nanettefclark's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
debigo's review
3.0
Good story
I know that some of he literary detail was lost on me. However, The story was interesting and made me want to keep reading.
I know that some of he literary detail was lost on me. However, The story was interesting and made me want to keep reading.
jarrettdelozier's review
4.0
Thornton simply does not miss.
A beautiful meditation upon the equally disconcerting and comforting mysteries of providence and history.
A beautiful meditation upon the equally disconcerting and comforting mysteries of providence and history.
miraelth's review
4.0
“it gave him a restful feeling to think that God who had made so many people had made so many stars too. there was probably some connection.”
three continents, two families, fifty years-this book is a mystery of murder, wrongful imprisonment and escape, but that is not what this book is about. the dramatic events merely set the stage for a larger narrative, one that examines the unpredictability of life, the fortitude of the human spirit, and why bad things happen to good people. it takes a look at the seemingly insignificant slices of life we have all been given, and attempts to answer how then we should live to fulfill the bigger picture, to enter a new age of human achievement, to become the children of the eighth day. while i don’t know if i agree with all the conclusions he brought forth, it brings forward much food for thought.
thornton wilder has always been one of my favorite authors, as he has a grip with words that sparks thought and wrestles with big questions through the art of story that takes a master of writing. at times it is hard to see where he is going with a certain section or plot line, but it is always so satisfyingly tied up in the end that it makes all the difficult sections worth it. i find that out of the books of his that i have read, i do not reread them often, if ever, but i return over and over to flip through them and read the parts i have underlined, as he has such a brilliant way with words.
read this if you: have big questions and patience. if you want a gripping murder mystery, this is not the book for you, but if you are observant and thoughtful, you will get so much more out of this book than mere entertainment.
“when God loves a creature, he wants the creature to know the highest happiness and the deepest misery—then he can die. he wants him to know all that being alive can bring...there is no happiness save in understanding the whole.”
three continents, two families, fifty years-this book is a mystery of murder, wrongful imprisonment and escape, but that is not what this book is about. the dramatic events merely set the stage for a larger narrative, one that examines the unpredictability of life, the fortitude of the human spirit, and why bad things happen to good people. it takes a look at the seemingly insignificant slices of life we have all been given, and attempts to answer how then we should live to fulfill the bigger picture, to enter a new age of human achievement, to become the children of the eighth day. while i don’t know if i agree with all the conclusions he brought forth, it brings forward much food for thought.
thornton wilder has always been one of my favorite authors, as he has a grip with words that sparks thought and wrestles with big questions through the art of story that takes a master of writing. at times it is hard to see where he is going with a certain section or plot line, but it is always so satisfyingly tied up in the end that it makes all the difficult sections worth it. i find that out of the books of his that i have read, i do not reread them often, if ever, but i return over and over to flip through them and read the parts i have underlined, as he has such a brilliant way with words.
read this if you: have big questions and patience. if you want a gripping murder mystery, this is not the book for you, but if you are observant and thoughtful, you will get so much more out of this book than mere entertainment.
“when God loves a creature, he wants the creature to know the highest happiness and the deepest misery—then he can die. he wants him to know all that being alive can bring...there is no happiness save in understanding the whole.”
harmless_old_lady's review
3.0
An epic family saga with many twists and turns, a little bit too preachy. Like many books written by white men, this author is completely oblivious to his own sexist and racist attitudes. At the end the deus ex machina involves a religious cult. Despite all this, very readable, rolls right along without losing interest.
patrick_114's review
5.0
A true treasure. I felt as if i were listening to a very wise old person telling a story with many layers of meaning. As such, I likely missed much of what was being taught but what I did catch was incredibly rich. One of those books that I could have kept reading and reading.
emily_britton's review
4.0
It took me a little while to get into this book, but then I really enjoyed it. But I don't think Wilder quite nailed it with this one like he did some of his other, rightfully more well-known works. That being said, it's still great writing, and I'd recommend it.
rebleejen's review against another edition
For a book that starts with a murder, it's oddly tedious.