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readingwithmygoldens's review against another edition
Unfortunately, this is going in the DNF pile. I am just not connecting with this at all. There are parts of this that I just marvel at - it is written so beautifully. The rest I'm left scratching my head. I never read the author's heralded debut, but I was anxious to read this as the summary sounded different and interesting. Plus, THAT COVER!!
Sadly, I'm far enough in and I can tell it's not going to get any better (based on my personal preference). It's far too slow (nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea at the moment), and while beautifully written, I am very, very bored. I am reminded of Lincoln In The Bardo, (that was also a DNF for me as well) and that isn't a bad comparison, but that book also just wasn't for me. The reviews seem to be all over the map on this, so I suggest you try it for yourself as your opinion my vary wildly from mine.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Tea Obreht for the opportunity to read this and provide an honest review.
Review Date: 8/15/19
Publication Date: 8/13/19
Sadly, I'm far enough in and I can tell it's not going to get any better (based on my personal preference). It's far too slow (nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea at the moment), and while beautifully written, I am very, very bored. I am reminded of Lincoln In The Bardo, (that was also a DNF for me as well) and that isn't a bad comparison, but that book also just wasn't for me. The reviews seem to be all over the map on this, so I suggest you try it for yourself as your opinion my vary wildly from mine.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Tea Obreht for the opportunity to read this and provide an honest review.
Review Date: 8/15/19
Publication Date: 8/13/19
manaledi's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but I didn't really. Too many details and too much drought and too many ghosts. I did learn that the Camel Corps were a real thing, and that's pretty cool.
lblattttt's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first deep dive into writing by Téa Obreht and I simply cannot wait to get my hands on, The Tiger’s Wife next! This latest book by her is just stunning. Her descriptions of life, landscape and the characters in the novel are truly amazing. I felt like I was there, in the Arizona Territory right beside the characters of the book. I couldn’t put this book down and basically spent my whole weekend reading as opposed to doing anything else. I wanted to spend more time with the book but it was just so good, I couldn’t put it down. I loved this book! Thank you NetGalley!!
cammmiam's review against another edition
DNF -- September 2019
Beautiful writing, but the story was unfolding so slowly that I grew bored and decided to stop reading.
Beautiful writing, but the story was unfolding so slowly that I grew bored and decided to stop reading.
susannah_n's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine; the writing in some places captivating and insightful. I was engaged more with Nora's story than Lurie's, and I had hoped that this would not be another contemporary novel in which dual narrative threads were created for unclear reasons, but it was. In fact, this seemed like two novellas of the American West, which had even less connection than most contemporary novels I've read that use dual narratives.
Two novellas of the American West would have been better. Shared themes across them could have worked, as would a slight link between them. But these two stories were separate within the same novel, and this habit among writers always seems to be the result of an inability to be comfortable with following one narrative thread.
Two novellas of the American West would have been better. Shared themes across them could have worked, as would a slight link between them. But these two stories were separate within the same novel, and this habit among writers always seems to be the result of an inability to be comfortable with following one narrative thread.
amb3rlina's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful writing, but one of the two story lines felt like a completely separate book that I didn't super want to read.
elysahenegar's review against another edition
4.0
The writing in this novel is beautiful without being indulgent, and I especially enjoyed the fact that it is set in Arizona in 1893, before statehood. Most of the action in the plot takes place in the past as flashback, giving context to the short present timeline, with two solidly different threads (one involving the camel corps, which I didn't even know was "a thing" before reading this book) that really only glancingly unite at the very end of the book. If you prefer a story in which almost everything in the plot resolves nicely in the end, this might not be the book for you. It's an entrancing read that blurs the lines between life and death.