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c_dmckinney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ultimately, I don't think I'm the right audience for this book. I'm oversaturated and exhausted by broken men doing profoundly selfish things that hurt their wives with no real consequences. I understand he was stuck in a cycle of immense grief for 20 years after tremendous loss, but Harold taking off on his journey without so much as telling his wife put me off the entire thing.
The writing is beautiful in a haunting and meandering way. The exploration of grief is done quite well. I loved the way the shoes were used as an overarching metaphor and I really liked the concept of an act of faith not being explicitly specifically religious in nature. But I felt so much more for Maureen than Harold the entire time.
My sympathy for what Harold did to his wife without thought or consideration or apology made every additional choice Harold made all that much more frustrating. At every turn he refused most help, refused to acknowledge his behavior meaning anything outside of keeping Queenie alive, refused to do anything to make the journey safer or quicker. While I fully understand that grief is often isolating and illogical, Harold was so frustratingly selfish and unintentionally cruel to the person best equipped to understand his pain and it makes it hard for me to care that his ending is technically the happiest outcome for him.
Some people are drawn to this sort of protagonist but I deeply resent them because they are so common in my real life. So my rating is heavily biased and mostly about how much I don't like reading stories about people like Harold. It shouldn't necessarily be used to justify someone not reading it though.
The writing is beautiful in a haunting and meandering way. The exploration of grief is done quite well. I loved the way the shoes were used as an overarching metaphor and I really liked the concept of an act of faith not being explicitly specifically religious in nature. But I felt so much more for Maureen than Harold the entire time.
My sympathy for what Harold did to his wife without thought or consideration or apology made every additional choice Harold made all that much more frustrating. At every turn he refused most help, refused to acknowledge his behavior meaning anything outside of keeping Queenie alive, refused to do anything to make the journey safer or quicker. While I fully understand that grief is often isolating and illogical, Harold was so frustratingly selfish and unintentionally cruel to the person best equipped to understand his pain and it makes it hard for me to care that his ending is technically the happiest outcome for him.
Some people are drawn to this sort of protagonist but I deeply resent them because they are so common in my real life. So my rating is heavily biased and mostly about how much I don't like reading stories about people like Harold. It shouldn't necessarily be used to justify someone not reading it though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Alcohol
kate59421's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide
smreads24's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Suicide
winterdodos's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
One of my favourite books. A very emotional story about life and mourning. It has a lot of that typical british humour that i so love. Stuck with me for a long time after reading.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
mlregal's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
mslucymarple's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
kaelynrae's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
very introspective and interesting read. as someone who recently lost a parent to cancer and has struggled with mental health issues and addiction, it was a tough read at points. but very well done. a bit slow at points but compelling as i think that was intentional
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, and Suicide
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Suicide, and Terminal illness
bealunn11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A heartwarming book! I will say I was able to semi-guess the ending although it didn't matter too much, I was happy to be there for the journey! Although slow, It was a well rounded and satisfying read. Would recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Suicide