gwendle_vs_literature's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
This was King’s first novel, and it has a slightly different feel than some of his later works, but the style was still familiar. It was more similar stylistically to Truth and Bright Water than to Green Grass Running Water, particularly as it lacks the latter’s elements of magical realism, but it’s more like the latter structurally. If you’re looking for a tidy ending that wraps up a clearly defined plot you won’t find that here — but if you’d like to follow meandering trails through the the lives of characters that feel more like real people than like characters, then I recommend this book.
kllyfst's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
njohnson246's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
katje's review against another edition
3.0
It seems a lot of people either love or hate this book. I'm somewhere in the middle and I think it's a matter of expectations.
I've read [b:Green Grass Running Water|46277|Green Grass, Running Water|Thomas King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921348s/46277.jpg|45411] by King and I adored it. It was absolutely fantastic, in my view. I've also seen King speak (and met him) and he's bright, funny, and incredibly engaging. So I was expecting the same sort of great things I'd experienced from him before when I picked up Medicine River.
The thing is, this book doesn't follow Western expectations of plot or characterization or dialogue or...anything we tend to really expect in what we call "literature". Green Grass, Running Water didn't either, except in one respect: plot. It built up to a satisfying conclusion and denouement, even if it did get there in an unorthodox way. There was still a feeling of building action, of something happening.
That doesn't happen in Medicine River. It's more a snapshot of life than what we expect from a plot in a book. Which isn't a bad thing! It's just different, and it defies expectations. Likely this is why it took me so long to really get into the book -- but by the end, I was enjoying it.
I'm not a fan of privileging the same sort of storytelling over and over again because it's a) what we're used to and b) what white men do and therefore the dominant cultural narrative. I think it's important to look at different ways of telling stories or showing characters and not immediately write them off as "bad", just because they come from a different point of view (Indigenous, in this case) and we don't immediately understand them.
So, bottom line: if you're used to Western (white dude!) literature as the dominant narrative, then you need to erase your expectations when picking up this book. It does not follow the dominant cultural narrative we have around literature: it deliberately bites its thumb at those expectations. It's different, and that's not always bad.
I'm not sure I'd read it again, but I'm not going to write it off as a bad book. It's a book I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would -- because it didn't meet my expectations. In the future, I just need to adjust those expectations.
I've read [b:Green Grass Running Water|46277|Green Grass, Running Water|Thomas King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921348s/46277.jpg|45411] by King and I adored it. It was absolutely fantastic, in my view. I've also seen King speak (and met him) and he's bright, funny, and incredibly engaging. So I was expecting the same sort of great things I'd experienced from him before when I picked up Medicine River.
The thing is, this book doesn't follow Western expectations of plot or characterization or dialogue or...anything we tend to really expect in what we call "literature". Green Grass, Running Water didn't either, except in one respect: plot. It built up to a satisfying conclusion and denouement, even if it did get there in an unorthodox way. There was still a feeling of building action, of something happening.
That doesn't happen in Medicine River. It's more a snapshot of life than what we expect from a plot in a book. Which isn't a bad thing! It's just different, and it defies expectations. Likely this is why it took me so long to really get into the book -- but by the end, I was enjoying it.
I'm not a fan of privileging the same sort of storytelling over and over again because it's a) what we're used to and b) what white men do and therefore the dominant cultural narrative. I think it's important to look at different ways of telling stories or showing characters and not immediately write them off as "bad", just because they come from a different point of view (Indigenous, in this case) and we don't immediately understand them.
So, bottom line: if you're used to Western (white dude!) literature as the dominant narrative, then you need to erase your expectations when picking up this book. It does not follow the dominant cultural narrative we have around literature: it deliberately bites its thumb at those expectations. It's different, and that's not always bad.
I'm not sure I'd read it again, but I'm not going to write it off as a bad book. It's a book I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would -- because it didn't meet my expectations. In the future, I just need to adjust those expectations.
zoe_fleger's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
silodear's review against another edition
4.0
Although I didn't love this book quite as much as I loved Green Grass, Running Water, it was a good read. I love the way that King weaves his stories and particularly appreciated the interlacing of memory with the present in such a delicate and purposeful way. A quick read, I'd say this one was worthwhile.
theclumsybookworm's review against another edition
2.0
This book was recommended to me by my grade 11 English teacher. I think I may have been too young for it at the time. In any case, I found the plot rather bland, and I also found it difficult to identify with the characters. In all honesty, I do not remember much about it at all, and that fact speaks for itself since that usually doesn't happen when I read. I would be interested to try it again as an adult though, and see how and if my reaction to it changes.
kaitodonnell's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jpmccullagh's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
_dawn_'s review against another edition
2.0
I dunno, maybe the copy I got was missing the last chapter or something because no book would really "end" like that would it?