raforall's review
3.0
Full Review: http://raforall.blogspot.com/2016/04/what-im-reading-mr-splitfoot.html
laurelinwonder's review
5.0
This is hands down one of the best books I have read all year, and quite possibly the last few years. If I could give it 100 stars I would. While this book may not be for everyone, let me tell you what I loved about it. First off, should you read it, give it 50 pages or so to get into the rhythm of the high literary language. It's not inaccessible, it just takes a bit for your brain to switch into what Hunt is doing. Told in alternating chapters that play with time (which is all I will say here), there is a sci-fi element that really works in this little gothic horror. I can't think of any other book like this, and that may be a lot of the draw for me, so very unique. I could not put this down, I wanted to know everything, and the journey to get to the end is just as satisfying as the answers we finally get. Read this right now, this is the perfect winter read to curl up with.
juliwi's review
Sometimes a book keeps you up all night reading because it's simply that interesting! Mr. Splitfoot was one of those books for me. The cover was the first thing that attracted me to the book but then the blurb absolutely sealed the deal. However, by the time I got around to reading this book I had forgotten almost everything from the blurb and reading the book was a true journey of discovery.
Mr. Splitfoot is a book on fire. I'm not quite sure how else to describe it, still at a loss for words. First, one thing: I'm not quite sure why, but there seems to be a bit of a trend arising at the moment to write about cults and communes this summer. Although it is only a relatively small part of Mr. Splitfoot that focuses on a cult, it is one of the parts that leaves a major impression on the reader. Partly this makes such an impact because the novel is focuses on that strange mix between history, the fantastical, the gothic and the "real", whatever that may be. This brilliant clash between different genres, different feelings and different interests is what makes Mr. Spitfoot quite incendiary at times. On the one hand its characters, especially Cora, feels incredibly modern and yet their stories also have a timeless feel to it.
...
Hunt does as she pleases in Mr. Splitfoot, moving between different time period, different narrators and between different writing styles. Her writing absolutely and utterly uplifts this novel. It's hard to put into words where the magic lies. There are descriptions of life in this novel which feel incredibly true, conversations which need to be had and truths which we feel should be kept secret. Part of the fascination lies in Hunt's willingness to break with what the reader expects, letting a sentence go awry or simply stop before one expects, stopping a chapter just before a twist and then letting it pass, letting the magical flow into the real and blurring the distinction. A character in the novel talks about the 'tyranny of fiction' and Mr. Splitfoot is one of the best examples of recent novels that shakes off this tyranny. It's the best of American Gothic, the perfect genre to shake you out of the comfort that everyday brings, to bring the uncanny a little bit too close for comfort and to bring some beauty to the quotidian life.
I recommend Mr. Splitfoot to everyone! It's a beautiful mix of genres and Hunt has written some fascinating moments and characters. This novel definitely will not let you go for a long time. I recommend it to fans of Magical Realism and, yes, Psychological thrillers.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/review-mr-splitfoot-by-samantha-hunt.html
Mr. Splitfoot is a book on fire. I'm not quite sure how else to describe it, still at a loss for words. First, one thing: I'm not quite sure why, but there seems to be a bit of a trend arising at the moment to write about cults and communes this summer. Although it is only a relatively small part of Mr. Splitfoot that focuses on a cult, it is one of the parts that leaves a major impression on the reader. Partly this makes such an impact because the novel is focuses on that strange mix between history, the fantastical, the gothic and the "real", whatever that may be. This brilliant clash between different genres, different feelings and different interests is what makes Mr. Spitfoot quite incendiary at times. On the one hand its characters, especially Cora, feels incredibly modern and yet their stories also have a timeless feel to it.
...
Hunt does as she pleases in Mr. Splitfoot, moving between different time period, different narrators and between different writing styles. Her writing absolutely and utterly uplifts this novel. It's hard to put into words where the magic lies. There are descriptions of life in this novel which feel incredibly true, conversations which need to be had and truths which we feel should be kept secret. Part of the fascination lies in Hunt's willingness to break with what the reader expects, letting a sentence go awry or simply stop before one expects, stopping a chapter just before a twist and then letting it pass, letting the magical flow into the real and blurring the distinction. A character in the novel talks about the 'tyranny of fiction' and Mr. Splitfoot is one of the best examples of recent novels that shakes off this tyranny. It's the best of American Gothic, the perfect genre to shake you out of the comfort that everyday brings, to bring the uncanny a little bit too close for comfort and to bring some beauty to the quotidian life.
I recommend Mr. Splitfoot to everyone! It's a beautiful mix of genres and Hunt has written some fascinating moments and characters. This novel definitely will not let you go for a long time. I recommend it to fans of Magical Realism and, yes, Psychological thrillers.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/review-mr-splitfoot-by-samantha-hunt.html
gloomwraith's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jeskian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So many thoughts about this, having finished it not ten minutes ago. Begin stream of thought:
I really enjoyed the fact that this is two narratives. Listening to audiobook, it was sometimes tricky to tell which adult character was which. I also struggled to remember that the main characters Ruth and Nat were 17 - for some reason I just kept seeing them as preteens. Whether that was prose, dialogue, or performance, I can't tell. Regarding plot, if you love parallelism and echoes in narratives, this'll be for you.
That being said, I can't say I loved this due to the fact that a big portion of the middle section just really bummed me out!
Once the mysticism amped up toward the end, I got more wrapped up in it and more excited by it. That's what I wanted, the magical realism. I liked the setting of the decrepit cult camp. Calling a gun the weapon of cowards was a big thumbs up point. Also, realizing the nature of the story once it got to the end, and how it tied to the story Cora told at the beginning made me smile and appreciate the *construction* of this novel, if not so much its look.
So... good book. Well made. I'm sure it was really hard to do, and it's impressive! I'm impressed by it more than I enjoyed it. Parts I found distasteful, parts I deeply enjoyed, parts I enjoyed but am sure would hit so much harder if I had the ability to be pregnant. Soft recommend!
I really enjoyed the fact that this is two narratives. Listening to audiobook, it was sometimes tricky to tell which adult character was which. I also struggled to remember that the main characters Ruth and Nat were 17 - for some reason I just kept seeing them as preteens. Whether that was prose, dialogue, or performance, I can't tell. Regarding plot, if you love parallelism and echoes in narratives, this'll be for you.
That being said, I can't say I loved this due to the fact that a big portion of the middle section just really bummed me out!
Spoiler
Children having to choose which adult they marry to avoid abuse? Forced abortions? People being totally abandoned in wilderness? Random sexual encounters with zero chemistry or flirting? I don't love it!Once the mysticism amped up toward the end, I got more wrapped up in it and more excited by it. That's what I wanted, the magical realism. I liked the setting of the decrepit cult camp. Calling a gun the weapon of cowards was a big thumbs up point. Also, realizing the nature of the story once it got to the end, and how it tied to the story Cora told at the beginning made me smile and appreciate the *construction* of this novel, if not so much its look.
So... good book. Well made. I'm sure it was really hard to do, and it's impressive! I'm impressed by it more than I enjoyed it. Parts I found distasteful, parts I deeply enjoyed, parts I enjoyed but am sure would hit so much harder if I had the ability to be pregnant. Soft recommend!
luarentaylor's review
5.0
................... W o a h.
I was absolutely enchanted and haunted by this book. The people so urgent and instinctual, and the landscapes (both physical and metaphysical) so vast, so stark, so arresting. Ruth and Nat will haunt my favorites shelf forever.
I was absolutely enchanted and haunted by this book. The people so urgent and instinctual, and the landscapes (both physical and metaphysical) so vast, so stark, so arresting. Ruth and Nat will haunt my favorites shelf forever.
catie_winegar's review
5.0
Outstanding. This is the first book I've read in quite some time where I stopped to write down some of the lines. It's a book that I might have picked up at a different time and not gotten swept up in. The dual storylines were very well executed in that they built and maintained suspense without giving too much away. A thread of hopefulness and the strength of human connection wound its way through the darker parts and made for a poignant ending. And I loved the Adirondack shoutout to Seventh Lake, where I spent many a summer.