A review by ryalcoll28
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

5.0

INTENSE!!!! The story of a domineering Iowan farmer who decides to incorporate his farm (and split it up equally between his three daughters) and the dramatic consequences of this action, this novel is really engrossing! Though the beginning was a little slow, it picks up fast, each event escalating into something more intense than the event preceding it. An examination of family, fidelity, love, farm ethos, etc, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful (but thrilling) read. It's even more interesting if you've read Shakespeare's King Lear, the play Smiley contemporizes here (though her plot definitely does parallel the play perfectly).