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beati's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
debbie_likes_to_read_books's review
2.0
I read this book for school and I have to say that this was pretty enjoyable. Sure I was confused at times but it was so interesting to see the relationship of the Flu happening in Unity Canada vs. the pandemic happening in my province and city. At certain parts, I was really shocked by what happened and needed to pause for example on page 97 with what happened with Mary. The prologue was very confusing but I think the prologue was setting up the background with Beatrice, Mary, and Sissy where Richard is a soldier and also Mary's boyfriend who was said to propose to her once she came back from the war. It deals with the pandemic outbreak of the flu where social distancing, quarantine, and masks are mandatory leading up to the realities of 2020. I could relate a lot when Doris and Rose gave Mary a tea saying it could kill the germs with home remedies. I saw a lot of people thinking there were home remedies for Covid-19 and some weren't worried about the pandemic and this book really shows that what happened in 1918 with the pandemic is happening again like we are repeating history. I wasn't a fan of the first play Translations and Blood relations was ok but if I had not taken theater class I wouldn't have read a play that was actually quite enjoyable and I had lots of fun annotating it along the way. I rate this 2 stars because it was enjoyable and I liked seeing the relationship between the 1918 pandemic and the 2020 pandemic that we are still facing.
deandeffett's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
monisousa93's review
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
lectriza's review
3.0
It was really interesting, but I didn't really like any of the characters, so it was a bit hard to connect. Reading a play really isn't the best way to experience it anyway.
liralen's review
3.0
It's 1918, war is raging overseas, and the small town of Unity is starting to hear rumours of a flu epidemic. It's just the flu, they say. What's the big deal, they say. But the rumours get worse, and the flu breaches Unity's borders, and unity in Unity is no more.
I enjoyed the theatre in this—characters talking over each other, unlikely actions (a man hauling his wife's body through town to the undertaker, a blind man stumbling around in the funeral home) done for the sake of the visual effect, even the occasional (short! they work because they're short!) dream sequence or similar. Did not enjoy the way so many of the lighter moments default to the crass—farts, raunchy jokes, etc. Those things have their place, of course, but I think part of the point here might have been jarring effect, and it wasn't my favourite.
What is interesting: the play was published in 2002 (largely written in 1999–2000, if I remember the front matter correctly), but it could so easily have been written in 2020, or about 2020. The fear that the outside air will carry the disease; the idea that outsiders are the problem; people's reluctance to wear masks; fears of touching letters because they might be carrying the flu...it's all here. The town doesn't turn against itself, not exactly, but it's a very short-lived sense of unity.
I enjoyed the theatre in this—characters talking over each other, unlikely actions (a man hauling his wife's body through town to the undertaker, a blind man stumbling around in the funeral home) done for the sake of the visual effect, even the occasional (short! they work because they're short!) dream sequence or similar. Did not enjoy the way so many of the lighter moments default to the crass—farts, raunchy jokes, etc. Those things have their place, of course, but I think part of the point here might have been jarring effect, and it wasn't my favourite.
What is interesting: the play was published in 2002 (largely written in 1999–2000, if I remember the front matter correctly), but it could so easily have been written in 2020, or about 2020. The fear that the outside air will carry the disease; the idea that outsiders are the problem; people's reluctance to wear masks; fears of touching letters because they might be carrying the flu...it's all here. The town doesn't turn against itself, not exactly, but it's a very short-lived sense of unity.
heather_h's review
4.0
Great play. Very great rendition of how the influenza epidemic effected small towns in Canada. Had to read for class but still enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it but possible parent advisory for some more mature parts.
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