bridgets_books's review
4.0
Freefall really hit home for me. Perhaps because I am of a similar age to the four ladies at the center of the story. I understand the longing for the simple freedoms of youth while staring down the specter of death. The desire to have one last grand attempt at leaving your mark upon the world versus reveling in your current life and family legacy.
There are many lessons to be learned through the words, deeds, and humor of this book. If you read it, be prepared to contemplate your life. It has that type of effect on you.
Please don’t think Freefall is only a darkly thought-provoking story. The author manages to fill the story with unique, over-the-top humor.
I’m impressed with the depth of each character, including the pigeon. You won’t be disappointed if you pick up a copy of this book. The questions at the end make it perfect for a book club discussion.
There are many lessons to be learned through the words, deeds, and humor of this book. If you read it, be prepared to contemplate your life. It has that type of effect on you.
Please don’t think Freefall is only a darkly thought-provoking story. The author manages to fill the story with unique, over-the-top humor.
I’m impressed with the depth of each character, including the pigeon. You won’t be disappointed if you pick up a copy of this book. The questions at the end make it perfect for a book club discussion.
bridgets_books's review against another edition
4.0
Freefall really hit home for me. Perhaps because I am of a similar age to the four ladies at the center of the story. I understand the longing for the simple freedoms of youth while staring down the specter of death. The desire to have one last grand attempt at leaving your mark upon the world versus reveling in your current life and family legacy.
There are many lessons to be learned through the words, deeds, and humor of this book. If you read it, be prepared to contemplate your life. It has that type of effect on you.
Please don’t think Freefall is only a darkly thought-provoking story. The author manages to fill the story with unique, over-the-top humor.
I’m impressed with the depth of each character, including the pigeon. You won’t be disappointed if you pick up a copy of this book. The questions at the end make it perfect for a book club discussion.
There are many lessons to be learned through the words, deeds, and humor of this book. If you read it, be prepared to contemplate your life. It has that type of effect on you.
Please don’t think Freefall is only a darkly thought-provoking story. The author manages to fill the story with unique, over-the-top humor.
I’m impressed with the depth of each character, including the pigeon. You won’t be disappointed if you pick up a copy of this book. The questions at the end make it perfect for a book club discussion.
bract4813mypacksnet's review
4.0
Freefall: A Divine Comedy was patterned after Dante’s work in which a man traverses Hell to reach Heaven. The book brings together installation artist Tillie Bloom and her three friends, Sybil, Daddy, and Moll, all nearing the big 6-0. After many years apart, they reunite on Sybil’s place, a posh vacation home in Whistler, British Columbia. Here, they each reflect on their lives. Flashbacks provide backstory for each character and as the readers moves into the present, we see how satisfied or dissatisfied each woman is with her life.
The urgency they feel as they reach the end of their lives is heightened when, while hiking, they come face-to-face with a grizzly. As their get-together winds down, Tillie convinces her friends to travel r to Venice, Italy for the Biennale, when she hopes to finally hit it big with her art installations.
I am a woman of an age this book should appeal to and found parts of it enjoyable, in particular the use of the Black Madonna and second wave feminism during the 1960s. The women are openly sexual, not sexualized, which is nice—maybe because they are products of the Age of Aquarius. At the same time, the writing felt a bit strained, particularly towards the end when snakes, termites, and pigeons assume metaphoric aspects, and the magical-realism bits seem over-the-top. Other times, particularly during parts about religion, seemed repetitive.
The urgency they feel as they reach the end of their lives is heightened when, while hiking, they come face-to-face with a grizzly. As their get-together winds down, Tillie convinces her friends to travel r to Venice, Italy for the Biennale, when she hopes to finally hit it big with her art installations.
I am a woman of an age this book should appeal to and found parts of it enjoyable, in particular the use of the Black Madonna and second wave feminism during the 1960s. The women are openly sexual, not sexualized, which is nice—maybe because they are products of the Age of Aquarius. At the same time, the writing felt a bit strained, particularly towards the end when snakes, termites, and pigeons assume metaphoric aspects, and the magical-realism bits seem over-the-top. Other times, particularly during parts about religion, seemed repetitive.
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