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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Very cool, very powerful novel made of (slightly) interconnected stories surrounding the political violence in Haiti in the 1980s. The characters, though you encounter them for only short gasps of time, are well developed and at times break your heart.
In the end, the only question that remains is, Would you forgive him?
My answer is no.
In the end, the only question that remains is, Would you forgive him?
My answer is no.
The Dew Breaker is not quite a novel, not quite a selection of short stories. Some of them are connected to the eponymous character who served as a torturer under the Duvalier regime in Haiti; others don't seem to connect at all. (Or perhaps too obscurely for me to connect the dots; rereading might make connections more obvious.) Danticat's writing style is clean, elegant and descriptive, but it lacked something I can't quite put my finger on—a certain level of emotion, perhaps. Given the subject matter, I should have been in a constant state of quiet horror while I read, but I never felt more than vaguely interested in the fate of any of the characters, nor did I think the ending was an appropriate payoff (perhaps some people really might behave that way under trauma, but I just couldn't suspend my disbelief). Still, given the strength of her prose, I would try more work of Danticat's.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is well written, covering a topic I do not know much about. The emotions and realities of people recovering from severe trauma and the effects on future generations is well explored. The ending was not exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn’t bad. Overall, worth a read.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
This was a very moving book that in some ways felt like a novel with a bunch of short stories in the middle. I was intrigued and at times confused by the author's omission of names except for one or two main characters in most of the chapters. It also forced the reader to work through the moral shades of gray in what most people think are black-or-white situations.
This was my first literary introduction to the Haitian and Haitian-American culture. I love learning about people, history, and geography through story and Ms. Danticat's writing was a great way to dip my toe in. Not an easy read - there were quite a few gruesome/horrific moments - but a challenging story told from the perspective of people on both sides of the Baby Doc regime and the generations that came next.