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clem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
renatasnacks's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent, page-turning book. I love the richly-detailed world Erdrich has created in all her novels. I connected with all the characters and was torn between wanting to savor her prose and wanting to get on with the mystery(ies) in the plot.
pinkglemonade's review against another edition
3.0
It was a very difficult read. Probably because i have been out of school for awhile now so my brain is more easily tired. It is interesting to read Lisa's (my sister's) comments because she says that she loved every character because even the ones you don't like their purpose is so clear. She did read it in a class, and I think I would have benefited from a group discussion because I did not feel that every character had a purpose, and it got rather crowded in the middle of the book.
That being said, the writing is poetic, the main characters are complex and amazing, and the overstretching story is a beautiful tapestry. By the end you find that all the small weaves of the plot create a masterpiece.
I think if I read it a second time my rating would improve.
That being said, the writing is poetic, the main characters are complex and amazing, and the overstretching story is a beautiful tapestry. By the end you find that all the small weaves of the plot create a masterpiece.
I think if I read it a second time my rating would improve.
laneamagya's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really falling in love with Erdrich's writing. This novel made Erdrich a finalist for the National Book Award. I'm a bit surprised she didn't win it. Like many of Erdrich's novels, this one is set on an Ojibwe reservation. The main character is a priest with a mammoth of a secret, who is being interviewed about the possible canonization of a recently deceased nun who figures in other novels in the series. The novel tracks the priest's life, his role in the local community, his life before the priest-hood--it's good stuff. I'm hesitant to reveal much, of course, because I love the unfolding of a story I know nothing about, so I assume others do too. Most reviews give the priest's secret away, as does the back cover of the book. But I think you should ignore all that, and just start at the start.
eeeeeeee's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book in high school from the Dartmouth book prize and it's sat on a shelf ever since. Something called me to read it a few weeks ago and I'm blown away. Gorgeous writing, the style worked for me (fragments of memories, small vignettes, retold stories), and I love me a good convent. Recommend!
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
A character I didn't connect with in Tracks is now dear to my heart after this book. I never thought I'd become so attached to a priest figure. Most closely aligned with Tracks, this historical fiction novel covers the religious and spiritual aspects of the characters of Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine series. It is a study in devotion. Devotion to a people coming before stringent, ascetic piety, yet making the individual more holy and worthy of sainthood. The stories of Nanapush and Margaret made me laugh and cry. I was so glad to see those faces again since I had started to think they were gone.
allyofshalott's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aneides's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
I think I would have appreciated this book more if I had read the earlier books in the series, although it does, for the most part, stand alone. It felt like a wrapping-up sort of story.
I think I would have appreciated this book more if I had read the earlier books in the series, although it does, for the most part, stand alone. It felt like a wrapping-up sort of story.
indiagarms's review against another edition
5.0
What a moving, thought-provoking masterpiece! So eloquently written, and with such powerful emotion.