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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My heart is full agter readung this beautiful love mystery commentary historical cultural novel. It is many many things and all of them engaging!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had previously read The Sentence. This one also has a bookstore, some violence, a ghost, a kooky white lady, multiple generations of characters. It also has a ton of trauma, such as financial and environmental disasters, and frankly it stressed me out to be out in that headspace in this current, excruciatingly anxious time. The actual character stories didn't quite do it for me. The youngest couple has behaviors that seem more adult and less teen, and people from both generations cross boundaries even to the point of criminality, but the book does not see their choices as morally objectionable. Sorry if this sounds garbled, but I don't want to spoiler anything. Erdrich did a good job of writing about what was going on in the minds and emotions of the characters, and you might enjoy that.
For me, however,I don't like it when author's basically tell you what to think, and I'm not even talking about the environmental lectures. There is a book club meeting, and what they say about The Road, that the apocalyptic setting is just the scene for the real story about a parent and child, is like suggesting this is how you should see this book you're reading now (a writing trick I always feel manipulated by). Which, leaving aside the way the writer ignored any moral questions of adultery, acts a way of excusing the huge plot gaps. In just a few sentences, Hugo gets married, then jump to years later and he's together again with Kismet (who is not as magical as her name implies, btw). Like this part of the plot didn't need developing because it wasn't about parent/child. Not! Please don't create a vivid character like Hugo then drop him. It really feels like the story wanted to be an old fashioned multi volume saga but the author and or her publishers wanted to skip it and rush to print to keep that production line and income stream moving. This is not the first book I've read this year that felt that way, so do not think I'm pointing at Erdrich in particular. I think that when a book is being written, like any art work it starts to show you its shape, and as a creator you need to work with, not against that. Turning it into a product for a business does not allow the work to develop to its full potential. If you like how Louise is able to get into her characters' minds and hearts, and can stomach the trauma, I'm sure you wouldn't mind hanging out with them longer. Personally I did not like the Crystal/Martin arc, but the nice thing about sagas (or soap operas) is there are enough characters and stories to go around, so you don't have to like the same ones your neighbor likes. This book could have benefited from not skipping over too much at the end. This type of writing should be a marathon, not a sprint.
For me, however,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No