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thart3's review against another edition
1.0
The premise was solid, but the book was long and very dry.
ncteixeira's review against another edition
5.0
I had a hardcover edition sitting on my shelves, since this book won the 2002 Giller Prize.
To be honest, I don’t think that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did now, 22 years later.
The majority of my friends absolutely hated this book, so I was expecting to be bored. But I was surprisingly blown away by the storytelling.
I was completely hooked and fascinated from the beginning to the end.
Although its development is a slow one, I didn’t feel a moment of boredom.
How delightful!
And the audiobook narrated by Robin Miles is fantastic!
I did read and listened to the audiobook simultaneously. What a a double joy!
The storytelling is superb!
The descriptions are beautifully detailed. Even the passion and lust were captured perfectly.
But there are also heartbreaking and shocking accounts.
This is not a book of action or a thriller, and I know it will not please everyone, but I loved everything about it.
The main character introduces interesting characters through out her accounts of her life and what she knows about other generations.
It’s practically a monologue (there are plenty of dialogues through her accounts).
The conclusion, although gory, was perfect, especially after so many years of abuse.
In this book, the power of memory is the real focus.
I think that what really drawn me to this is that I could feel a lot of heart within the pages. It’s a work of love.
PS. this author was born in Barbados and used to live in Toronto, where he passed away on June 26, 2016.
Hardcover (2002 edition) by Thomas Allen Publishesers: 462 pages (there are no author’s notes, acknowledgments, introduction or foreword) - this was the edition I read.
Ebook (Kobo -original edition): 538 pages (default), 156k words
Ebook (Kobo -20th a edition - with a new foreword by Rinaldo Walcott): 592 pages (default), 161k words (I may go to the bookstore just to read the foreword)
Audiobook narrated by Robin Miles: 18.8 hours (normal speed) - highly recommended
alisonjfields's review against another edition
4.0
A poetic, meandering confession, the novel evokes the tropics in nearly every syllable, to the point that I could smell the sea and feel the hot, wet air. For a book that deals explicitly with the violence and brutality of post-slavery plantation life, "The Polished Hoe" is occasionally, oddly, sweet and more than a little dreamy. The more I think about it, the better I think this book was, but it takes a good long while to wander back to the point.
patlanders's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
mjenkins's review against another edition
2.0
Tough to read (both in content and style of writing). less of a “murder mystery” than I was hoping for, and more of a tale of two characters who have been intertwined their whole lives yet completely separated by choices both made by them and to them in a post-war British colony.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
2 STARS
"When Mary-Mathilda, one of the most respected women of the island of Bimshire (also known as Barbados) calls the police to confess to a crime, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the island's African past and the tragic legacy of colonialism in one epic sweep.
Set in the West Indies in the period following World War II, The Polished Hoe -- an Essence bestseller and a Washington Post Book World Most Worthy Book of 2003 -- unravels over the course of twenty-four hours but spans the collective experience of a society characterized by slavery." (From Amazon)
While the storyline was interesting I found it really hard to get through. The descriptions and dialogue were long and not engaging. I did finish the novel though.
"When Mary-Mathilda, one of the most respected women of the island of Bimshire (also known as Barbados) calls the police to confess to a crime, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the island's African past and the tragic legacy of colonialism in one epic sweep.
Set in the West Indies in the period following World War II, The Polished Hoe -- an Essence bestseller and a Washington Post Book World Most Worthy Book of 2003 -- unravels over the course of twenty-four hours but spans the collective experience of a society characterized by slavery." (From Amazon)
While the storyline was interesting I found it really hard to get through. The descriptions and dialogue were long and not engaging. I did finish the novel though.
silverthorn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Slavery, Murder, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Torture, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism and Racial slurs
Minor: Child death, Incest, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Abortion
megan_prairierose's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. This book drove me crazy, the writing style, the story line, etc. Too slow, meandering all over the place, not a book to try reading on the train in the morning. My conclusion, I found it hard to connect with any of the characters, and I found myself skimming through pages because I couldn't be bothered to actually read an entire page through. How did this novel win a prize??
passionyoungwrites's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Now, if you’re into a long history lesson and tales of a plantation, this may be enjoyable. Though, I must say it didn’t get interesting until Part Three. The book is in parts, and not chapters.
I did enjoy Tilda’s recollection of events starting with her first meeting with the plantation owner, Bellfeels, and their “relationship” that led to her having his children. And how her position changed from field hand to working closer to the Main House.
She confided in the Sargent about many things that went on within the island and on the Plantation. Much he knew nothing about, even as the police.
⚡️
This story is a tale of inherited hatred due to circumstances that are merely out of your control - in a sense. Learning to deal with what life gives you, but also seeing the advantages that come with certain positions. Though, the struggles were still present. Tilda saw and held secrets, until she couldn’t bare anymore. Hence the crime she committed.
⚡️
The best part of this story was to know that her son, Wilberforce, went to school to be a doctor and traveled a lot. Bringing back knowledge that Tilda would never cross in her everyday life on the plantation.
This was a sure reminder than whether a person is working inside or outside on a plantation - the trauma still finds deep.