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xplodybrain's review against another edition
3.0
My first Erdrich book. The writing, without a doubt, is spectacular. This particular novel was written as a series of little vignettes that were sometimes a bit jarring in their abruptness. My favorite was the middle when the reader gets some history surrounding the painted drum. Good pick for folks looking for some light magical realism in addition to a bit Native American lore, but I'm told, a departure from the author's normal style.
annexelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
for school
sbb42's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
slerner310's review against another edition
4.0
Another beautiful Louise Erdrich novel. The drum is so palpable and real to me in this novel, that at one point I put it down and waited until I wasn't alone in the apartment to finish reading it. I was struck, again, by how she loves her characters, even though she provides clear-eyed unsentimental portraits of their faults and strengths. Many strands that deal with parenthood, even more than love, sex and marriage, that show how, so often in our lives we remain someone's child or parent, and how those relationships shift as you yourself grow and change. The greatest gift, and the most freeing, in this book is the forgiveness of a parent by a child. I find Erdrich's world view most comforting, very much a a vision in line with YL Peretz' "goldene keyt" (Golden Chain), where we are inextricably linked to the past and our future, and happiest if e know and acknowledge that fact.
yarnylibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this book up while out of town in order to have something gripping to read on a long flight home. It did not disappoint.
Louise Erdrich is the master of interlocking storylines. I love seeing how her characters weave a web of relationships across time. In this novel, we meet the powerful Fleur Pillager (who features in other works, such as Tracks) as a baby. We also get a sense of how those who leave the reservation are still tied to it, whether or not they understand how.
The story begins in New Hampshire, where an estate sale specialist of Ojibwe descent steals a drum that turns up in the attic of an Indian agent's descendant. The drum is returned to the reservation, where its healing power is restored. We hear the story of how the drum was made years earlier, and we hear how several children are saved by it. The narrative moves from character to character, each affected by the drum in some way. There is a sense of great symmetry in this book. I almost feel I should re-read it and map the storylines in order to see it more fully.
But for now, I remain awash in Erdrich's language, which has the uncanny effect of focusing simultaneously on the minute and the grand. I marked a lot of passages that struck me; here is one good example from early in the novel. The narrator, Faye, is describing the road on which she lives:
The order that rewards the patient watcher... Erdrich's books are steeped in that. I often feel I only get a glimpse of the full effect.
There are so many other details that stick in my mind... the extreme poverty of Ira and her children, who resort to drinking cough medicine and sweeping crumbs from between the shelf paper and the shelf in order to stave off hunger; the anguish of a husband jilted by his wife, who lost their older daughter while running away from her husband and son; a father whose favoritism toward one daughter cost him her life and left the other haunted.
There was a time in my life when I could claim to have read all of Erdrich's works. Somehow a few have slipped past me in more recent years. I intend to backtrack and remedy that. I'd love to spend a summer rereading everything. Hmmmm.......
Louise Erdrich is the master of interlocking storylines. I love seeing how her characters weave a web of relationships across time. In this novel, we meet the powerful Fleur Pillager (who features in other works, such as Tracks) as a baby. We also get a sense of how those who leave the reservation are still tied to it, whether or not they understand how.
The story begins in New Hampshire, where an estate sale specialist of Ojibwe descent steals a drum that turns up in the attic of an Indian agent's descendant. The drum is returned to the reservation, where its healing power is restored. We hear the story of how the drum was made years earlier, and we hear how several children are saved by it. The narrative moves from character to character, each affected by the drum in some way. There is a sense of great symmetry in this book. I almost feel I should re-read it and map the storylines in order to see it more fully.
But for now, I remain awash in Erdrich's language, which has the uncanny effect of focusing simultaneously on the minute and the grand. I marked a lot of passages that struck me; here is one good example from early in the novel. The narrator, Faye, is describing the road on which she lives:
From the air, our road must look like a ball of rope flung down haphazardly, a thing of inscrutable loops and half-finished question marks. But there is order in it to reward the patient watcher. In the beginning, the road is paved, although the material is of a grade inferior to the main highway's asphalt. When the town votes swing toward committing more money to road upkeep, it is coated with light gravel. Over the course of a summer's heat, the bits of stone are pressed into the softened tar, making a smooth surface for the cars to pick up speed. By midwinter, the frost creeps beneath the road and flexes, creating heaves that force the cars to slow again. I'm glad when that happens, for children walk this road to the bus stop below. They walk past with their dogs, wearing puffy jackets of saturated brilliance - hot pink, hot yellow, hot blue. They change shape and grow before my eyes, becoming the young drivers of fast cars who barely miss the smaller children, who, in their turn, grow up and drive away from here. (4)
The order that rewards the patient watcher... Erdrich's books are steeped in that. I often feel I only get a glimpse of the full effect.
There are so many other details that stick in my mind... the extreme poverty of Ira and her children, who resort to drinking cough medicine and sweeping crumbs from between the shelf paper and the shelf in order to stave off hunger; the anguish of a husband jilted by his wife, who lost their older daughter while running away from her husband and son; a father whose favoritism toward one daughter cost him her life and left the other haunted.
There was a time in my life when I could claim to have read all of Erdrich's works. Somehow a few have slipped past me in more recent years. I intend to backtrack and remedy that. I'd love to spend a summer rereading everything. Hmmmm.......
kmeents's review against another edition
4.0
3.5-4*. The writing and story were so beautiful, and this book was such an unexpected find from a German YouTuber recommendation of all places! The story had a bit of an unfinished feeling, and the transitions to the different story lines were so abrupt I really had to pay attention, but overall, I really enjoyed it!
amandahollander26's review against another edition
4.0
Louise Erdrich through and through-- wonderful story-telling that includes some of our favorite characters along with some great New England ones as well.
rhughes7's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book because I really enjoyed Erdrich’s memoir Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country, and found her voice intimately honest. In the Painted Drum, however, I was struck by a strangely jerky and disconnected tone. The story is told through different narrators, who do not initially seem to fit together, but are all impacted by the drum. I thought the connections were a little bit loose, which made for a series of short stories rather than a cohesive narrative. At first I did not like the book at all, but about two thirds of the way through, the plot picked up and I found it more enjoyable by the end.
tashabye's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I did it, I completed the Love Medicine series! I really enjoyed most of the books, just one didn't really grab my attention so overall, a beautifully written series of books.
This one started off dark and depressing and I can't say that really ever changed but there was certainly hope at the end so it's worth reading. Once we got into the history of the drum and the people involved, I was finally more engaged although I didn't connect as much to these characters as to previous Love Medicine characters. A couple people from the other books were mentioned though and it was nice to reconnect with them, if even for just a little while. I enjoyed this ending to the series.
This one started off dark and depressing and I can't say that really ever changed but there was certainly hope at the end so it's worth reading. Once we got into the history of the drum and the people involved, I was finally more engaged although I didn't connect as much to these characters as to previous Love Medicine characters. A couple people from the other books were mentioned though and it was nice to reconnect with them, if even for just a little while. I enjoyed this ending to the series.
urfavpunk's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content