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marciag's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
spacebras's review against another edition
4.0
Nebraska Library Commission Book Club Spotlight - November 7th, 2024
We are introduced to Jack Mauser on the day he met, married, and lost his first wife. Now, years later, his four other ex-wives gather together after tragedy and find themselves retracing the steps of their predecessor. Dot, the last wife; Candice, the young mother; Marlis, the dentist; and Eleanor, the only one who still loves him. All four women, unable to cut themselves entirely from Mauser, were taken in at one point or another by his earnest but selfish ways. Stuck in Jack’s car during a blizzard, they recall their relationships with the man as wild and passionate as the storm outside.
Tales of Burning Love is about more than just blind, passionate love. It follows the trauma of loss, ruinous devotion, and religious ecstasy. The stories the wives tell intermingle and blow with the raging storm outside. While Jack Mauser may be at the center of each story, his involvement, and true nature shape and lead the women far beyond his reach. Their hopes and aspirations start or end at his feet. For Adult Book Club Groups looking for stories to curl up with as the weather gets colder, Erdrich’s prose and darkly humorous storytelling are enough to keep you burning through any storm.
We are introduced to Jack Mauser on the day he met, married, and lost his first wife. Now, years later, his four other ex-wives gather together after tragedy and find themselves retracing the steps of their predecessor. Dot, the last wife; Candice, the young mother; Marlis, the dentist; and Eleanor, the only one who still loves him. All four women, unable to cut themselves entirely from Mauser, were taken in at one point or another by his earnest but selfish ways. Stuck in Jack’s car during a blizzard, they recall their relationships with the man as wild and passionate as the storm outside.
“Love is brutalizing, a raw force, frail as blossoms, tough as a catgut wire.”
- LOUISE ERDRICH
Tales of Burning Love is about more than just blind, passionate love. It follows the trauma of loss, ruinous devotion, and religious ecstasy. The stories the wives tell intermingle and blow with the raging storm outside. While Jack Mauser may be at the center of each story, his involvement, and true nature shape and lead the women far beyond his reach. Their hopes and aspirations start or end at his feet. For Adult Book Club Groups looking for stories to curl up with as the weather gets colder, Erdrich’s prose and darkly humorous storytelling are enough to keep you burning through any storm.
lindenblatt's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
dllh's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of the language was good but so much of the middle part of the book in particular read as if it was written by an alien who had heard rumors about human beings and maybe seen a soap opera or two but didn't know how real people speak or behave. These parts were cringeworthy and really made the book a dud for me.
raesengele's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Infertility
Minor: Body shaming
Animal abuse is over the course of two chapters (pgs 272-295) and animal death is pages 294-295). It's a very small part of the story, but it's graphic enough that I would have liked to have had some warning. At least one character is very clearly bi, but everyone, even the narration consistently insists on referring to her as a lesbian. I'm erring on giving it a pass since this was written in the 90s which was a notoriously biphobic era, but it's still uncomfortable every time it comes up.sittingwishingreading's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
laneamagya's review against another edition
3.0
I think this is the weakest Erdrich novel I've read so far. In short, it's the story of a man named Jack, who drives his businesses and marriages to fail, and of several women who marry him. I love two of the characters, Dot and Eleanor, but I'm not sure why the others are appealing to anyone. The prose is lovely in parts, a touch overdone in others, but very good as a whole. The structure is intriguing, as are most of Erdrich's books, because she reveals more about each character in little treasures hidden throughout the chapters. She is an elegant writer, and I guess this is her most inelegant work because a few of her characters seem less appealing than I want them to. It's still worth reading, though.
careinthelibrary's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
A new top favourite of Erdrich's works. Resolution for so many characters that we've met along the way. Cannot wait to branch out from the Love Medicine series and meet new folks, but I'll miss those little glimpses, mentions of Lyman, Leopolda, Fleur, Dot.
The Love Medicine series is seven titles of interwoven town saga, intergenerational family narrative, pure magic on the page. It handles indigenous spirituality, love (familial, platonic, romantic) and desire, the importance of connection to the land and the wisdom of elder generations, trauma of colonization and white settlement, revenge and restoration. It's a series for all times. I simply adored it.
This volume, Tales of Burning Love, is the final novel in the series. It was phenomenal, one of my favourites in the series and a new favourite novel of all time (not that I recommend reading this out of sequence). It rivals Tracks for nuance of writing and plotting and The Bingo Palace for loveable, memorable characters. I gave it 4.5 stars purely because it took a little while to get going and I was antsy for more of the wives stuff, the same rating I gave the forementioned.
As a series, this is 5+++ stars. One of my newest favourite authors, newest favourite series, and one I will continue to recommend til I'm as old as Nanapush. Not just for the series itself but for the friendships I've built around reading these books with friends. Immeasurable joys and learning from these books.
A new top favourite of Erdrich's works. Resolution for so many characters that we've met along the way. Cannot wait to branch out from the Love Medicine series and meet new folks, but I'll miss those little glimpses, mentions of Lyman, Leopolda, Fleur, Dot.
The Love Medicine series is seven titles of interwoven town saga, intergenerational family narrative, pure magic on the page. It handles indigenous spirituality, love (familial, platonic, romantic) and desire, the importance of connection to the land and the wisdom of elder generations, trauma of colonization and white settlement, revenge and restoration. It's a series for all times. I simply adored it.
This volume, Tales of Burning Love, is the final novel in the series. It was phenomenal, one of my favourites in the series and a new favourite novel of all time (not that I recommend reading this out of sequence). It rivals Tracks for nuance of writing and plotting and The Bingo Palace for loveable, memorable characters. I gave it 4.5 stars purely because it took a little while to get going and I was antsy for more of the wives stuff, the same rating I gave the forementioned.
As a series, this is 5+++ stars. One of my newest favourite authors, newest favourite series, and one I will continue to recommend til I'm as old as Nanapush. Not just for the series itself but for the friendships I've built around reading these books with friends. Immeasurable joys and learning from these books.
thesearethebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75