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kjmathias90 's review for:
The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver
I liked The Poisonwood Bible more than I expected to. I had heard that it was dry and preachy, and had too much of an agenda to be enjoyed as a work of fiction. I found none of those things to be true. For days I was swallowed up in the lives of Orleanna Price and her daughters, and I felt their joys and their heartbreaks poignantly. To me, it was very much like reading Little Women, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that I loved it as much.
There is some "preachiness" in the novel, but I don't think it's unwarranted considering the circumstances that Kingsolver was trying to portray. It fit the feeling of the times, and I didn't feel that it was overbearing in the slightest.
I was most impressed by Kingsolver's ability to write each character with a distinct voice. The novel flowed well, and the narrators were able to cohesively tell the same story without blending. The one thing I would have liked to see would be more of a history on the Reverend Price. I understand that he is just supposed to be the "bad man", but I want to know more of what made him that way. I found myself wanting I wanted him to be more complex than he was.
I was considering giving this book only four stars because of the flatness of Nathaniel Price and the time needed to get through it (it's the kind of book you need to ponder), but it was so engaging and well-studied that I have to give it five. If you have a few good days and a brave soul, I would definitely recommend this book.
There is some "preachiness" in the novel, but I don't think it's unwarranted considering the circumstances that Kingsolver was trying to portray. It fit the feeling of the times, and I didn't feel that it was overbearing in the slightest.
I was most impressed by Kingsolver's ability to write each character with a distinct voice. The novel flowed well, and the narrators were able to cohesively tell the same story without blending. The one thing I would have liked to see would be more of a history on the Reverend Price. I understand that he is just supposed to be the "bad man", but I want to know more of what made him that way. I found myself wanting
Spoiler
to know what he was really thinking when they lost Ruth May to the snake. Was he grieving? Did he spend his final years in the Jungle blaming himself, or was he really only concerned with the "salvation" of the natives?I was considering giving this book only four stars because of the flatness of Nathaniel Price and the time needed to get through it (it's the kind of book you need to ponder), but it was so engaging and well-studied that I have to give it five. If you have a few good days and a brave soul, I would definitely recommend this book.