Scan barcode
jeannekilcullen's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the Wild West vibes, vast scenery, and the premise of the Camel Corps. I feel like the fluid, abstract timeline plus heavy descriptions kept the characters and plot at an arms length. I really appreciate the depth of the character Nora. Obreht wrote beautiful relationships that I would have loved to feel more immersed in.
avidreadr's review against another edition
5.0
Still think about this book a lot many years later....
esmem's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.75
duparker's review
3.0
I had some higher hopes for this book, based upon the recommendation. The first chapter was a bit clunky, but I found that the book improved and the general plot was interesting and enjoyable. You don't find too many westerns produced these days and I was happy to read this one.
ocurtsinger's review against another edition
5.0
The Tiger's Wife was one of my favorite books in the past 10 years, and although Inland was a tougher nut to crack, it did not disappoint. I can sympathize with some readers who found transitions between past and present jarring, but I didn't find them jarring enough to lose the narrative thread or want to put the book down. Once you accept and come to expect these transitions, they fill out the story in a way that has more emotion and effect than if Obreht had built them up chronologically.
The narrative thread of Lurie and his journey with the cameleers is other-wordly and enticing, told in a nostalgic and ghostly way that readers of The Tiger's Wife will recognize and now has become Obreht's signature. I couldn't wait for more of Lurie's bizarre and haunting adventures to unfold.
The narrative thread of Nora is quite different but not without it's own sense of being haunted. Nora is haunted by rumors of a beast roaming the desert, haunted by her lost daughter, haunted by the mysterious absence of her husband and two sons, haunted by the social and economic blight descending upon her town, and haunted by her thirst as she tries and fails to find a drink of water. The tension in these chapters does not quit, and had me eagerly reading, hoping for some water or the appearance of her family.
Inland and The Tiger's Wife are two very different beasts (and about two very different beasts!) but I would be quick to recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the latter novel or is patient and adventurous enough to journey through narrative jumps and recollections and vast distances without water.
The narrative thread of Lurie and his journey with the cameleers is other-wordly and enticing, told in a nostalgic and ghostly way that readers of The Tiger's Wife will recognize and now has become Obreht's signature. I couldn't wait for more of Lurie's bizarre and haunting adventures to unfold.
The narrative thread of Nora is quite different but not without it's own sense of being haunted. Nora is haunted by rumors of a beast roaming the desert, haunted by her lost daughter, haunted by the mysterious absence of her husband and two sons, haunted by the social and economic blight descending upon her town, and haunted by her thirst as she tries and fails to find a drink of water. The tension in these chapters does not quit, and had me eagerly reading, hoping for some water or the appearance of her family.
Inland and The Tiger's Wife are two very different beasts (and about two very different beasts!) but I would be quick to recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the latter novel or is patient and adventurous enough to journey through narrative jumps and recollections and vast distances without water.
madmollyann's review against another edition
4.0
Slow start- I had to take a break after the first hundred pages or so. I wish the author had developed the two main characters a little more before jumping place and time. However, by the end, I was completely taken with both stories.
mullensamy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I tried for a week to like this book and made it to 64% of the way through before I decided I didn't want to do it anymore. The chapters on the homestead with Nora were tolerable and sometimes even enjoyable. The chapters about the boy with the camel were just plain boring. I couldn't even read them fluidly. Had to keep re-reading things to figure out who was speaking or thinking.
ireadandsip's review against another edition
3.0
Update!! After discussing the book at book club, I have a completely different view of the book and I’m changing my rating to 3.5 stars. Sometimes it helps to talk about a book with friends.
Tomorrow is Happy National Read A Book Day!! But this one was, well, at times I wanted to flush my head down the toilet. I can say that the last 100 pages were interesting. Other than that, I got camels and drought. The cover is nice!! I did enjoy the mentions of the different places in Texas. My favorite was The Brazos River. My grandmother taught me to say “Long flow the mighty Brazos River”, every time we crossed over it. And I still do it, today. I did finish the book.
Tomorrow is Happy National Read A Book Day!! But this one was, well, at times I wanted to flush my head down the toilet. I can say that the last 100 pages were interesting. Other than that, I got camels and drought. The cover is nice!! I did enjoy the mentions of the different places in Texas. My favorite was The Brazos River. My grandmother taught me to say “Long flow the mighty Brazos River”, every time we crossed over it. And I still do it, today. I did finish the book.
jillyrabb101's review against another edition
2.0
Well written with great imagery but difficult for me to follow in the beginning. Not what I was expecting and ending was the biggest disappointment I've ever received from a book. I tend to read books with quite a bit of action, with continuous conflicts and resolutions and this was far from that. My interest kept wandering elsewhere rather than to the book. After reading the first 2 chapters, it took me 3 days to gather enough courage to waste even more of my time on it. Some chapters were a bit interesting but overall, I told coworkers to avoid this book.