Scan barcode
readingoverbreathing's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ever since this was included in the NYT Book Review's list of the best books of the year, I've been dying to read this. It checks so many of my boxes: lush, descriptive writing, an 18th-century New England farmhouse, and a threaded series of different characters, time periods, and circumstances that are all woven together into one brilliant tapestry. I am someone who is also very protective and sentimental about place and home and curious how places evolve over time, so this was truly, totally, utterly up my alley. And, to top it all off, I just so happened to be spending time traveling in the Berkshires while reading this, traversing the same landscape that shapes these characters and this story, apple picking and all. There could not have been a more perfect book in my hands for that trip.
And, believe me, it did not disappoint. Admittedly, I was a bit bewildered by the first couple of chapters, but by the time I got to Mary and Alice, the story was starting to click. And it only gets better from there.
However, while this was so close to a five-star read for me, there were a few minor things that bothered me. For one, the songs and the images Mason incorporates. Personally, I don't think they really added much. I'm sure the author could offer a detailed and fascinating justification for their inclusion that would help me appreciate them, but I honestly found them a little pretentious and unnecessary.
Secondly, I could have done without the last chapter, maybe even without Nora's story altogether. Part of the thrill of this book, for me at least, was the slow realization thata supernatural world did in fact exist just beneath the surface of the present one. By exposing this so fully, Mason took away a lot of the magic, mystery, and intrigue for me. I also wouldn't have been opposed to a glimpse into the house and land's future, but the way Mason explored this lacked the detail and rich storytelling that characterized the rest of the book and honestly just felt like a cheap way to tie this off. There's definitely some allusion to climate change, but I would have preferred something more substantial, if he did indeed want to take the story that far.
However, overall, I'll say it just one more time: I loved this. The writing is beautiful, the story brilliant, the characters vividly memorable. Maybe it was a case of right place/right time for me, but I am so grateful to say that this was just about everything I had hoped it would be.
And, believe me, it did not disappoint. Admittedly, I was a bit bewildered by the first couple of chapters, but by the time I got to Mary and Alice, the story was starting to click. And it only gets better from there.
However, while this was so close to a five-star read for me, there were a few minor things that bothered me. For one, the songs and the images Mason incorporates. Personally, I don't think they really added much. I'm sure the author could offer a detailed and fascinating justification for their inclusion that would help me appreciate them, but I honestly found them a little pretentious and unnecessary.
Secondly, I could have done without the last chapter, maybe even without Nora's story altogether. Part of the thrill of this book, for me at least, was the slow realization that
However, overall, I'll say it just one more time: I loved this. The writing is beautiful, the story brilliant, the characters vividly memorable. Maybe it was a case of right place/right time for me, but I am so grateful to say that this was just about everything I had hoped it would be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Slavery and Death of parent
danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked this book. Though it came highly recommended and I wanted to love it. And I didn’t. This said, some of things that made me not love it are things that may be right up the alley of other readers: an omniscient third person narrative voice that can sometimes feel a little emotionally detached (not to be confused with the book being unemotional, it’s a very emotional book. Only that the narrator is giving us that emotion from a very outside perspective), and nearly every chapter featuring a totally new central character all linked together through living in or attachment to a single house over centuries.
Which for me, I tend to be attracted to very character driven books, and so being presented with a new central character each chapter just as I was getting to know the previous one was difficult for me to get into. But what I will say is, the book is super interesting. It’s very concept driven and the concept is incredibly compelling. One of the things I really did love in its concept was the usage of ephemera. Oftentimes, between chapters, there would be things like photographs, news clippings, obituaries, poems, journal excerpts, etc, which really made the world feel so real and palpable.
So for those who love somewhat experimental concept driven books, you will likely love this. And there are multiple characters who I did find incredibly compelling and was sad to depart from so quickly when the book moved on to a new inhabitant of the house. The book is also undeniably very well written and constructed. I think that while it wasn’t a five star read for me, it would be a five star read for many others. In fact I already recommended it to two different friends who I think would absolutely lose their minds over this book based on their reading tastes. So don’t let my criticism deter you if this is the kind of storytelling you like!
Which for me, I tend to be attracted to very character driven books, and so being presented with a new central character each chapter just as I was getting to know the previous one was difficult for me to get into. But what I will say is, the book is super interesting. It’s very concept driven and the concept is incredibly compelling. One of the things I really did love in its concept was the usage of ephemera. Oftentimes, between chapters, there would be things like photographs, news clippings, obituaries, poems, journal excerpts, etc, which really made the world feel so real and palpable.
So for those who love somewhat experimental concept driven books, you will likely love this. And there are multiple characters who I did find incredibly compelling and was sad to depart from so quickly when the book moved on to a new inhabitant of the house. The book is also undeniably very well written and constructed. I think that while it wasn’t a five star read for me, it would be a five star read for many others. In fact I already recommended it to two different friends who I think would absolutely lose their minds over this book based on their reading tastes. So don’t let my criticism deter you if this is the kind of storytelling you like!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
vireogirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Very disparate, some chapters much harder to read than others. The randomness was too much for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
blankcrayon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
2.0
Interesting concept, but I didn’t enjoy the execution. I found myself wanting to finish the book, and I didn’t connect with the characters. The fantasy elements brought in toward the second half of the book were also not my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual content and War
emily_koopmann's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Murder
mscalls's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Sexual content, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
cryptofauna's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
what was even the point of this book.
badly paced, no cohesive plot line or honestly any plot to begin with. had a few interesting moments in a couple of the short stories but it jumps around far too much to actually get properly aquatinted with some of the characters. (like i loved mary and alice because they were the most robust and had more time than anyone else to flesh out and have a compelling story i feel like)
i really don’t mind a book in this sort of format (one of my fav books of all time greenwoods is like this) but i feel like this did not do the multigenerational independent yet slightly connected stories well at all.
honestly should have dnfed it but i was really hoping it would get better or have some kind of ending that tied it all up. it felt like there was supposed to be come deep meaning that i clearly missed
had high hopes for this one and i don’t understand why everyone else in these reviews is obsessed with it
badly paced, no cohesive plot line or honestly any plot to begin with. had a few interesting moments in a couple of the short stories but it jumps around far too much to actually get properly aquatinted with some of the characters. (like i loved mary and alice because they were the most robust and had more time than anyone else to flesh out and have a compelling story i feel like)
i really don’t mind a book in this sort of format (one of my fav books of all time greenwoods is like this) but i feel like this did not do the multigenerational independent yet slightly connected stories well at all.
honestly should have dnfed it but i was really hoping it would get better or have some kind of ending that tied it all up. it felt like there was supposed to be come deep meaning that i clearly missed
had high hopes for this one and i don’t understand why everyone else in these reviews is obsessed with it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence
wordswithjustine's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I almost DNF'd this book because I wasn't in a murdery frame of mind nor do I pre er books with much sex and it seemed like those things were maybe going to be the focus. I am glad I stuck with it. The nature focus shines through in the second half. The writing is absolutely extraordinary with so many strands woven together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, and Dementia
town_scar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Have we not all looked at houses all around the world and pondered what history the walls may tell? What the earth might know?
This novel is a true masterpiece. A combination of prose and poetry that embodies naturalism and spiritualism at its core.
Perhaps my only gripe is that I wish there had been a greater focus on non-White individuals. The main owners of the house are all white (with a single brief exception) and while the original inhabitants of the land are acknowledged they are not given a voice.
This novel is a true masterpiece. A combination of prose and poetry that embodies naturalism and spiritualism at its core.
Perhaps my only gripe is that I wish there had been a greater focus on non-White individuals. The main owners of the house are all white (with a single brief exception) and while the original inhabitants of the land are acknowledged they are not given a voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
mselvis's review against another edition
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis