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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
So my Goodreads hates me because every time I go to submit a review, it deletes it...
...which frustrates me. And then, if I do rewrite the review, it's not nearly as complete or put-together.
I ended this book with a "what.the.fuck.[just happened]." I really wanted this book to work for me. The story of Peter Lake & Beverly, described in the blurb of the book is, unfortunately, mostly only the first 150-200 pages of the book. What follows in about 600 pages of all-over-the-place storyline with a variety of different unconnected characters that were, for the most part, uninteresting to me. Just about 100 pages from the end, it seemed as if the story was pulling itself together... only to end in an anticlimactic resolution (or non-resolution?).
I feel like maybe there was something I just didn't grasp here, considering all the positive reviews. To me, the author was seemingly writing under the influence. I could definitely see a really great writer underneath it all, really great sentences and areas/ideas but the overall storyline was all over the place. Some of the negative reviews were not fans of over-the-top sentence structure. I can handle over-the-top flowery descriptions, and usually tend to favor them, but Helprin's storytelling could have used some organization. Or maybe he could've separated this "tale" into multiple "tales."
...which frustrates me. And then, if I do rewrite the review, it's not nearly as complete or put-together.
I ended this book with a "what.the.fuck.[just happened]." I really wanted this book to work for me. The story of Peter Lake & Beverly, described in the blurb of the book is, unfortunately, mostly only the first 150-200 pages of the book. What follows in about 600 pages of all-over-the-place storyline with a variety of different unconnected characters that were, for the most part, uninteresting to me. Just about 100 pages from the end, it seemed as if the story was pulling itself together... only to end in an anticlimactic resolution (or non-resolution?).
I feel like maybe there was something I just didn't grasp here, considering all the positive reviews. To me, the author was seemingly writing under the influence. I could definitely see a really great writer underneath it all, really great sentences and areas/ideas but the overall storyline was all over the place. Some of the negative reviews were not fans of over-the-top sentence structure. I can handle over-the-top flowery descriptions, and usually tend to favor them, but Helprin's storytelling could have used some organization. Or maybe he could've separated this "tale" into multiple "tales."
slow-paced
I very much enjoyed the story, though I admit that I skimmed some of the more descriptive parts of the book. I was satisfied by the somewhat ambiguous ending, which surprised me. A good read, and much better than the movie by the same name.
I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. I can say with certainty that if you want to read it, be sure you devote enough time to it. It can be very slow moving, and I would describe it as a "slog". But, there are several instances of beautiful imagery, and, if you are a native of NYC, this book is for you.
I was disappointed by the end. After devoting SO much time to reading a book that felt like actual work, I hope for a bit more than "Well, you'll just have to decide." WHAT?
I also spent a lot of my reading time feeling unsure in which era the action was set. Helprin's 1983 idea of what 1999 would look like was very similar to his description of Victorian New York. And, for being the central character, Peter Lake wasn't present for very much.
In short, Winter's Tale is a book without a real story. Maybe I'm becoming disenchanted with extensive exposition in my old age, but it seems to me Helprin could have written an equally lovely ode to NYC in a shorter form - like an essay or poem. Maybe if I had ever been to NYC, I could better appreciate the prose.
Also, I would have liked to have an answer to the bigger question: WTF? It felt similar to CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, in terms of metaphysicality and religious subtext, but there was no clear indication that this was the case.
I guess what I'm saying boils down to this: I didn't especially enjoy Winter's Tale but I feel like I could have.
I was disappointed by the end. After devoting SO much time to reading a book that felt like actual work, I hope for a bit more than "Well, you'll just have to decide." WHAT?
I also spent a lot of my reading time feeling unsure in which era the action was set. Helprin's 1983 idea of what 1999 would look like was very similar to his description of Victorian New York. And, for being the central character, Peter Lake wasn't present for very much.
In short, Winter's Tale is a book without a real story. Maybe I'm becoming disenchanted with extensive exposition in my old age, but it seems to me Helprin could have written an equally lovely ode to NYC in a shorter form - like an essay or poem. Maybe if I had ever been to NYC, I could better appreciate the prose.
Also, I would have liked to have an answer to the bigger question: WTF? It felt similar to CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, in terms of metaphysicality and religious subtext, but there was no clear indication that this was the case.
I guess what I'm saying boils down to this: I didn't especially enjoy Winter's Tale but I feel like I could have.
I'm being generous when I give this book 2 stars and this is only due to the fact the Helprin while an excellent writer is a horrible novelist. I found myself on every fifth page wondering what happened to the plot. It seems to be hidden amongst the imagery, metaphors and the unyielding sentence structures. This book could have been a great love story summed up in 200 pages; however, Helprin drags on a story about...a white horse? gangs? New York? love? a cloud wall?...I'm still not sure...for 800 pages! If this is on your TBR list - skip it and read the summary on Spark Notes.
I hate it when there are too many words. And this is one of those books. I mean, some books need a lot of words,but this.....this is just gah.
I'm going to be generous and give this book two stars, because I was engaged in the first 30-40%. After that, it became a huge struggle to finish this book because I just could not get interested the next parts. I'm sure I missed a lot of things in this book because honestly I was just skimming to completion. Too many things introduced/started and then not explained properly for my taste.
challenging
slow-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:
No
This was a very disappointing read for me. It was long, it was disjointed, and the story made no sense at points, and I leave this behind still confused about why certain things were mentioned and why they had happened. I do remember enjoying the movie, but the book was, honestly, a mess. I might just not be the right audience for this (which is a surprise as I tend to read EVERYTHING within the fantasy genre) and it just didn't work for me.
Absolutely no idea how this ended up in my to read list, and it is sort of a fluke that I ended up reading it now. it’s a very long fantasy romp, centering around New York City, some immortals maybe, some strange, ill defined time travel concepts, and not a terribly cohesive central plot. The first half of the book was pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed the second half less.
I just want to say right off the bat that I don't think Mark Helprin is a bad writer. I actually thought that the writing in and of itself in this book was quite beautiful and poetic. Frankly, what really made this an unenjoyable read for me was how damn long the book was. I really think that Helprin spent too much time dallying with backstories (ranging from characters that appear for only one chapter to the histories of entire buildings), which took away from the pacing of the main plot (which was a little too confusing and abstract in parts for my taste). Overall, this story came across as unfocused and a lot longer than it needed to be.
Again, to Helprin's credit, he writes beautifully, but good writing can only take you so far in a 750-page story that more than wore out its welcome by the 500-page mark.
Again, to Helprin's credit, he writes beautifully, but good writing can only take you so far in a 750-page story that more than wore out its welcome by the 500-page mark.