Reviews

The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich

mxcassandrasnow's review

challenging reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

knod78's review against another edition

2.0

This book was magic realism to 11. Half the time, I had no idea what was going on and quite honestly, it was too weird. I think if things were explained better, than maybe I would have enjoyed the weirdness. But it wasn't explained. In fact, once things were happening, we get moved into another weird part of the story, like a tangent and then some weird stuff happens. When the story followed an actual story for a time period, I was in the story and wanting to know more. But it didn't always last. I couldn't invest in the characters, but I tried. I didn't really like any of them, especially Klaus and Richard. And I'm still trying to understand why Klaus kidnapped Calico Sweetheart in the first place.

I will say the author writes beautifully; I just wished there was a smoother transition between the stories. Although I loved the dog's point of view on survival, I just didn't get it nor did I understand his death and return to life and whatever that was.

At least it had a clear ending.

thespicylemon's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

reginaprince19's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kryskross's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

meeshreads's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I've been meaning to read more Louise Erdrich for quite a while and this did not disappoint. Great characters and story! 

jrosenstein's review

4.0

The Antelope Wife turned out to be a surprisingly good book to read during the pandemic. It is not escapist, very far from it, but it is transportive. Erdrich builds her own world that hovers somewhere between reality and fantasy, where everything is heightened and every step of an ordinary life feels mythic and momentous. Maybe that's the truly beautiful thing about her writing. She writes about ordinary people as if they were saints or legends, yet with a deep understanding that we're all just flawed humans muddling our way through, hoping that there is some kind of design to our pain.

dejnozkova's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.25

foxglovefairy's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

3.0

thauge's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad

4.5