From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

The Overstory

Richard Powers

Start date: September 15, 2019

Finish date: October 1, 2019

Discussion: Reading List

Discussion leader: Donna

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 429 topics — 16,905 comments total

Reading List

* The Schedule for July through Dec. 2025
By Lynn · 1 post · 43 views

last updated Jun 20, 2025 08:37AM

In Winter I Get Up at Night by Jane Urquhart Spoilers/Discussion
By Barbara · 13 posts · 17 views

last updated Sep 19, 2025 11:35AM

showing 7 of 7 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Sep 09, 2018 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-fiction, e-books, contemporary-fiction, read-2018, man-booker-prize-nominee

This magnificent book is part of the Man Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2018). Lets hope for the best.

9 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2018 Dree rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: the-northeast, 5-star-adult-fiction, california, the-midwest, the-northwest, pulitzer-all-winner-short, booker-long-short, 2018-reads

Well, just wow.

This novel is sweeping, it has amazing characters, it has great ideas. I didn't love the ending--though really there is a different ending for each of the 7 or so main characters. I would never expect to love them all. Some are great, some not so much. Some are hopeful, some not so much.

Each of these characters is connected to trees. Whether it be since childhood or since middle age, since a specific experience or since knowing one forever. Five of the characters, or various backg ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2018 Tensy (bookdoyen) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: eco-fiction, kc-book-club, fiction

There are some books that after you read them make you change your world view. Richard Powers has written a powerful novel that will change how you look at trees, nature and how we humans need to be awakened to the role we play in destroying forests that have existed for millennia. The book is divided into several parts. The first part, where we get the background stories on the characters was interesting and held my interest. The second part, where these characters begin to intersect with each ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2019 Cdrueallen rated it liked it

It took me a long time to get past the first section about characters I didn't care about but once I realized that the main action sequence of the book was a fictionalized version of Redwood Summer I couldn't stop reading. Annoyingly heteronormative, but still moving and inspiring, much like Earth First. Amazed that it won a Pulitzer. I suppose the heteronormativity helped.

Full of information about trees which I liked but it made me wonder d if this much intellectualizing would be tolerated in f ...more

Like · see review

Sep 16, 2018 William rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

I REALLY wanted to love this book. Trees are a passion, the environment is a major concern and I loved the Echo Maker. What could go wrong? The book starts off by introducing a fascinating cast of characters in a series of mini biographies, some spanning generations. But once all the threads started coming together, the whole thing seemed to bog down. I simply had a hard time caring. Better stated ( because I already care), the book didn't fan the flames which already burn inside me.
The story wa ...more

Like · see review

Mar 30, 2025 Renata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I’m a little late to the party on this one, and so much hype made for pretty high expectations. I liked it, but it didn’t blow me away.

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2019 Beth rated it liked it

I am totally on board with the beauty and wonder of trees, but this book is just too much tree love. I really enjoyed the early sections, introducing the various characters and enjoyed seeing how they would all connect. I also appreciated a lot of the tree descriptions and information. And I am opposed to clear cutting and the destruction of the environment. But as the book went on the writing got just too overwrought and florid. Pages and pages of what trees are feeling and telling us was just ...more

Like · see review

Aug 08, 2020 Carra rated it really liked it

“But here’s the thing about trees, the greatest thing: even when he can’t see them, even when he can’t get near them, even when he can’t remember how they go, he can climb, and they will hold him high above the ground and let him look out over the ark of the earth.”

I despised this book for 490 pages, then the last 10 pages completely made up for the rest.

#books #bookreview #bookstagram

Like · see review