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A review by katelbr
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I almost did not finish this book. It had a good story and I was interested in what would happen to the characters. Much of what happens in the book doesn’t make sense, which actually was a good thing. It felt a little more real than a well fleshed out story. Why would these two men be called on to take this girl in?
However, the characters are not deeply explored. None of the “good guys” had any flaws and their backstories were weak. I had to remind myself this was a snapshot of their lives and not an exploration of characters.
The writing was great in that I could picture the town, the homes, the weather, etc. but it was basic and boring much of the time. I couldn’t stand the disregard for quotation marks. It made skimming almost impossible, and sometimes when reading a wordy book full of description you need to skim.
I didn’t hate this book. It just felt empty and slow. It reminded me of an Elizabeth Strout novel, not in similarity but in how it was slow and mundane but I was in for the ride. I recommend it if you want to read a book that feels like real life pace and small town gossip.
However, the characters are not deeply explored. None of the “good guys” had any flaws and their backstories were weak. I had to remind myself this was a snapshot of their lives and not an exploration of characters.
The writing was great in that I could picture the town, the homes, the weather, etc. but it was basic and boring much of the time. I couldn’t stand the disregard for quotation marks. It made skimming almost impossible, and sometimes when reading a wordy book full of description you need to skim.
I didn’t hate this book. It just felt empty and slow. It reminded me of an Elizabeth Strout novel, not in similarity but in how it was slow and mundane but I was in for the ride. I recommend it if you want to read a book that feels like real life pace and small town gossip.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Bullying