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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
One of the very, very few books I've read multiple times...magical.
this is my very favorite work of modern fiction. so far, i have not found anything i have enjoyed better. it is fantastical, noir, romantic, and exciting. i like to look across the san francisco bay to the west and see the cloudbank roll in over the peninsula hills and think about the world of the people who live there.
if you liked '100 years of solitude', you will probably like this book too.
if you liked '100 years of solitude', you will probably like this book too.
Wasn't nearly as impressed with this book as I had hoped to be. While the premise was promising, the story didn't pull me in as it should have. I really had to struggle to get through the long blocks of description, but, more importantly, I failed to connect with the characters, which means I didn't really care what happened to them or why. Therefore, the story lacked tension.
I will not be adding this one to my keeper shelf.
I will not be adding this one to my keeper shelf.
I've read this a number of times over the years and the magic never fades. The imagery, the magical realism, the wintery landscapes... just beautiful. And the love story between Peter Lake and Beverley Penn, though not a dominant story line in the book, stays with you well after finishing the last line. It was with Winter's Tale in mind that I travelled to New York City and sat in Grand Central Terminal and looked at the ceiling, seeing Athansor (a pure white flying horse) up there with the lights, knowing Peter Lake was up there somewhere. I also named my motorcycle after Athansor. This book is a love story to NYC, and it captured it beautifully.
I tried twice to get through this book. After getting lost numerous times and really not sure what the hell was going on, I have given up. Life is too short to read books that don't make sense.
Maybe I didn't read this at the right time in my life?
I enjoyed the story. It was a bit more fantasy than I typically read, but there was enough real life happening that I keep chugging along. I did feel at one point that this book would never end. I’m glad to have this one checked off my “to-read” list.
This seemed like a book I would like. The writing is very pretty and evocative. But the plot is lacking. If you want to read a book with great atmosphere, this is it. If you are a hopeless romantic who loves impractical love stories, this is it. Otherwise, probably not for you.
This book took me FOREVER to get through. Sometimes it takes me awhile to finish a book because I started it somewhere and had to leave it there - or because I'm savoring it - or some other more mysterious reason. This one? This one just felt SLOW. I couldn't bring myself to care all that much. Now, I like a good magical realist fantasy as much as the next guy, probably more. And I enjoy a good historical novel, as well. All the better if you put both those things together. But not in this case. I spent most of my time reading this book confused. Is this historical? Is it fantastical? Is it mythic? What's the story here? Whose story is this really? In the end, it seemed to be some combination of Peter Lake, his horse and New York itself. However. The narrative thrust changed so many times and so many characters got introduced with their own extended back stories from whole different worlds, that I thought I was reading a book of short stories for a while there.
There are a million good ideas in this novel. They're just all crammed up next to each other in prose that says "I"m pretty! I'm lovely descriptive language! Notice me!"
It had some great moments, which is why I didn't give up on it, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it.
Also, why call your book "Winter's Tale" when there's a much more famous play with the same title?
One of the many things I didn't understand about this book. . .
There are a million good ideas in this novel. They're just all crammed up next to each other in prose that says "I"m pretty! I'm lovely descriptive language! Notice me!"
It had some great moments, which is why I didn't give up on it, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it.
Also, why call your book "Winter's Tale" when there's a much more famous play with the same title?
One of the many things I didn't understand about this book. . .