"The Water Dancer" Ta-Nehisi Coates (BR)

[Meredith]

Welcome to the buddy read for The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Except for general first impressions, please use spoiler tags and indicate page/chapter/percentage so everyone can follow the discussion at their own pace.

I'm looking forward to the discussion!

[Esther]

I am already 70% in and enjoying the book but does anyone else find the pace slow, not dragging just slow.
I can't fly through it as I normally would with books I find this interesting.

[Gabi]

I got the audiobook and will be joining.

[Kaa]

I managed to pick this up from the "Lucky Day" shelf at my library, so I guess I will join as well!

[Travis]

I read this awhile ago and really enjoyed it. I was at first impatient with it, but that ebbed once I started thinking of it as interlinked stories rather than a single plot.

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Decided to start the book this evening and straight away I'm struck by how vivid Coates writing is. Suspect that I'd enjoy this more as an audiobook.

[Esther]

I had several reservations about this book.
I expected it to be a bit too lyrical for me or have that fariytale/storyteller style (which I find emotionally distancing) .
However I really enjoyed Coates writing style and it ended up being a 5 star book for me.

[Travis]

Ryan wrote: "Decided to start the book this evening and straight away I'm struck by how vivid Coates writing is. Suspect that I'd enjoy this more as an audiobook."

I really enjoyed the audiobook.

[Meredith]

I started reading the other day and I'm at the end of Chapter 3 (~10%). I am finding the language very rich and enjoying seeing things from the perspective of the main character. The pace is definitely different from what I've been reading lately and I'm having to adjust to that, but that's not a negative point.

[Gabi]

I'm at chapter 4 and I'm glad I'm listening to it, cause two times already the narrator sang and he has a terrific voice. I hope there will be more occasions as the story goes on.

I'm loving the slow pace. I realised over the last year that I have quite a liking for books with lyrical prose and slow pace. That's definitely my kind of thing.

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

The audiobook I have access to seems to be abridged. :( Not sure how I'm going to eye read the bits skipped but I'll figure it out as I want to be sung to like Gabi was.

[Gabi]

Ryan wrote: "The audiobook I have access to seems to be abridged. :( Not sure how I'm going to eye read the bits skipped but I'll figure it out as I want to be sung to like Gabi was."

Oh … I hope mine isn't … which one do you have, Ryan?

ETA: just checked, my version says "unabridged"

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Mine doesn't actually say abridged, but I had the audiobook on whilst also eye reading and noticed that a paragraph was skipped.

[Travis]

Ryan wrote: "Mine doesn't actually say abridged, but I had the audiobook on whilst also eye reading and noticed that a paragraph was skipped."

Ugh. That's horrible.

[Kaa]

Ok, I was delayed because I've been busy with other things, but now I have to decide: should I start eye-reading this now or wait for the (unabridged) audiobook of this and start the Sudden Appearance of Hope today instead? Advice?

[Gabi]

My advice is to wait for the audiobook. I had the feeling it was a marvellous enhancement of the narration.

[Kaa]

Thanks, Gabi, I'll do that!

[Dawn F]

Just finished it! Here’s my review.

[Dawn F]

Agree about the audio, it definitely enhances the experience.