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Marissa's review

People of the Book: A Novel
by Geraldine Brooks

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1379961.People_of_the_Book_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="People of the Book: A Novel" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TZKlSeE%2BL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1379961.People_of_the_Book_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">People of the Book: A Novel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/211268.Geraldine_Brooks">Geraldine Brooks</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/17892466?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/>There was a book written a few years ago (I can't remember its name) where it followed a painting through its owners.  I didn't really like the book and didn't finish it but as I started this one, I thought, "Oh, Brooks is following the same pattern."
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<br/>In this book we are introduced to the Haggadah in Sarajevo. The book is a treasure, it was written sometime in the 16th century.  It has illustrations that are the first of their kidn for a Jewish work.  The book has somehow survived hundreds of years of persecution by different people.  
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<br/>Now, what I didn't like about that other book I was talking about is that when I start reading a book, I feel involved.  To have everything (characters, setting, time period) change every ten pages doesn't give me the sense of being there that I love in novels.  Brooks handles this masterfully.  We follow Hanna, a book specialist, who handles the Haggadah after it has been returned from its last hiding during the war in Sarajevo.  While repairing the book, Hanna notices some different specimens in the pages that she takes for further study.  In good sized, well-thought out storytelling, Brooks tells us the story of the Haggadah at the point that the specimen became entwined with the book (salt crystals, a white hair, holes with missing clasps, etc).  After we learn more about the Haggadah and its glimpse of history we return to Hanna and find what she is learning.  It made it all seem more relevant and as if all these people are connected.  I enjoyed that.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/876626?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Marissa's review
rating:

There was a book written a few years ago (I can't remember its name) where it followed a painting through its owners. I didn't really like the book and didn't finish it but as I started this one, I thought, "Oh, Brooks is following the same pattern."

In this book we are introduced to the Haggadah in Sarajevo. The book is a treasure, it was written sometime in the 16th century. It has illustrations that are the first of their kidn for a Jewish work. The book has somehow survived hundreds of years of persecution by different people.

Now, what I didn't like about that other book I was talking about is that when I start reading a book, I feel involved. To have everything (characters, setting, time period) change every ten pages doesn't give me the sense of being there that I love in novels. Brooks handles this masterfully. We follow Hanna, a book specialist, who handles the Haggadah after it has been returned from its last hiding during the war in Sarajevo. While r...more

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message 1: by Cecily

03/17/2008 05:16PM

FYI the book you are talking about that you didn't like is Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Ryan loves it. It is okay.