many details. We just get a small glimpse into each person's emotions and for some reason that felt even more powerful to me than long explanations. Each person has gone through both happy and dark times, and the writing flow tells you that they kept living - do not dwell on one event or action. Though it may have shaped their lives or decisions, they kept moving on and so you go on with the story.
Each person is connected to another, some by significant relationships and some by thin strings, almost like ripples in a pond. They are so real and everyone is flawed, so it was hard for me to choose a favorite. This book is not a straight forward story, it tells about one person's life and then takes a seed from that and grows it into another story and another person's life.
There are so many things that addressed in this book, family, race, class, sexuality. It depicts how race is a huge factor and dominator of the character's lives throughout all generations. The fact that interracial marriage of Ruffus and Claudia can bring together so many different people, I just couldn't help but hope that it would have a ripple effect for good on the characters, but its sad to see how ingrained it is in some people. The way that Claudia's mother Agnes reacted when meeting Ruffus for the first time was absolutely heart breaking.
This story shows such a range of family relationships. There are characters who feel like family, but aren't actually related. There are people who go through horrible things together and are brought closer than family. There are secret relationships that survive or don't, but are never considered technically family. (There are a lot of references to infidelity and how it seemed almost a give in most families). There are family members who don't feel like family.
Finally, I really loved the pictures included throughout the book. When I get my hands on the finished copy, I would love to see if there is more information about them because I believe they are real photographs.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was happy to give my honest review.
The Travelers is a book about the story of so many lives. It's almost written like short stories, where every character gets a chapter to show their lives. There are not frills or flowery language. The writing is raw and candid - things that had my heart ache, were described without many details. We just get a small glimpse into each person's emotions and for some reason that felt even more powerful to me than long explanations. Each person has gone through both happy and dark times, and the writing flow tells you that they kept living - do not dwell on one event or action. Though it may have shaped their lives or decisions, they kept moving on and so you go on with the story.
Each person is connected to another, some by significant relationships and some by thin strings, almost like ripples in a pond. They are so real and everyone is flawed, so it was hard for me to choose a favorite. This book is not a straight forward story, it tells about one person's life and then takes a seed from that and grows it into another story and another person's life.
There are so many things that addressed in this book, family, race, class, sexuality. It depicts how race is a huge factor and dominator of the character's lives throughout all generations. The fact that interracial marriage of Ruffus and Claudia can bring together so many different people, I just couldn't help but hope that it would have a ripple effect for good on the characters, but its sad to see how ingrained it is in some people. The way that Claudia's mother Agnes reacted when meeting Ruffus for the first time was absolutely heart breaking.
This story shows such a range of family relationships. There are characters who feel like family, but aren't actually related. There are people who go through horrible things together and are brought closer than family. There are secret relationships that survive or don't, but are never considered technically family. (There are a lot of references to infidelity and how it seemed almost a give in most families). There are family members who don't feel like family.
Finally, I really loved the pictures included throughout the book. When I get my hands on the finished copy, I would love to see if there is more information about them because I believe they are real photographs.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was happy to give my honest review.
Regina Porter is an amazing storyteller. This book is about family, race, time, and just so dang good.
I want to give 4 stars but I was confused during a lot of this book. I liked the writing style though and the characters were very interesting and intriguing.
Literary~ Thoughtful ~ Bittersweet/ Nostalgic
tl:dr: You have no idea about your parents or your kids, really.
This story shares the lives of multiple generations of people with their varied flaws. The writing is somewhat mannered, with an idiosyncratic cadence and very little, if no, sentimentality. But, the first chapter alone reads like a satisfying short story. In some ways, the book isn't exactly new. People who are married mess up; their children live through it. But, the way the story is told feels satisfying. There is something of a truly American tale in how Porter shares this story of love and marriage, or maybe a story of people interconnecting with each other. I really enjoyed these read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|
tl:dr: You have no idea about your parents or your kids, really.
This story shares the lives of multiple generations of people with their varied flaws. The writing is somewhat mannered, with an idiosyncratic cadence and very little, if no, sentimentality. But, the first chapter alone reads like a satisfying short story. In some ways, the book isn't exactly new. People who are married mess up; their children live through it. But, the way the story is told feels satisfying. There is something of a truly American tale in how Porter shares this story of love and marriage, or maybe a story of people interconnecting with each other. I really enjoyed these read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|
When Page 1 started with a Cast of Characters I thought, "Oh hell no." But just skip it because you'll learn them anyway. You will either love or hate this book. Every chapter skips people and generations and times, but there is a connection. The Travelers weaves between two multi-generational families and their circle of neighbors/friends/cousins, over 60 years, all over the world. I was worried the bouncing around would be a put-off, but it is what makes the book so different. It's packed with a lot of REAL topics - race relations, LGBQT, the Vietnam War, PTSD, mental health, alcoholism, domestic violence, and sexual assault without being heavy. Ultimately, I'd say the book is about love because "How do you love someone enough?"
Sidenote: If I were some sort of art student, I'd have a lot of things to say about the book cover. But i'm not. It is beautiful, colorful, full of angles and intersections and 100% representative of the book.
Sidenote: If I were some sort of art student, I'd have a lot of things to say about the book cover. But i'm not. It is beautiful, colorful, full of angles and intersections and 100% representative of the book.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism