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natalie126 's review for:
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
by Stacy Schiff
I would put this book at 2.5 stars, which was unexpected for me after seeing how many accolades it has received. First of all, it should be titled “Events leading up to the Revolution, including the actions of Samuel Adams.” For a book that seems to be a biography of Samuel Adams from its cover, I felt like I did not really understand Samuel Adams the man until the final chapter. He’s in the background as a “mastermind” or puppet master behind major pre-revolution conflicts, but it was very difficult to understand why people listened to him, were protective of him, why his friends stood by him, etc.
Second of all, the writing of this book was so difficult to read. I am an avid reader, am open to many different genres of books, and I had to force myself to slog through this book to meet a book club deadline. Without that deadline, I would not have finished this book at all. This book really needed editing. There are so many small details in every paragraph that it’s impossible to discern what’s important and what’s not. Each long paragraph would focus on a new topic in each sentence, with frequently unclear pronouns. I doubt I would read anything else by this Pulitzer Prize winning author if this book is representative of her typical writing style.
What’s good: I did learn new things from reading this book. Schiff does a great at conveying both sides of each conflict and demonstrating the often shady tactics of the sons of Liberty. History enthusiasts will likely enjoy this book if you are patient enough to stop and frequently reread to figure out what is happening. It did generate a good discussion as well.
I would not recommend it widely because it was not an enjoyable reading experience for me, but if you want specifics on this time period, you will learn something.
Second of all, the writing of this book was so difficult to read. I am an avid reader, am open to many different genres of books, and I had to force myself to slog through this book to meet a book club deadline. Without that deadline, I would not have finished this book at all. This book really needed editing. There are so many small details in every paragraph that it’s impossible to discern what’s important and what’s not. Each long paragraph would focus on a new topic in each sentence, with frequently unclear pronouns. I doubt I would read anything else by this Pulitzer Prize winning author if this book is representative of her typical writing style.
What’s good: I did learn new things from reading this book. Schiff does a great at conveying both sides of each conflict and demonstrating the often shady tactics of the sons of Liberty. History enthusiasts will likely enjoy this book if you are patient enough to stop and frequently reread to figure out what is happening. It did generate a good discussion as well.
I would not recommend it widely because it was not an enjoyable reading experience for me, but if you want specifics on this time period, you will learn something.