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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I've enjoyed all three of Towles' books, and this is my favorite so far. I loved his development of the three older boys (Emmett, Woolly, and Duchess) and his perceptiveness in showing how their lived experience culminated in the decisions they make during the 10-day narrative. Young Billy seems a little *too* precocious for his age, and I'm unclear whether we're supposed to read him as on the spectrum, but I loved his relationship with his brother. I was a little uncomfortable with Ulysses, whose character borders on the Magical Negro trope, and who has something of a throw-away ending, but I did enjoy the mythology-linked subplot. Sally irritated the heck out of me, but the audiobook actor may have been partly responsible- she just sounded too peevish to be liked. The settings were exquisitely described, the adventure was top-notch, and there were too many pearls of wisdom to count. Fabulous book.
And now, my one anachronistic peeve: Sally could not have handed Emmett a bag of frozen peas to ease swelling, because the technology needed to make bagged frozen peas didn't exist until the 1960s and wasn't used commonly until later than that. She might have handed him a block of frozen peas in a paperboard carton. /end food scientist rant
And now, my one anachronistic peeve: Sally could not have handed Emmett a bag of frozen peas to ease swelling, because the technology needed to make bagged frozen peas didn't exist until the 1960s and wasn't used commonly until later than that. She might have handed him a block of frozen peas in a paperboard carton. /end food scientist rant
I’m not at all surprised with how much I enjoyed this. Towles is a great storyteller and I particularly love the way he writes children and adult relationships with children. Billy’s interactions with each of the adults in the story brought me so much joy.
5 enthusiastic stars.
5 enthusiastic stars.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminded me of the adventures of Tom Sawyer and huckleberry Finn. Not what I was expecting but it was an entertaining piece of historical fiction.
This is going to be super unpopular…..It took me a week to read less than 200 pages. I FINALLY had to accept that this book wasn’t even close to the hype. Super wordy, boring and I just kept reading the same page over and over and over…..bummer.
An absolutely delightful tale of sorrow, pain, trouble, and joy. A spectacular escapade!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence
Good characters, iffy plot. The plot gets better as the story escalates, but the climax was not great. This was a near miss but still a good read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The worst thing about finishing this book is going to be finding something that can top it. Some reviews have described the storylines as confusing or scattered, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Everything about this novel, its narrators, and references to other adventure stories is impeccably thought out and woven together. A dream of a novel.