cgcpoems 's review for:

The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner

3.0

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Stegner’s prose is strong. Not terribly unique compared to other writers of his era, but still good. My issue with this book is mainly in the characters, none of which I found to be likable or interesting, and the plot, which felt too long for what it was. When the reveal you’re building up to through the novel happened, I found myself asking “is this it?” I might consider reading another book of Stegner’s in the future, but I finished this one with an overall feeling of “meh.”

I listened to this on audio and thought the reader captured Joe’s voice very well, though the sound mixing wasn’t great and I often had to adjust the volume depending on what was being said.