tschmitty's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the prose was lovely, but I thought the narrative grew choppy as the story of the drum history unfolded.
angief65's review against another edition
5.0
Great book super on audio as anything by Anna Fields is. Read for our library book club.
bailorg's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.25
emilyrasmussen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
amandabcook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Infidelity, and Colonisation
missphoebs's review against another edition
5.0
"for solitude will also break you with its yearning. you have to love. you have to feel. it is the reason you are here on earth."
some of the most exquisite prose i have ever read. literally so many great lines that were reminders of why i love to read. this book was rough for me to get through, mainly because of my current reading slump, but erdrich's writing is so rich and with an intense subject matter that forces me to take my time with reading rather than bulldozing through it in order to reach my silly reading goal. i loved this one a lot, particularly the depiction of mother/daughter relationships and sister dynamics. it was so expertly written, like .... don't even have the words to describe it !!
some of the most exquisite prose i have ever read. literally so many great lines that were reminders of why i love to read. this book was rough for me to get through, mainly because of my current reading slump, but erdrich's writing is so rich and with an intense subject matter that forces me to take my time with reading rather than bulldozing through it in order to reach my silly reading goal. i loved this one a lot, particularly the depiction of mother/daughter relationships and sister dynamics. it was so expertly written, like .... don't even have the words to describe it !!
punkrockingnerd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Oh boy, when I made the "kintsugi" tag, this was what I meant. For those of you who don't know, kintsugi is the Japanese technique of fixing broken pottery with a gold lacquer (although there are other colors used, gold is the most common from what I can see), highlighting the damage and repair as part of the piece's history, rather than trying to cover it up. I've always thought of it as in, "I don't like this feeling, but I think I have to feel it."
The Painted Drum is beautifully written, as most will say, but what really got to me was the floating from story to story, learning just enough about characters to care about their circumstances and well-being, only for the narrative to drift to someone else. In a lesser story, the connection from life to life would've been weak or bordering on absurdist, but here, you can see the almost-invisible threads connecting everyone involved until finally, like a ladder stitch, the string tightens and the story comes to a head with all the characters' actions bringing them together in a serendipitous way. A lot of this book is about pain and heartbreak, and a touch about living with grief (although it feels more like Hereditary's or One Hundred Years of Solitude's "grief is felt down the family line for generations"), but it never feels like a downer. Additionally, the author is indigenous and isn't afraid to show it, making a stance of "I'm going to talk about cultural and historical references that some people may not get, but that's not my problem-they'll relate to what they need to for the story's sake, but they can do their own research."
TLDR; It's a good read for someone who wants a quick yet captivating story with a unique perspective, focusing on the effects of tragedy in multiple generations and the people's attempts to understand and heal.
The Painted Drum is beautifully written, as most will say, but what really got to me was the floating from story to story, learning just enough about characters to care about their circumstances and well-being, only for the narrative to drift to someone else. In a lesser story, the connection from life to life would've been weak or bordering on absurdist, but here, you can see the almost-invisible threads connecting everyone involved until finally, like a ladder stitch, the string tightens and the story comes to a head with all the characters' actions bringing them together in a serendipitous way. A lot of this book is about pain and heartbreak, and a touch about living with grief (although it feels more like Hereditary's or One Hundred Years of Solitude's "grief is felt down the family line for generations"), but it never feels like a downer. Additionally, the author is indigenous and isn't afraid to show it, making a stance of "I'm going to talk about cultural and historical references that some people may not get, but that's not my problem-they'll relate to what they need to for the story's sake, but they can do their own research."
TLDR; It's a good read for someone who wants a quick yet captivating story with a unique perspective, focusing on the effects of tragedy in multiple generations and the people's attempts to understand and heal.
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
This one was a bit start and stop for me especially early on and didn't leave me with the sort of awe I have after reading some of Erdrich's books, but it does contain some of her characteristic lyricism, complex if sometimes puzzling relationships, sense of family and community, and lovely glimpses of some of the culture of the Native Americans she writes about (also the awful legacy of immigrant Europeans).
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I have chills. This is one of my all time favourite Erdrich books and certainly up there with the best books I've ever read. Despite a bit of a slow start, this is undeniably a five star read. It takes its time to reach the moments of thrilling excitement and dread and it makes those moments all the more powerful and effective. This was one of her more tragic, chilling reads but is also full of the warmth of family and love. Many layers of different characters, timelines, and families. This is a story about selfhood deepening, awareness expanding, forgiveness and healing. Characters that are fan favourites from other books appear (AKA my favourites) and their faces are a pleasure to see once again. This enriches the world Erdrich creates in her novels, but also stays true to the atmosphere she has previously presented. I think this might be the best example of the heart-wrenching abilities of the author. This book moved me to tears more than once and I felt it affecting my mood, making me quiet and full of sighs after reading certain passages. It is dark and full of sadness, death, and grief. Yet it is a treat to read anything by Erdrich and I will cherish this story.
"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could."
"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could."