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I learned, from this book, to resist the temptation to buy books after reading reviews of them! This would have quickly ended up in my recycling box had I actually purchased it, but fortunately I was broke so read the library copy.
I found it difficult to keep going, but I had to try and figure out what some people had found to recommend in it. I couldn't find much. It was laboured prose, stulted characters, preachy tone, and boring plot. I am unable to understand what it has to recommend it.
I be ...more
I found it difficult to keep going, but I had to try and figure out what some people had found to recommend in it. I couldn't find much. It was laboured prose, stulted characters, preachy tone, and boring plot. I am unable to understand what it has to recommend it.
I be ...more
A charming book about two adopted black men of college age who become unexpectedly re-united with their birth mother and try to deal with what that means. The book has lots of gimmicks and coincidences and features a bittersweet ending that accounts for some of the negative reviews it gets. For me that is overridden by the insight into the situations and the light hand with which the issues are tackled.
And then there is the charm that gives insightful little bits like this about the man who aspi ...more
And then there is the charm that gives insightful little bits like this about the man who aspi ...more
Ordinary. Concerns a mother who reconnects with the boys she gave up for adoption years before. If fact, she never really left them. Little by little, verious truths about the characters emerge. It never really grabed hold of me.
what can i say? contrived situation, forced descriptions, stilted dialogue, unconvincing development...all in all pretty poor writing, even for a potentially great writer like ann patchett. gets one star for ***SPOILER ALERT*** that wonderful scene in the hospital where sullivan confesses to Tennessee and a second star because I know, upon reflection, as much as I didn't enjoy this book, it'll grow a bit on me because ann patchett is cleverly taking on some big issues (racism, poverty, family lo
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A nice easy read. Based in time frame of one day, with of course the flashback in memories here and there to have the background on everyone needed for the story. It was a well put together book. Though it did not make me want to gobble the book up whole as I sometimes do, it still was interesting enough to continue reading and finish to see where the story went. Rather easy to figure where the story is headed and what is coming next. Also a few loose ends of certain characters that do not seem
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I liked this better than Bel Canto which seems to put me in the minority. Patchett dealt with the family relationships and characters in a way that felt real. I didn't like the endings in Bel Canto or Run. They felt contrived, but I'll forgive her that. It seems to be the failing of a number of good, not great, authors.
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Feb 23, 2014
Jessica
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
new-england,
family
Patchett is one of those authors that you read more for style than substance - her plot lens tends to be very narrow, so you're reading more for how she plays with language than anything else. Fortunately for her, she does it quite well, and her descriptions of Kenya's athleticism are especially well done.
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Reminded me of Ian McEwan's Saturday in that it takes place in one 24 hour period and explores the relationships between family members in light of a crisis incident.
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I enjoyed the story it was unusual but I could predict what was going to happen.
Got it for the January 2008 reading list discussion.
Dec 22, 2007
Kat (A Journey In Reading)
marked it as to-read
Dec 01, 2008
Kathryn Parmeter
added it
May 17, 2016
Dana Arbelaez
marked it as to-read
