Snow Falling on Cedars in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jun 26, 2018 Susan rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, set-in-north-america, 2018, cultural-usa

I have a bit of a book hangover from this one. Overall I enjoyed the read, thinking that it is between three and four stars, rounding up because I did like the book and GR prevents half stars.

I enjoyed the setting in the Pacific Northwest, and the inclusion of rich descriptions of the natural, farmed, and built landscapes, and seascapes. I also very much enjoyed learning about the personal histories of the characters and how they came to be where they were in their lives at the time of the stor I have a bit of a book hangover from this one. Overall I enjoyed the read, thinking that it is between three and four stars, rounding up because I did like the book and GR prevents half stars.

I enjoyed the setting in the Pacific Northwest, and the inclusion of rich descriptions of the natural, farmed, and built landscapes, and seascapes. I also very much enjoyed learning about the personal histories of the characters and how they came to be where they were in their lives at the time of the story.

There were times, however, where I was a little frustrated. During the personal histories there was often the inclusion of people and events that were sometimes to me overwhelming. But then I remembered that there was 'no test at the end' so I stopped trying to keep meticulous track of the details and instead allowed the story just to flow through me and enjoyed it that much more. In reading the few sex scenes I also chuckled; these were obviously written by a man. Another clue to the author's gender was that he tried to make sympathetic a character with a huge sense of male entitlement. Yes, the war, blah, blah, blah. BUT this character was entitled before all of that and was one of the few main characters portrayed has having both loving parents and few, if any, real hardships in his life. To write such a character without addressing that giant ego entitlement, especially entitlement over a woman, and worse to try and make that character sympathetic to me, the reader, is really inexcusable.

Aside from the irritations, I did enjoy the read. The book is a solid look at the lives of people on an island in the Pacific Northwest, and how they interact with themselves and each other during difficult times. The treatment of the Japanese people during those times is, unfortunately, now also pertinent and topical to the actions of the government, and support of many of the people, of the US in relation to foreigners and immigrants to that country. The book resonated with me, the reader, but I think it, again unfortunately, resonates with the time in which I read it.

Note: I gave this book a full review because this book was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing House.

I used to give full reviews for all of the books that I rated on GR. However, GR's new giveaway policies (Good Reads 2017 November Giveaways Policies Changes) have caused me to change my reviewing decisions. These new GR policies seem to harm smaller publishing efforts in favour of providing advantage to the larger companies, (GR Authors' Feedback) the big five publishers (Big Five Publishers). So, because of these new GR policies from now on I will be supporting smaller publishing efforts by only giving full reviews to books published by: publishing businesses outside the big five companies, indie publishers, and self-published authors. This book was published by one of these smaller publishing efforts so I have given it a full review.
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