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ggmelone's review
5.0
i am biased but this book is beautiful. ondaatje is so talented. this book is sort of scary but feels like a mystery /biography. how does he do it??? truly a master of the craft. ondaatje swag
zellm's review
5.0
Sparse and gripping, this book feels like the reader is trying to complete a puzzle with half of the pieces missing. The character descriptions are so interesting, and I love the mysterious element of the unknown here, especially since this is based on a real person. Definitely worth a read!
adrianlarose's review against another edition
4.0
Read it in French; lovely translation; very poetic and emotional take on a simple story, apparently somewhat based in historical fact.
ryanklindsay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
henry_edwards1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
acrone's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
nevinator's review against another edition
3.0
“No one knows how a dolphin makes both whistles and echolocation clicks simultaneously.”
This book is a fictional retelling of real life jazz creator “Buddy” Bolden fall into insanity. This short 151 page book is trying to capture a man’s life through the rhythms of written jazz. Sporadic narration, repetitive poetry, and broken men spread the pages of this book. Every time you feel like you are following the tempo of the story, it changes and keeps you wondering what happens next.
Though, you get what you read and this book is only offering an experience that I don’t think I’ll repeat. It tries to capture the tension of enjoying the joyfully music of life, what is a sense of purpose, and what direction does one need in life that, just like Bolden, the book goes mad trying to act like a dolphin.
The experience of trying to find music through noise, people in messes, and sanity in depravity is a theme I do enjoy, it is how you get into my treasured books really easily, yet this one falls flat and I can't explain why.
This is also a hard book to recommend as an experience. My recommended litmus test is if you are not drawn in by the experimental writing style and the two paragraph summery on the back, I would say do not read it.
If the themes touched upon tickle an interest, I will always recommend “The Brothers Karamazov” and looking specifically at the dynamics of Grushenka, Dimitri, and Ivanovana. It covers the same depravity.
In many ways, reading this book is what the title advertises.
This book is a fictional retelling of real life jazz creator “Buddy” Bolden fall into insanity. This short 151 page book is trying to capture a man’s life through the rhythms of written jazz. Sporadic narration, repetitive poetry, and broken men spread the pages of this book. Every time you feel like you are following the tempo of the story, it changes and keeps you wondering what happens next.
Though, you get what you read and this book is only offering an experience that I don’t think I’ll repeat. It tries to capture the tension of enjoying the joyfully music of life, what is a sense of purpose, and what direction does one need in life that, just like Bolden, the book goes mad trying to act like a dolphin.
The experience of trying to find music through noise, people in messes, and sanity in depravity is a theme I do enjoy, it is how you get into my treasured books really easily, yet this one falls flat and I can't explain why.
This is also a hard book to recommend as an experience. My recommended litmus test is if you are not drawn in by the experimental writing style and the two paragraph summery on the back, I would say do not read it.
If the themes touched upon tickle an interest, I will always recommend “The Brothers Karamazov” and looking specifically at the dynamics of Grushenka, Dimitri, and Ivanovana. It covers the same depravity.
In many ways, reading this book is what the title advertises.