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irisdg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The most beautiful, immersive novel with characters that carry so much depth. This book is a work of art.
elliebou's review against another edition
4.5
Great spring read, so much nature, loved how Barbara never fails to tie multiple story lines together. Questionable borderline incest plot line but this was ultimately avoided and maybe just an exploration of intimacy? I’ve decided not to judge.
savaging's review against another edition
3.0
At some moments I really enjoyed this. Like a romance novel but with interesting moths around.
But by the end I had rolled my eyes too many times and had to push my way through the final pages. Maybe it's because it feels like Kingsolver is moving plot points toward sentimental ends. Which is fine -- unless you do not share these sentiments. Kingsolver cracks open the door to other possibilities besides traditional patriarchy for her protagonists, but then by the end wraps all the women back up into tidy, safe familial obligations.
After all, she seems to be saying, this is what is 'natural.' All the birds are doing it.
But by the end I had rolled my eyes too many times and had to push my way through the final pages. Maybe it's because it feels like Kingsolver is moving plot points toward sentimental ends. Which is fine -- unless you do not share these sentiments.
Spoiler
I don't want Deanna to come off the mountain and have babies instead; I don't want Nannie to start a romance with that old grump; I don't want Lusa to take on her dead husband's last name and dedicate herself to the furtherance of this other family. All disappointing conclusions for these women.After all, she seems to be saying, this is what is 'natural.' All the birds are doing it.
henrietta_reads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
faithemt's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent!! The review is on the blog!
you can access it here:
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2020/05/2020-book-review-16prodigal-summer.html
you can access it here:
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2020/05/2020-book-review-16prodigal-summer.html
aidanrt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
andrea_marie3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
guppyur's review against another edition
3.0
Let's get this out of the way upfront: this book isn't going to be to everyone's taste, and that's okay. Prodigal Summer is three intertwining stories in one, with three primary characters. Chapters are told from each of their perspectives, more or less alternately; they all take place in the same area and sometimes affect each other, but interactions between stories are strictly on the fringes.
This is not a book with a complex narrative. It concerns rural Zebulon County, which according to Wikipedia doesn't actually exist -- that's okay, it's a stand-in for rural farming counties all over -- and families who live in it, and their relationships with nature and with each other. The three perspectives belong to Deanna, a wildlife-loving park steward; Lusa, a city girl who married into a farming family before the narrative opens; and Garnett, a cantankerous old man in an ongoing row with his neighbor. My favorite was Lusa, my least favorite Deanna; I'm sorry to say my interest in Deanna never did grow much. The others I enjoyed steadily.
It's so difficult to know where to begin describing Prodigal Summer. It's about families, writ small, and ecology, writ large. The stories are simple, but affecting. The prose is thoroughly Kingsolver, richly written; one earlier reviewer described it as "a book to feel," and I think that's a perfect description. The cover art is perfectly suited: this is a novel about abundant, exuberant life.
This is not a book with a complex narrative. It concerns rural Zebulon County, which according to Wikipedia doesn't actually exist -- that's okay, it's a stand-in for rural farming counties all over -- and families who live in it, and their relationships with nature and with each other. The three perspectives belong to Deanna, a wildlife-loving park steward; Lusa, a city girl who married into a farming family before the narrative opens; and Garnett, a cantankerous old man in an ongoing row with his neighbor. My favorite was Lusa, my least favorite Deanna; I'm sorry to say my interest in Deanna never did grow much. The others I enjoyed steadily.
It's so difficult to know where to begin describing Prodigal Summer. It's about families, writ small, and ecology, writ large. The stories are simple, but affecting. The prose is thoroughly Kingsolver, richly written; one earlier reviewer described it as "a book to feel," and I think that's a perfect description. The cover art is perfectly suited: this is a novel about abundant, exuberant life.
elizabethng2's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0