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A review by dandyliion
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
4.0
Quick review for those with little patience:
After I adjusted to the transitions between chapters, I found this book a delightful but maddening story of loss, cultural revolution, and the intertwining of lives around the world. I felt that the author beautifully, if not brilliantly, made connections between three distinct people in creative and unexpected ways. The writing is elegant. I highly recommend it.
For those with more time:
I loved the first chapter of this book. I became attached to the protagonist, who experienced what seemed like infinite sorrows. I loved the elevated writing, the style of the prose. I was in awe at experiences with technology I had never imaged: instead of admiration, the protagonist experienced hatred and violence. To say the least, I was hooked.
But when I hit the second chapter, I was confused. Not only was it a jarring separation from the first chapter, with an entirely new protagonist in a strikingly different setting, but it was difficult to make the connection to the first chapter. Writing style and voice aside, it could have been an entirely different book. After I got the feel for our new protagonist, I felt more comfortable and adjusted. It also made more sense toward the end of the chapter, which was undeniably obscure, when a feeble connection was made to the protagonist of the first.
Finally, the third chapter was written with the same solidity as the first. There was much less that was mystical or metaphoric. The protagonist was easy enough to relate to, his relationship with his ape was tough to swallow--but written in a way that I could grasp it without doubts or insecurities. This chapter was also the wrap-around. I think of this book much in the same way I think of those movies, like Love Actually, that have several different plot lines that appear unrelated but are deeply intertwined. In the final chapter, we learned how the first man's behaviors and a fatality he caused were directly related to the experience of the second man with the dissecting of a body and the culture in the town where the third man finds himself living with an ape, many, many years after his ancestors have passed. (Do I sound crazy yet?)
In fewer words, this book will confuse, enthrall, and excite many parts of you. You should read it.
After I adjusted to the transitions between chapters, I found this book a delightful but maddening story of loss, cultural revolution, and the intertwining of lives around the world. I felt that the author beautifully, if not brilliantly, made connections between three distinct people in creative and unexpected ways. The writing is elegant. I highly recommend it.
For those with more time:
I loved the first chapter of this book. I became attached to the protagonist, who experienced what seemed like infinite sorrows. I loved the elevated writing, the style of the prose. I was in awe at experiences with technology I had never imaged: instead of admiration, the protagonist experienced hatred and violence. To say the least, I was hooked.
But when I hit the second chapter, I was confused. Not only was it a jarring separation from the first chapter, with an entirely new protagonist in a strikingly different setting, but it was difficult to make the connection to the first chapter. Writing style and voice aside, it could have been an entirely different book. After I got the feel for our new protagonist, I felt more comfortable and adjusted. It also made more sense toward the end of the chapter, which was undeniably obscure, when a feeble connection was made to the protagonist of the first.
Finally, the third chapter was written with the same solidity as the first. There was much less that was mystical or metaphoric. The protagonist was easy enough to relate to, his relationship with his ape was tough to swallow--but written in a way that I could grasp it without doubts or insecurities. This chapter was also the wrap-around. I think of this book much in the same way I think of those movies, like Love Actually, that have several different plot lines that appear unrelated but are deeply intertwined. In the final chapter, we learned how the first man's behaviors and a fatality he caused were directly related to the experience of the second man with the dissecting of a body and the culture in the town where the third man finds himself living with an ape, many, many years after his ancestors have passed. (Do I sound crazy yet?)
In fewer words, this book will confuse, enthrall, and excite many parts of you. You should read it.