Blackbird House
In a rare and gorgeous departure, beloved novelist Alice Hoffman weaves a web of tale...more
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With each story, Hoffman paints a picture of a new generation living in the house. Each story is different and special in its own way. There's tragedy, love, hope...all things found in abundance in all of Hoffman's novels, threaded ...more
I enjoyed this book, but ultimately found it less than satisfying. I found the first story--of the Hadleys--to be the most moving. Though I loved the sweet peas, turnips, and pear tree continuing (and appropriately changing through time) through the stories, I found the white blackbird to be kind of lame. I am still confused as to whether the original blackbird was white, if he turned whi...more
I really love these sorts of inter-connected stories. I love the recurrence of symbolic images and the power of recurring themes. Hoffman has distilled the best qualities of her novels into these short stories, connected by one place over time. Different families through successive generations find themselves at Blackbird House, whether drawn there by unknown, invisible forces or called there by some deep emotional resonance... the characters in these stories struggle with life and emotion and r
...moreFirstly, the story was very impersonal. I felt completely on the outside looking in as if hovering over the plot with no interest or interaction with those involved. It was as if I were a mold on a tree growing with busseling life all around me. I can see it, but don't comprehend and co...more
What I loved the most about Alice Hoffman's writing was her style. It was absolutely phenomenal. Between her use of words and her descriptions, I was there. This is definitely one of those books that you just want to soak up and enjoy the words. However, for being a book that at times reads almost li...more
If I were her editor, I would have told her to write fewer vignettes and elaborate on the ones she decided to keep. Each of the stories contains vivid, richly drawn characters that deserved more plot development. There was very little transition between "chapters," making me feel as though I might have missed something along the way. Wh...more
Each story has one occurring character, a white blackbird. I think this bird is suppose to be like a spirit watching over the house and all those that live there. There are also plants and a summer kitchen that play a role in all the stories. They become a character of in thems...more
While her prose continues to be a fast read that lulls you in, grabs you, and propels you forward, I thought the format of this book was interesting and more believably magical than previous books I have read by her.
It is a story of home, the Blackbird House, and you learn about its inhabitants from the Revolutionary War to present time and it is all tied together through the house, the blackbird, and the p...more
The book is a collection of short stories based on people who lived in a farmhouse in Cape Cod called Blackbird House...more
Whether it is men and boys lost at sea or promising young people snuffed out in traffic accidents or a woman who takes matters into her own hands toward an abusive husband, the tales in "Blackbird House" brim with dramatic twists and turns.
Hoffman handles this by quietly inserting these vertiginous twists as though they were just one m...more
I loved the use o...more
Hoffman is fond of symbols. If you share this fondness, you may appreciate the magic of Blackbird House, where birds, flowers, and colors become links to the past and omens of the future. If, however, such devices leave you coldand particularly if you like your fiction unpredictableyou may find Blackbird House frustrating. Some critics thought that Hoffman's accumulation of tragedies were formulaic, complaining that she too obviously sets characters up for their falls. Subtlety is not Hoffma
...moreI must admit, though, that I tend not to like short stories, as I like to have more time to get to know characters and places than they generally allow, and ...more
This is a collection of interconnected short stories, that revolve around the inhabitants of Blackbird House over the span of hundreds of years. The house is a special place in each story, usually a kind of sanctuary for the various characters.
The descriptions in this book were fantastic, and the characters were all very interest...more
A mysterious and magical story of a 200-year-old house on Cape Cod. The book is little chapters of stories about the occupants that can be very unique characters. One story “Insulting the Angels” didn’t seem to fit or add to the story line while the others displayed cohesion to the history of the times and connected families. Hoffman always writes with a mystical theme and there is the legend of the white bird and ghosts from the original family that built the cottage. My favorite chara...more
Some characters are children in one story then adults in the next. Others just disappear when their stories are done.
Different expressions of Love and Relationship are featured, symbols are consistent throughout, and wound...more
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