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_inge_'s review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This passage on one of the first pages gave me expectations:
If at some point you think I'm passing over the men too quickly, don't come to me later accusing me of feminist bias. I'll tell you all right now that the lives of the men of the family are every bit as interesting as those of the women, and if I don't wade further into their exploits, it's only out of respect for your wishes.
I'm a bit disappointed though, because there was a lot more background, detail and context for the men in the women's lives than the women. We know where they came from and what they did - while the women are generally projected in relationship to men and mainly serve as a vessel to produce the next female in line and continue the story. Some of their lives are very short, barely past the point where the daughter was born, and only a few actually lived lives and developed a character of their own.
The story does paint a picture of the history of Brazil from the time Europeans appeared on the horizon and how outside influences affected the lives of the people who lived there. Good book, but I would have liked to know more of the women. There are about 20 generations and I can remember maybe 4 of them, with vague details.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, and Murder