Scan barcode
A review by sunrays118
Mink River by Brian Doyle
2.0
Before you read this book you need to ask yourself a couple questions. 1. How do you feel about lists? 2. How do you feel about the word "fecking"?
If you can stand those two things, lists and the word "fecking", consider that in this book, both are used about 300 times.
There is no plot to this book. It is an impressively Pacific Northwest story. The author is not trying to write about anything he does not know. This book is essentially his version of his story. The characters, well, truly, there is only one character, are just names with no personalities. The story is simply a series of facts happening at the same time, "He washed a dish." "A person in another house washed a mug." There is no plot, no characters, no development. Nothing changes, at all. There is nothing here really. The author tries again and again to lead you to think something might happen but then 'everyone went home.'
There is no real moral or lesson. Nothing is gleaned from the novel. My only real take away is a profound hatred of lists and the word "fecking".
One last point, the book does not seem to contain grammar. If you like commas or periods or quote marks, steer clear. The lack of punctuation, correct formatting, sentences that are actual sentences, made this book a confusing mess of words with no point. The author I'm sure was convinced it made the writing unique and memorable but all it did was add layers upon layers of distance and frustration. It is impossible to feel anything for anyone in the book or the "story." It is just a mess of words and lists and the word "fecking."
Of the three books read this year with talking crows, this is by far the worst.
If you can stand those two things, lists and the word "fecking", consider that in this book, both are used about 300 times.
There is no plot to this book. It is an impressively Pacific Northwest story. The author is not trying to write about anything he does not know. This book is essentially his version of his story. The characters, well, truly, there is only one character, are just names with no personalities. The story is simply a series of facts happening at the same time, "He washed a dish." "A person in another house washed a mug." There is no plot, no characters, no development. Nothing changes, at all. There is nothing here really. The author tries again and again to lead you to think something might happen but then 'everyone went home.'
There is no real moral or lesson. Nothing is gleaned from the novel. My only real take away is a profound hatred of lists and the word "fecking".
One last point, the book does not seem to contain grammar. If you like commas or periods or quote marks, steer clear. The lack of punctuation, correct formatting, sentences that are actual sentences, made this book a confusing mess of words with no point. The author I'm sure was convinced it made the writing unique and memorable but all it did was add layers upon layers of distance and frustration. It is impossible to feel anything for anyone in the book or the "story." It is just a mess of words and lists and the word "fecking."
Of the three books read this year with talking crows, this is by far the worst.