The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
rebeccarennerfl's review against another edition
5.0
The first time I read this book, I totally hated it. I'm glad I gave it another chance. It is completely voice-driven. So if that isn't your thing, or if you know zilch about horse racing, this might not be the book for you.
nicolec417's review against another edition
1.0
Had a hard time getting into this one, so decided to stop halfway through. I didn't care for any of the characters, and the overall tone was a bit too grim for my mood these days. Might try it again this winter.
randybo5's review against another edition
1.0
It has probably been 30 years since I just couldn't finish a book. I struggled for 100 pages before giving up. There just wasn't enough payoff for wading through the disjointed storyline and track jargon.
bibliotherapy's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
shawntowner's review against another edition
3.0
A pretty good book, although I'm not sure why it won the National Book Award. I enjoy books with multiple narrators, so I liked that about the book, but it certainly isn't unique or innovative. The author does manage to cram a lot into a relatively short novel. It's not just about horse racing (in fact, the actual racing of horses plays a fairly small role in the novel), with subplots ranging from small-time gangster stories, personal and romantic relationships, hard-luck characters trying to earn a little stability in life, and a poorly explained thread about a young horse manager apparently becoming a gigolo and going insane.
mariannika's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. Jaimy Gordon can both write well and craft a plot, it doesn't get better than that.
showlola's review against another edition
2.0
This gets points for being beautifully written and lovingly crafted in a way that makes lots of people happy, but this book was not for me. I truly had a tough time following the action for the first section of this book - I know next to nothing about horse racing or 70s cons and gansters and Gordon is not trying to make entering this world easy on anybody and the voice of the action is changing ALL THE TIME. Even after I got the gist of it enough to follow along, I felt like I just floated through and never got really engaged. So, firmly meh for me.
regferk's review against another edition
2.0
There were some very lovely and lyrical passages, but the cavalier treatment of rape just killed it for me.