bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
Alaska, apparently, is a bleak and dreary place where people self-destruct in the midst of all that salmon. There really was no hope at all that I could make out. The pervading pessimism, bordering on cynicism, gets almost ridiculous after a while. Just when you think the characters can't possibly get any more miserable, they do. It's their on fault, too, more or less. Everyone is desperately unhappy and disconnected. Instead of taking some responsibility, they blame each other and make terrible decisions. They have clearly never read a self-help book.
The only character I felt some sympathy for was Irene. As a former migraneur, I could relate to her panicking about her headaches, and empathize with her frustration over not being taken seriously. Her backstory explained some of her behaviour, whereas the other characters' motivations were vaguer. Rhoda and Jim especially drove me crazy. One minute Rhoda is thinking how she would leave Jim if she only had a place to go, the next she's happily accepting his proposal to marry. Jim is callous and narcissistic and actually plans to cheat on Rhoda as soon as they marry, even planning a training program to get into shape in order to bed as many women as possible. Why?! Why on earth would anyone do that?! If I'm going to read about people behaving like sociopaths, I'd at least like an explanation of some kind. What the hell happened to Jim to make him into an unscrupulous liar? Surely this isn't considered normal even in Alaska?
Anyway, I had a terrible time with these people, but I was also reluctantly captivated by the story and the writing, which is excellent. It also gave me a craving for salmon.
The only character I felt some sympathy for was Irene. As a former migraneur, I could relate to her panicking about her headaches, and empathize with her frustration over not being taken seriously. Her backstory explained some of her behaviour, whereas the other characters' motivations were vaguer. Rhoda and Jim especially drove me crazy. One minute Rhoda is thinking how she would leave Jim if she only had a place to go, the next she's happily accepting his proposal to marry. Jim is callous and narcissistic and actually plans to cheat on Rhoda as soon as they marry, even planning a training program to get into shape in order to bed as many women as possible. Why?! Why on earth would anyone do that?! If I'm going to read about people behaving like sociopaths, I'd at least like an explanation of some kind. What the hell happened to Jim to make him into an unscrupulous liar? Surely this isn't considered normal even in Alaska?
Anyway, I had a terrible time with these people, but I was also reluctantly captivated by the story and the writing, which is excellent. It also gave me a craving for salmon.
ritagalmeida's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
inesantunes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.25
One of the best writers i've seen describing those feelings that we usually don't know how to describe. And making us understand how strangers on a remote island from Alaska can be a bit of you, of the people you meet and of the person you may have been or will be in the future.
A sad story about real people and the realization that years go by so quickly that we are well at risk of stopping to take a looks at them one of these days and understanding how much we may have failed to our own dreams and expectations.
It's a book about fears: the fear of not being good enough, of not finding our purpose, the fear of being alone, the fear of loving more and the frustration of not being able to stop the years and to go back to the time were we could still dream.
It's a book about insecurities and how they can shape our lives. And it is tragic because it was too late to escape.
A sad story about real people and the realization that years go by so quickly that we are well at risk of stopping to take a looks at them one of these days and understanding how much we may have failed to our own dreams and expectations.
It's a book about fears: the fear of not being good enough, of not finding our purpose, the fear of being alone, the fear of loving more and the frustration of not being able to stop the years and to go back to the time were we could still dream.
It's a book about insecurities and how they can shape our lives. And it is tragic because it was too late to escape.
azu_rikka's review against another edition
5.0
I just looove David Vann's writing! Unfortunately I don't really connect with his stories. But this one is beautiful and true and deep from start to almost finish. I don't love the ending (last ten pages), but one could see it coming. I had hoped that the author opts for the hopeful sort- he didn't- but where Vann is comimg from, it probably is the only end possible for him.
This book opened my eyes to resentment and not taking responsibility for one's actions and what that can do to a relationship. I rooted for all three resentment driven characters (mother Irene, father Gary and daughter Rhoda), hoping that they would be able to turn their lives around. Although Rhoda seemed to have it all under control at the start, we get to see more of her struggles as the story develops. The only sane person in the family is son/ brother Mark, who seems to be satisfied with his lot.
The way nature and the weather reflect the mood is brilliant. The dialog is often bitterly humorous.
This book opened my eyes to resentment and not taking responsibility for one's actions and what that can do to a relationship. I rooted for all three resentment driven characters (mother Irene, father Gary and daughter Rhoda), hoping that they would be able to turn their lives around. Although Rhoda seemed to have it all under control at the start, we get to see more of her struggles as the story develops. The only sane person in the family is son/ brother Mark, who seems to be satisfied with his lot.
The way nature and the weather reflect the mood is brilliant. The dialog is often bitterly humorous.
randybo5's review against another edition
3.0
It would be too depressing to think that all marriages are like those portrayed in this book of regrets, lost opportunities, and failure to connect set in Alaska. Full of well portrayed characters, I had the impulse throughout the book to shake them to wake up and make some decisions or quit whining!
withonestone's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
okenwillow's review against another edition
5.0
Depuis le temps que j’avais ce livre dans ma PAL il était temps de l’attaquer ! Sukkwan Island m’avait laissée pantoise, David Vann récidive en plantant son décor dans une Alaska de fin d’été, pluvieuse et grise. Du huis-clos père-fils, nous passons au règlement de compte matrimonial. Irene et Gary sont de jeunes retraités, que les aléas de la vie a poussé à faire leur vie en Alaska. Désormais libres de leur temps, il vont réaliser le rêve de Gary, construire une cabane sur une île et y passer l’hiver. En bonne épouse dévouée, Irene va aider son mari malgré de violentes migraines. Au fil de l’avancement laborieux des travaux, on assiste à une lente agonie conjugale. Les migraines d’Irene, symbole d’une violente et douloureuse prise de conscience, et la cabane de Gary, matérialisation d’un rêve de jeunesse jamais atteint, vont s’affronter dans un climat malsain de non-dits, de rancœurs, de regrets et de haine de moins en moins dissimulée. Leur fille Rhoda, en digne fille admirative du couple que forment ses parents, ne croit pas sa mère lorsque celle-ci lui confie sa peur d’être quittée par Gary. Est-elle folle ? Ou perturbée par ses violentes migraines ? La retraite l’a-t-elle plongée dans une dépression paranoïaque ? Tout au long de la construction de la cabane, la tension monte au sein du couple. De retards en problèmes techniques, d’improvisations en ratés, l’obstination de Gary n’a d’égal que le mépris d’Irene. Leur fille Rhoda, en couple avec un dentiste, attend patiemment sa demande en mariage. Compagne (déjà) dévouée et soucieuse du bien-être de son homme, elle fait beaucoup penser à sa mère, avant ses désillusions. Le destin de deux couples va se jouer en quelques jours. On sent venir le drame pour l’un, car on ne peut pas lutter contre l’inéluctable, quant à l’autre, on ne sait pas ce qu’il adviendra de lui. Les dialogues entre Irene et Gary sont d’une étonnante justesse, leurs rapports sont tendus en permanence, chacun essayant de sauver les apparences tout en évitant le conflit. Si l’analyse du couple Irene-Gary est confondante de réalisme, celle de Rhoda et de son dentiste n’ont rien à lui envier. Entre cynisme et fatalisme, David Vann élabore une tragédie d’une violence inouïe, à la hauteur de Sukkwan Island, et qui met un point final à l’ambiance pesante et suffocante du récit.
bettyvd's review against another edition
4.0
Er hangt al snel een dreigende sfeer in dit verhaal. De vraag is alleen: wie kraakt er het eerst onder teleurstelling en wanhoop? Alaska doet zelf ook zijn best om de schouders van de personages naar beneden te drukken. Genieten van somberheid : het is toch iets vreemds.
lergoo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars*
My rating throughout went from 2 stars to maybe 5 stars, down to a 3, and then after consideration back to a 4, or a 3.5 to be exact.
I just picked this book up secondhand because i liked the cover. Never judge a book by its cover yada yada i get it. This cover was gold and white though, pretty dope. Anyhow, it started off and i thought this really wasn't going to be my thing. Then as i kept reading it became more and more interesting. The story is really down to earth and human in one of the worst ways really. It show what people can do in a relationship, and sometimes it hurt to read.
I can't say i really liked any of the characters. The only really likeable person here was Rhoda, and that's saying something. Only one person that wasn't being a pile of feces in one way or another. Also there's Carl, who was just neutral really.
The story slowly built up for me to around the halfway point. Then it kept being less and less interesting to me. Then at the end it spiked back up but at the very end it was dissapointing to me. One of those unfinished endings where the writer leaves it up to the reader to think about what would happen next. I hate that, because to me it feels like the writer didn't know how to end their story, so they left it up to my imagination. Sure, i'm pretty sure what happened, but i want to read what actually did occur. 5 extra pages and it might have even been 5 stars... maybe.
If you like human stories about what can happen in a marriage, what can go wrong in a relationship or about a family that slowly falls apart, give it a read. I know it pleasantly surprised me in general and i'm glad that i've read it. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but it was quite enjoyable nontheless.
My rating throughout went from 2 stars to maybe 5 stars, down to a 3, and then after consideration back to a 4, or a 3.5 to be exact.
I just picked this book up secondhand because i liked the cover. Never judge a book by its cover yada yada i get it. This cover was gold and white though, pretty dope. Anyhow, it started off and i thought this really wasn't going to be my thing. Then as i kept reading it became more and more interesting. The story is really down to earth and human in one of the worst ways really. It show what people can do in a relationship, and sometimes it hurt to read.
I can't say i really liked any of the characters. The only really likeable person here was Rhoda, and that's saying something. Only one person that wasn't being a pile of feces in one way or another. Also there's Carl, who was just neutral really.
The story slowly built up for me to around the halfway point. Then it kept being less and less interesting to me. Then at the end it spiked back up but at the very end it was dissapointing to me. One of those unfinished endings where the writer leaves it up to the reader to think about what would happen next. I hate that, because to me it feels like the writer didn't know how to end their story, so they left it up to my imagination. Sure, i'm pretty sure what happened, but i want to read what actually did occur. 5 extra pages and it might have even been 5 stars... maybe.
If you like human stories about what can happen in a marriage, what can go wrong in a relationship or about a family that slowly falls apart, give it a read. I know it pleasantly surprised me in general and i'm glad that i've read it. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but it was quite enjoyable nontheless.
natashamontgomery's review against another edition
2.0
[2 stars]
Caribou Island was disappointing. I think this is due mainly to me over-hyping the book and setting unrealistic expectations. One of my 2017 reading resolutions involved reading more from authors that I have read and liked/loved and David Vann was one of them. I read Aquarium in 2016 and it became an instant favourite; it was so mesmerizing in its prose while harboring one of the most disturbing stories I've ever read.
This novel is a study on romantic relationships and marriage and it sheds the most depressing light on the concept which I found incredibly interesting while reading although straight after I felt I needed to read a gushy romance ASAP. The themes Vann explores on the sturdiness of marriage, the destructibility of love and the extent of self-reliance were very well developed and examined.
Caribou Island like Aquarium had such beautiful prose but the pacing was all wrong and I say this because I cannot fault anything else. The characters were fine; they were properly developed. The plot, the actual going-ons of the book was fine as well. And the writing was perfect as I said before but something stopped me from wanting to pick this book up and I reckon it was the pacing and a general disinterest in what was going on. This book was slow and for anyone who enjoys more of a character-study and less of an enthralling plot, you may enjoy this one.
My disappointment in Caribou Island has not, in any way, quelled my desire to read more Vann in the future, I find his writing raw and beautiful and never pretentious in the way that many literary novels tend towards.
"...marriage not unlike a sense of self, something fleeting and changing, important and also nothing. You could rely on it for years, just assume it was there, but then if you looked for it, needed it, tried to find substance to it, something to grab on to, your hands closed on air."
Caribou Island was disappointing. I think this is due mainly to me over-hyping the book and setting unrealistic expectations. One of my 2017 reading resolutions involved reading more from authors that I have read and liked/loved and David Vann was one of them. I read Aquarium in 2016 and it became an instant favourite; it was so mesmerizing in its prose while harboring one of the most disturbing stories I've ever read.
This novel is a study on romantic relationships and marriage and it sheds the most depressing light on the concept which I found incredibly interesting while reading although straight after I felt I needed to read a gushy romance ASAP. The themes Vann explores on the sturdiness of marriage, the destructibility of love and the extent of self-reliance were very well developed and examined.
Caribou Island like Aquarium had such beautiful prose but the pacing was all wrong and I say this because I cannot fault anything else. The characters were fine; they were properly developed. The plot, the actual going-ons of the book was fine as well. And the writing was perfect as I said before but something stopped me from wanting to pick this book up and I reckon it was the pacing and a general disinterest in what was going on. This book was slow and for anyone who enjoys more of a character-study and less of an enthralling plot, you may enjoy this one.
My disappointment in Caribou Island has not, in any way, quelled my desire to read more Vann in the future, I find his writing raw and beautiful and never pretentious in the way that many literary novels tend towards.