Helpful Score: 2
Intense and engrossing; sometimes disturbing in its indepth investigation of character thoughts and memories. The type of book that stays with you a while.
Well worth the read.
Well worth the read.
Helpful Score: 1
I find myself agreeing with the reviewer on Amazon who thought the characters all sounded alike...maybe not exactly alike, but too close for this to be a better novel. I liked it and I looked foward to picking it up when I got time...but, I wouldn't recommend it by saying, "You've gotta read this book!" like I do so many others. And here's one of my biggest pet peeves: The ending is suddenly just wrapped up. It's like an author gets tired of keeping the strands going and thinks "Ah here. That's it." And can anyone help me out here? WHAT did Joe die of in the desert? Maybe I missed something, but why did he get out and walk away into the desert and then drop over dead? How handy. And after getting to know Lucy throughout the book, she is relegated to an "Oh yeah, and Lucy opened a cafe...". The ending was just not what it could have been.
On vacation, what can be scarier than running out of good books? I was horrified to find I had less than a hundred pages in the last unread book in my suitcase, forcing me to stop in a couple of independent bookstores (Side note: it says a lot that Portland, Maine has two good independent bookstores on the same street).
The clerk recommended this one. It was a serendipitous choice. The book takes place at a fishing camp in Maine; we spent the last few days of our trip at a rock camp in Maine. In the story a man has come to stay in a fishing camp in Maine for the past thirty years. He is dying and wants to go out for one last fishing trip. While this book is no Gilead, it was nicely written and better than the average bestseller. Recommended to anyone heading this summer to Maine.
The clerk recommended this one. It was a serendipitous choice. The book takes place at a fishing camp in Maine; we spent the last few days of our trip at a rock camp in Maine. In the story a man has come to stay in a fishing camp in Maine for the past thirty years. He is dying and wants to go out for one last fishing trip. While this book is no Gilead, it was nicely written and better than the average bestseller. Recommended to anyone heading this summer to Maine.
Very enjoyable book! Wonderful story of a family and the complex and beautiful relationships that exist between them.
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. It's a wonderful story and I didn't want it to end.
A family saga and a love story, it's also brilliant literary fiction. There is rich detail, imaginative metaphors, and flawed, vulnerable characters who are fiercely independent.
Almost every main character has faced a period in their lives when they are completely alone, and sometimes fortunate to have strangers who helped in a significant way.
If you enjoy visual detail, characters with enough depth they can be understood, you will likely enjoy this book.
I was surprised at an earlier review suggesting bad language a reason to avoid this book. In almost 400 pages, the crude language is rare, and honestly the rest of the book is so beautifully written, it's not a reason to overlook this story. When bad language is used, it is absolutely appropriate for the particular character.
Almost every main character has faced a period in their lives when they are completely alone, and sometimes fortunate to have strangers who helped in a significant way.
If you enjoy visual detail, characters with enough depth they can be understood, you will likely enjoy this book.
I was surprised at an earlier review suggesting bad language a reason to avoid this book. In almost 400 pages, the crude language is rare, and honestly the rest of the book is so beautifully written, it's not a reason to overlook this story. When bad language is used, it is absolutely appropriate for the particular character.
nicely written, but boring
If you can get past the filthy language, it's a good story. Too bad the author used such words. Makes it not entertaining in my opinion.
