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nicoleh's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The changes they made for the movie were good changes.
chronocrux's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
carriedoodledoo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, maybe more. Well, I certainly liked this far more than I thought I was gonna, considering I DNF'd "Show Boat"! A well-crafted fileting of the early-20th Texas culture, with interesting characters and a fascinating plot. The author is effective at communicating experiences and emotions with a subtlety of pen that leads to a deeper understanding by the reader, rather than sledgehammering it in.
Also, this book is (I think) so far the only one that's made me want to go back and reread the beginning--no matter how many twisty thrillers I've tried that've promised that!
Also, this book is (I think) so far the only one that's made me want to go back and reread the beginning--no matter how many twisty thrillers I've tried that've promised that!
piper_berlin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
gginnola's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. One of my favorite of all times. I fell in love with the Benedict family and Reatta. I saw the movie first, but the book, of course, is so much better.
lysandous's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of my favorite books of all time. I recommend this one to someone who likes classics but wants something more modern. The characters all have great character arcs and I really got invested in them. The FMC is kind of annoying at first but turns into one of my favorites of all time. I also grew up in the area that they talk about (a lot of places area made up so just the general area) so that made me excited to read the descriptions of Texas from an outsiders POV.
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
4.0
This is the third book by Edna Ferber I've read, and I am beginning to pick up on her frequently used tropes and story structures. Ferber is a very consistent writer. She knows how to play to her strengths. If you are already familiar with Ferber's work and have enjoyed her previous books, I don't see why Giant would be an exception to this.
Giant really is a sweeping tale but it is held together by Ferber's interesting characterizations. They are all fully fleshed out, realistic people, even the secondary characters. Ferber was fond of writing about cultural shifts between generations (see [b: Show Boat|328590|Show Boat|Edna Ferber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173795426l/328590._SY75_.jpg|2937970] or [b: So Big|257443|So Big|Edna Ferber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392451491l/257443._SY75_.jpg|249505]) and in Giant, Ferber writes of the shift from the dominance of Cattle to the dominance of Oil in Texas. I found it to be a riveting read.
And now I'm off to watch the movie.
Giant really is a sweeping tale but it is held together by Ferber's interesting characterizations. They are all fully fleshed out, realistic people, even the secondary characters. Ferber was fond of writing about cultural shifts between generations (see [b: Show Boat|328590|Show Boat|Edna Ferber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173795426l/328590._SY75_.jpg|2937970] or [b: So Big|257443|So Big|Edna Ferber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392451491l/257443._SY75_.jpg|249505]) and in Giant, Ferber writes of the shift from the dominance of Cattle to the dominance of Oil in Texas. I found it to be a riveting read.
And now I'm off to watch the movie.
tittypete's review against another edition
2.0
Texas, Texas rootin' tootin' Texas! This is a book about a woman who marries a man from Texas and she moves down there to listen to people talk about how awesome Texas is for the rest of her fucking life. And that's all they do. They get racist, "Yew jist don't understand Texas!" They gross her out with nasty food, "Yew jist ain't used to Texas!" They mock her for walking, "Why cain't yew Texas!" Every character is fucking super annoying except maybe Uncle Bally. Very little seems to happen other than a simmering rivalry between two annoying characters and the accidental death of another. Texas Texas Texas-y Texas!