Reviews

The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich

dreadpirateroberts's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

meromenesko's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nae1226's review against another edition

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5.0

coming of age; contemporary Native American; young boy searches for the truth; complicates family

jenmulsow's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

kiramke's review against another edition

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4.0

Erdrich is excellent, so clear and so subtle. I have a hard time seeing her books without looking at the whole, even though I did enjoy some volumes more than others; because they each give a new perspective on pieces of the others. It's such a great way to remind me that there's always more I don't know. This part of the story is a reflection on loss and healing, without the ponderousness that usually implies.

silodear's review against another edition

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5.0

Ughhhhh. She kills me with her writing. I loved the first person narrative of this book. The story was so deeply interwoven (even more so than I'm used to with Erdrich) and engaging. I couldn't put this book down and loved the themes of grief and healing and the ways that she complicated these already complex experiences. She's the best.

anderson65's review against another edition

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4.0

"...live their disorder to completion..."

"credit-bought car"

tschmitty's review against another edition

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3.0

Some of the prose was lovely, but I thought the narrative grew choppy as the story of the drum history unfolded.

angief65's review against another edition

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5.0

Great book super on audio as anything by Anna Fields is. Read for our library book club.

bailorg's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25