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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Slow-moving stories, beautiful language that nevertheless never allows readers to truly connect with the characters. Instead, we seem to be left on the outside, never truly allowed into the characters' lives and minds. We are observers of tragedy on the other side of the bulletproof glass, and this emotional disconnect makes these personal tragedies so much less significant and powerful.
Amazing novel by Edwidge Danticat that straddles reality and fiction. It provides a wealth of information on a sorely unknown subject and questions the ability to forgive. Really lovely and recommended to anyone who would like to be awed and humbled at the same time.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Ambitious but probably too much so. The pieces of the story, the many characters we meet without context only served to frustrate me and leave me disjointed. Perhaps it was the backdrop of a busy gym where I read this that kept me from connecting all the dots but even so the author didn't need to make things this puzzling. Beautiful prose and haunting hard to endure imagery but the plot needs work.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Beautiful story! At times it is very confusing just the way it is structured. It is a lot of vignettes and separated sections. I wish I had read it in college with a class to discuss the deeper meaning of it all. Despite some confusion, the language is beautiful and well-crafted.
Wow! Edwidge can do know wrong. Haunting, vivid, breathtaking. I enjoyed this book so much.
This is one of those books that is so easy to read not only because of the flow of the prose, but also because it is a collection of seemingly unrelated stories. It isn't until the end of the novel that you begin to realize that the stories are all related and weave together in a really beautiful, subtle way, telling a more profound story. Makes you want to read it again.
I first heard about Edwidge Danticat after I read that she was speaking at recent Zora Neale Hurston festival. After reading her novel, I understand why she was there. Both authors give a voice to a cultural experience in a style that is unique. When I think of both of these writers, I think of writers dedicated to documenting genuine experience and characters. And, both writers do so without writing that appears overly complex. Danticat's sentences tend to be short and clear, but as you move onto the next one, you often start to ponder on what the previous sentence was really telling you.
I also really love the way she unfolds the story about the central character. We learn from him directly, and we learn from the people whose lives he has most affected. The use of these different perspectives of this one man was an clever way for Danticat to show the complexities of life without having to write a really long novel.
Highly recommend it.
I also really love the way she unfolds the story about the central character. We learn from him directly, and we learn from the people whose lives he has most affected. The use of these different perspectives of this one man was an clever way for Danticat to show the complexities of life without having to write a really long novel.
Highly recommend it.