Christine
I wanted to read this, or listen, actually, and I think I ended up getting an abridged version through the library by accident. Still, I'm glad to have spent some time with this classic. I was inspired because Jane Adams loved Tolstoy!
I do like Menand, but it was so dense that I skimmed around. I liked the Maya Lin piece at the end best. I like that he is writing about people I know I should know more about - - Norman Mailer, TS Eliot,Oliver Wendell Holmes. It was hard to absorb everything here, though. Definitely not a quick read, but potentially a good resource to return to when I need more on a certain period or a person.
This is a LONG novel that transports readers to Australia for a murder mystery and mother-daughter tribulation saga. I enjoyed it a lot, but I agree with the reviewers here who commented that it dragged for the first 2/3 or 3/4. I think it could have used some better editing. It was entertaining, definitely plot driven – but with good attention to the character's motivations and struggles, and intriguing/surprising at the end (for me, anyway). There was a character who I thought I liked at the outset, and then I didn't by the end. And there was one who I thought I didn't, and then I did. Morton is an effective story teller, and I'd like to try another one of her novels sometime when I need an easy-ish escape.
I enjoyed this one, too. It was a nice continuation from the previous book, and I appreciated the opportunity to read Indian characters. It left me eager to get to the next book.
Another easy and pleasant listen with Maisie. I don't think that this is my most favorite book in the series, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. And I'm looking forward to the next one.
I just added this to my “Read” list because I remembered reading it when I was entering Shrines of Gaiety. That I remember the book pretty well is a good sign. Clever premise and entertaining read. It's especially fun for someone who appreciates time travel books, which I do.
This was not what I expected it to be. But I did enjoy it. I think I was expecting more autobiography, and this was a little less organized and chronological. I did appreciate her perspective on her own beauty (as a tool & problem) as well as the way she reached out to women of color. This makes me think again about how I teach this era.
I think that this is my favorite Maisie Dobbs so far. I enjoyed the Gypsy story line — and the dog! — although it takes a surprisingly dark turn. A good listen!
This is an impressive and outstanding history of America, the courts, politicians, parties, and race. The author makes a strong case that we have lost sight of the history around the Constitution and specifically the second amendment. He goes onto discuss Teddy Roosevelt, the modern western and western mythology, Nixon's anti-gun philosophy, the shockingly powerful NRA (from the 1920s on), and a new conservatism that has embraced an inaccurate story about our past and present. Erdozain is a masterful writer with exhaustive knowledge and passionate commitment to his subject.
Like so many here, I would not have guessed I'd be online praising Liz Cheney, but this book and her actions are smart and brave. I was surprised by how detailed her criticisms were of fellow Republicans, including Mike Johnson. I expected her to focus mostly on Tr***. As I'm feeling pretty frightened right now about 2024 — and shocked (still) by the cowardice and immorality of much of the leadership in the party of my childhood and family —-, I find hope in this book. There are people who are willing to be honest and to risk their reputations for the (actual) Constitution.
Such an important story to be told! I can see why this book is getting so much buzz. I was totally hooked. Thank you to my friend who sent it to me. So important that students of American history at this to their understanding. Hannah put her protagonist through a lot and I wonder if that was hard for her. It made for challenging reading, but rewarding also
Powerful and deceptively simple prose. She draws you in, and takes the reins. This is masterful, but also sad and, in one case, disturbing. I was disappointed with the last story, and wonder why she chose that ending. Not a light read, although you would not expect that from this author. She's gifted, and her words transport you, but I'm hesitant to recommend this to most of my reading friends.
I read this for my book club, and despite feeling really bogged down for the first half, I am glad that I was asked to read this. I wasn't familiar with Richard Ford, and I gather there is buzz about his latest installment which is coming out now. (or came out recently?) The novel takes place over the course of a weekend, and the detail (minute by minute) is astonishing and impressive. Ford is attentive and accurate. The dialog and interpersonal relationships, assumptions and everyday American despair and hope, are all captured masterfully.
However, it was a SLOW story, so anyone who likes to zip through a novel (as I do) may get frustrated. Also, the language (around race & gender & sexual orientation) is dated, which I found a bit disconcerting and unpleasant. Similarly, there is an unsolved crime that involves a black woman that I felt didn't get adequate attention in the book. Perhaps that will be addressed in a later sequel. The last lines of the book have me wondering (and eager to talk to my book club about it), and perhaps that will be explained in the sequel. It will be a while before I am ready to take on the next book, though. I also want to talk to my book club about the themes of independence, marriage, parenthood, social class mobility, race, and (casual?) violence throughout this book.
Also, I caught a few mistakes – or at least I found them to be oversights – including when he refers to a “chapter” of the Declaration of Independence and doesn't explain how he got a woman-friend to a hotel when he was going to miss her at a public meeting place, but no one had have a cell phone.
Still, the fact that I have so much to say, and I want to write it down for book club discussion, is an indication that this is an important book.
I appreciated learning more about AK. Well written and sobering. We need more men and women of personal and moral conviction in leadership. I'm going to send this book to a family member or two.
So enjoyable. She's created something special with this series. Satisfying and comforting fare.
Powerful and poignant, short and direct. A masterpiece. Best read in small sips, but I plowed through. It captures truth and varied experiences within the group, but heartbreaking and intense.
Wow. This was powerful, devastating, smart, and troubling. Perfect for book club. It captures a place and time; the gender dynamics; problems of benevolence; colonialism and race; marriage; generational change; mothers and daughters; and the yearning to be good, to matter, to help, to love.
I was struck by the similarities between then and now. Also, this book adds a lot to my appreciation for the revolutionary struggle. This adds another layer to my understanding. It's a pretty quick read also.