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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book very much. I haven't read any others by Patchett, but I'm going to. In a mere 24 hours we were given a glimpse into a family and learned so much about them. The characters were amazing and well developed. I recommend it.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Run was part commentary on social/racial issues and part exploration of the meaning of family. Even though I enjoyed the discussion at the book group I read it for, I don't feel like the book really taught me anything. It was an interesting plot with unexpected twists and a happy ending, but I never felt drawn into the story or connected to any character.
Not quite as riveting as Bel Canto, but still very good. Some beautiful characters, again, brought together through very unlikely circumstances, again. Patchett's talent is making the story seem believable.
I loved Tip's fascination with fish and all the descriptions related to fish. The scenes in Tip's office and at Tip's graduation contain my favorite descriptions.
I cried at the end. I'm still not sure why. I'll be re-reading this one.
(From 2007 recommended books.)
I loved Tip's fascination with fish and all the descriptions related to fish. The scenes in Tip's office and at Tip's graduation contain my favorite descriptions.
I cried at the end. I'm still not sure why. I'll be re-reading this one.
(From 2007 recommended books.)
I’d forgotten how much I love reading Ann Patchett books! This moving and surprising story centers on an upper middle class Boston family. The white father, a former politician, is a widow with one birth son and two adopted black sons. The surprising story, filled with twists and turns, is made even better by the character development. I could picture each character, and went through so many emotions with each of them. An unusual series of events makes perfect sense of a crazy story. I couldn’t wait to finish, but was sad when it was over.
I love Ann Patchett, and though she's a wonderful writer, this book has not aged well. Even though it's short (somewhere around 300 pages), it seems to drag. The action, such as it is, takes place mostly in the span of 24 hours, but because we never get to know or care very much about the characters, the lack of plot to drive the narrative makes it slow going -- much like the endless descriptions of people making their way to and from places in a Boston snowstorm. Most problematically, though, this book shows why white writers should think long and hard before writing a book about Black characters. There is one sentence in the entire book that hints at how hard it must have been for Teddy and Tip to be raised as Black boys in a very white environment by white parents. Worst of all, every black woman in the book has to die so that her child will be raised by a good white family and thus have a happier life. If you're cringing now, you should be; I was.
I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was a good novel with great characters. It wasn't mesmerizing like "Bel Canto" but it was enjoyable. Patchett has a talent for describing human emotion in a very real way.