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janey's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Just loved it. I loved the people and the way they thought and how they tried to correct errors or steer toward what made them happy or tried to ensure the happiness of others, and how they schemed and double-crossed others or how they were always perfectly honest but people thought they were talking in metaphors. I loved the relationships among them, and the many ways that they showed love to one another, individually or in groups, actually or in theory. This was just a really satisfying story and it was filled with beauty.
p_t_b's review against another edition
4.0
jess walter can write any book he wants, given his skill in getting inside scenes and imaginary people, so he went and wrote a bildungsroman about a teenage wobbly in 1910 spokane (you can tell that he LOVES in spokane in that family way - as the protagonist later says of his goldwater-voting son, you can love your family without always liking them). there's a lot of overt nods to tolstoy and specifically war and peace here -- about how history is like a parade. when you're inside the events that become "history", or watching them, it seems like the only thing happening in the whole world, but you can also just walk over a block and never know it was happening, because the world and the lives in it are big enough together to smother any parade. im paraphrasing somewhat elaborately. for a big period piece this works subtly, and for a book centered on the IWW, it wears its politics lightly - maybe that's because the IWW's politics weren't actually that radical, the idea of every person and job having a dignity worth protecting in a union. ANYWAY. there are a few jazzier bits where secondary characters get a chapter in their voice, which works more than it doesn't. the main plot needed like one more kink in it, and the women dont quite get enough to do, and quibble quibble - a polished and immersive chunk of historical-soft literary fiction that will distract you for a few days. like dos passos' USA trilogy cleaned up for normal people and like 15% as long. hopefully jess walter doesnt turn into a falangist or whatever
nav26's review against another edition
I just couldn't get into this book. 70 pages in (almlst 1/3 through) and it felt like nothing was happening and I didn't care for any of the characters. Just not for me!
chboyer1995's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
skynet666's review against another edition
2.0
I realize that I’m in the minority, but I just didn’t enjoy the story and didn’t care about any of the characters.
mariahhanley's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited for this book. It’s set in Spokane (my hometown), historical fiction, and narrated by a full cast. All pluses in my book. But it never really came together for me. I would rate it 3.5 stars- I had a hard time tracking all of the different characters and felt like because of that, some of the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. My favorite character was Jules, who we learned about for for one chapter.
best_lemon's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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? No
3.5
cindysal's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderfully rich characters (some real like Elizabeth Gurley Flynn) in a book that takes place in the early days of labor unions. Throw in a little anarchy and a western setting, and you’ve got quite a story.