Scan barcode
lachelle45's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lelia_t's review against another edition
4.0
Perfect if you’re looking for a quietly enjoyable read. Just when I would think we were ramping up for trauma drama, we weren’t. And I like that.
Will is a good man who’s been pulled and prodded by others, but is learning to trust and act from his own understanding. Throughout the book, Will’s childhood memories help us - and him - understand both his feeling of disconnection from others and the source of his compassion as he witnesses the struggles of the adults around him, especially the women. Having returned to Medicine River, a town he lived in as a boy, Will is learning to navigate the swirl of rumors, gossip and stories that bind this close-knit community together, and finding ways to forge meaningful connections of his own. Most of the gossip and sense of togetherness is sustained by Will’s friend Harlen, who uses information and misinformation to keep the community he holds dear bound together by acts of kindness, good intentions, and compassionate acceptance.
Will is a good man who’s been pulled and prodded by others, but is learning to trust and act from his own understanding. Throughout the book, Will’s childhood memories help us - and him - understand both his feeling of disconnection from others and the source of his compassion as he witnesses the struggles of the adults around him, especially the women. Having returned to Medicine River, a town he lived in as a boy, Will is learning to navigate the swirl of rumors, gossip and stories that bind this close-knit community together, and finding ways to forge meaningful connections of his own. Most of the gossip and sense of togetherness is sustained by Will’s friend Harlen, who uses information and misinformation to keep the community he holds dear bound together by acts of kindness, good intentions, and compassionate acceptance.
heeyitsamy's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jburnford's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
pshepp's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
novemberscorpio's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
braggu's review against another edition
4.0
Schön, liest sich gut. Verglichen mit Coyote tanzt "nur" ein gutes Buch.
emjay2021's review against another edition
4.0
I will be using this as a required text in my First Peoples English course (it's being offered for the first time in January! Yikes!). Medicine River is a quiet novel; at first glance it's just a series of anecdotes about the narrator, Will, and his family and friends. It seems at first like not much happens (see some of the very disappointed reviews of this book on Goodreads!), but I think it is actually a powerful meditation on many themes pertaining to contemporary Aboriginal life in Canada: identity, tradition, sovereignty, the legacy of colonialism. It also has plenty to say in general about friendship, families, and romantic love. Of course, Thomas King's excellent writing and dry, subtle wit are reason alone to read it.
I chose Medicine River as my assigned text before King's Governor General Award was announced, so I feel pretty prescient!
I chose Medicine River as my assigned text before King's Governor General Award was announced, so I feel pretty prescient!
crunchycrystals's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, Death of parent, Suicide, and Gun violence
mnboyer's review against another edition
4.0
This is a story about Will, who returns home to the small community of Medicine River to attend his mother's funeral and perhaps take care of a few last second messy details. Will has no real plans to "return home" permanently, as he is a photographer that has been gainfully employed elsewhere. Yet he runs into Harlen Bigbear, a type of guide that takes it upon himself to take care of community issues (whether people ask or not).
There is a great love story here, one that is quite complex on levels that readers will think about after the story ends. I am a fan of Thomas King, and really do think that this is one of his greatest novels. For those interested, it was adapted into a made-for-tv movie that is pretty good.
There is a great love story here, one that is quite complex on levels that readers will think about after the story ends. I am a fan of Thomas King, and really do think that this is one of his greatest novels. For those interested, it was adapted into a made-for-tv movie that is pretty good.