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mitchellreed's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
naomisnovelnest's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
eososray's review against another edition
4.0
What a stellar story. I loved the modern and historical stories, the author does a great job moving between the two without losing your interest in either.
kristennd's review
3.0
I remember that I liked it, but wasn't blown away. Remember absolutely nothing of the plot, so just 3 stars.
lowercasepoet's review
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lizruest's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
alexkerner's review
2.0
DNF
Life is too short to force oneself through a slog of a book. The first winner of the Giller Prize (and the first of my challenge to read every winner over the next few years) this story of Kenya under British rule during and after the first world war, I found the writing incredibly dull and the plot, which should be filled with intrigue was missing any sense of prepulsion. A whimpering start to my Giller challenge but thankfully Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance, a classic and one my all time favs.
Life is too short to force oneself through a slog of a book. The first winner of the Giller Prize (and the first of my challenge to read every winner over the next few years) this story of Kenya under British rule during and after the first world war, I found the writing incredibly dull and the plot, which should be filled with intrigue was missing any sense of prepulsion. A whimpering start to my Giller challenge but thankfully Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance, a classic and one my all time favs.
ldv's review
3.0
Kind of eclectic but interesting and realistic -- this is NOT the book for those who like all the loose ends neatly tied up. This book intentionally and explicitly leaves most of the strings untied. It's a bit of history and family saga in Dar es Salaam, where British colonials, Indians, and Africans co-exist (though not necessarily peacefully). It's not about death and destruction though war happens. It's a novel about people's lives in a culture and time period different from any in North America or Europe. A good read, but not one that you want to pick and put down repeatedly or drag out; if you do that you'll lose the threads and not appreciate the narrative.
katequeenofsprouts's review
3.0
A really intriguing way of narrating the story from many different points of view, though it lagged in the middle for me enough to rate it down a star.