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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
emotional
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:
No
Enjoyed it! Predictable in parts, but not in others.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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
Finished this in 2022, but decided to move it back as I felt like I would be cheating on my reading challenge for the year. Patchett is such an intricate writer. I always imagine the amount of research involved; this time it was fish. Of course, I loved Kenya as the hero, and I enjoyed some of the unfinished business at the end of the book. Those are my favorite endings — when it’s NOT wrapped up with a tidy bow.
I just finished reading "Run" last week. I loved "Bel Canto", so I was excited about the new book. I even bought it new in hardcover and everything. I started reading it, despite being in the middle of "Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks. I tore through the book. All I wanted to do was go home and read.
It is one of those books that reveals the sadness that lies right underneath happiness. It makes me think something about how rich and beautiful life can be although our lives may not be lives we would have chosen. The characters, including a white ex-politicain father and his adopted African-American sons, are all... what's the opposite of stereotypical? They are unique, individual, flawed, detailed - without being self-consciously "quirky" characters. They feel real.
Ann Patchett seems to have a thing about running. One day last week, I was telling my honey about my favorite part of "Bel Canto", which is this gorgeous scene where these people who have been hostages and trapped inside get to go outside. One man starts running circles around the building and others join him. This obviously doesn't describe what was gorgeous about the scene, but I will just say that it took my breath away and that it captures something about the freedom in running. The day after I was talking about this scene, I read a stunning scene about running in "Run". It's a bit of a theme, I guess.
But anyway, it's beautiful and puts into words a primal joy of being alive.
It is one of those books that reveals the sadness that lies right underneath happiness. It makes me think something about how rich and beautiful life can be although our lives may not be lives we would have chosen. The characters, including a white ex-politicain father and his adopted African-American sons, are all... what's the opposite of stereotypical? They are unique, individual, flawed, detailed - without being self-consciously "quirky" characters. They feel real.
Ann Patchett seems to have a thing about running. One day last week, I was telling my honey about my favorite part of "Bel Canto", which is this gorgeous scene where these people who have been hostages and trapped inside get to go outside. One man starts running circles around the building and others join him. This obviously doesn't describe what was gorgeous about the scene, but I will just say that it took my breath away and that it captures something about the freedom in running. The day after I was talking about this scene, I read a stunning scene about running in "Run". It's a bit of a theme, I guess.
But anyway, it's beautiful and puts into words a primal joy of being alive.
Thoroughly enjoyable vacation read. I agree characters are more one dimensional, but I liked having a book full of likable people for once. I’m closed to being through my Patchett back log, and this one will be towards the top.
I got this one from the library's 'blind date' where in the books were wrapped so it was a surprise. I was all 'wow, this is fun.' Opened it read the blurb and when 'oh, doesn't sound like my thing.' Read and it went 'wow, this isn't good. At. All.'
Partially this is so not my sort of story. I don't particularly like contemporary family dramas. But then it layered on things I hate. Racial divides, class division, politics and religion. If I were to picture hell it would be me having to listen to those four things (especially the latter two) all day. I see enough of this drama daily, why would I want to read more?
But that's not really why I gave it the low rating. I could write that off as me reading out of my comfort zone. I just didn't find the plot believable. We have a Caucasian former mayor of Boston, his actual son, the blacksheep that he's more or less written off, and his two adopted African-American sons and him being SO disappointed one wants to be an ichytologist and one wants to be a priest in spite of him shoveling politics down their throats.
Then the accident happens and Tip is saved by an African-American woman and her daughter is awfully damn calm for seeing Mom just get plowed down by a car. It doesn't get any more interesting as it goes on and it's SO slow. For something titled Run, you expect action. No. This is just plodding family drama (and just how does this woman and her kid spy on this family all the time and they never notice?). I finished it because of the challenge, otherwise well I wouldn't have made it past the cover blurb to be honest.
Partially this is so not my sort of story. I don't particularly like contemporary family dramas. But then it layered on things I hate. Racial divides, class division, politics and religion. If I were to picture hell it would be me having to listen to those four things (especially the latter two) all day. I see enough of this drama daily, why would I want to read more?
But that's not really why I gave it the low rating. I could write that off as me reading out of my comfort zone. I just didn't find the plot believable. We have a Caucasian former mayor of Boston, his actual son, the blacksheep that he's more or less written off, and his two adopted African-American sons and him being SO disappointed one wants to be an ichytologist and one wants to be a priest in spite of him shoveling politics down their throats.
Then the accident happens and Tip is saved by an African-American woman and her daughter is awfully damn calm for seeing Mom just get plowed down by a car. It doesn't get any more interesting as it goes on and it's SO slow. For something titled Run, you expect action. No. This is just plodding family drama (and just how does this woman and her kid spy on this family all the time and they never notice?). I finished it because of the challenge, otherwise well I wouldn't have made it past the cover blurb to be honest.
As much as I like books set in places I know well (Blodgett Pool, Gordon Track, the MCZ), this didn’t do a ton for me... I liked the interesting connections between the characters, but I expected the 24 hours that make up most of the books events to be a bit more... eventful.
Limped to the finish line on this one, but still glad I read it. Definitely not my favorite Patchett novel, but lukewarm Patchett is still better than most other writers’ lukewarm novels. Great characters here, and terrific writing. The story’s just a little thin and includes a couple odd twists.
Ann Patchett's writing is such a pleasure to read. The sympathetic characters she vividly portrays come to life and, even if the plot strains believability a bit in this story of an unlikely family, Patchett's characters reveal their emotions through words, body language, and action and become something you may not initially predict. The Boston setting is ever-present but not overwhelming and the ending provides some unexpected, but believable, elements.