ljjohnson8's review against another edition
2.0
A self-assured debut novel. Hurley did a decent job with her switching timelines storylines, only getting bogged down a little. Nicole is an Irish-Catholic Boston girl, coming of age during the priest scandals. That, along with difficulties with her mentally ill mother, sends her on a spiritual quest that leads her to Buddhism. After a series of events (no spoilers here) derails her life, she becomes in thrall to a Buddhist master (hmmmm, some similarities to those Catholic priests going on here...). The story kept my interest sometimes and totally lost it at others. There was too much clunkiness - about the Buddhism especially. Some interesting side characters (brother Paul, bf Sean) but not enough time with them or insight into them. Paul, pretty much a saint throughout, is awkwardly given a massive flaw near the end of the novel. Bottom line: I closed the book with a shrug and a ho-hum.
kdhanda's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing premise: the loss of one's faith, in this case, Catholicism, and conversion to Zen Buddhism. However, the narrator falls for her Zen master who exploits her trust as a means to his control. Read this novel since I wanted to know what happens to those who lose their faith. The novel structure starts at the present and then we learn about what got the narrator to this point. The high point of the book were the passages and koans from Zen texts.
mamacwells's review against another edition
5.0
Nicole ran away from home and her Catholic upbringing at the age of seventeen. Now 32, she is still processing the outcomes of that decision as she navigates life as a devoted Buddhist. Her Zen Master (her roshi) has been a controlling, manipulative force in her life for 10 years, and she is ready to break free and find herself. But the ghosts of her past and present follow her everywhere. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction, character development, and exploration of religion in shaping people and communities.
brighteyed's review against another edition
2.0
I was disappointed to see that throughout this book, despite the main character claiming that she is a "real" Buddhist, unlike other white Buddhists, the author treated traditional Buddhist communities in Tibet and China as terrifying and foreign. All of the main characters in this novel were white, and Buddhists of other races were presented as props to aid Nicole's spiritual journey. I was excited for the psychological portions of this book, but this complete oversight and simplification of a complex religion was actively irritating throughout the novel.
This book treats Buddhism as a gimmick philosophy that can easily be twisted into a type of cultish devotion without any real intellectual analysis as to why Eastern religions are so commonly appropriated as an exotic escape from the mundane lives of Americans. Instead of any form of self-reflection on East-West relations, the author externalizes Buddhism and somehow makes a book about Zen into a book about white Bostonians. One quote really made me see her view - "Now they were Bostonians again; not Zen students;" as if one cannot be both.
Clearly Nicole uses Buddhism as a way to rebel against her Catholic roots. However, this analysis of her shallow interest in the religion is never expressed, and instead she is portrayed as a genuinely "devoted" follower. I think this book could have been really beautiful if it more deeply discussed this element, but instead feels like a poor erotica that fetishizes Buddhism.
This book treats Buddhism as a gimmick philosophy that can easily be twisted into a type of cultish devotion without any real intellectual analysis as to why Eastern religions are so commonly appropriated as an exotic escape from the mundane lives of Americans. Instead of any form of self-reflection on East-West relations, the author externalizes Buddhism and somehow makes a book about Zen into a book about white Bostonians. One quote really made me see her view - "Now they were Bostonians again; not Zen students;" as if one cannot be both.
Clearly Nicole uses Buddhism as a way to rebel against her Catholic roots. However, this analysis of her shallow interest in the religion is never expressed, and instead she is portrayed as a genuinely "devoted" follower. I think this book could have been really beautiful if it more deeply discussed this element, but instead feels like a poor erotica that fetishizes Buddhism.
alsmilesalot's review against another edition
Kept wondering if I was missing something given all the positive buzz. This was a slog for me
mslaura's review against another edition
3.0
Ratings:
Writing 4
Story line 3
Characters 2
Emotional impact 2
Overall rating 2.75
Writing 4
Story line 3
Characters 2
Emotional impact 2
Overall rating 2.75
kaykay_'s review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the second half of the book more then the first half, but understand now that it all ties together in the end somehow. The writing style was confusing for me at first, it’s often in and out of past and present conversations. But once i got the hang of it and memorized the characters well it was easier to grasp.
Nicole’s story is very deep and rocky from her rebellious period to the very end when she reaches her true self (imo) I find her story to be very relatable in the sense that as we mature we often question everything in our lives, the choices we make/made. The Buddhist poems and koans etc seemed to be constant and It felt forceful, we KNOW she’s a devoted Buddhist we GET IT.... but otherwise a thoughtful read.
Nicole’s story is very deep and rocky from her rebellious period to the very end when she reaches her true self (imo) I find her story to be very relatable in the sense that as we mature we often question everything in our lives, the choices we make/made. The Buddhist poems and koans etc seemed to be constant and It felt forceful, we KNOW she’s a devoted Buddhist we GET IT.... but otherwise a thoughtful read.
ellenorr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sophronisba's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very strong, compulsively readable first novel with an impressively drawn main character. The parallels and contrasts between Nicole's relationship with Buddhism and the Master and her relationship with Catholicism and her family are well done and interesting to explore. Highly recommended, especially if you have an interest in religion as a topic, whether or not you are religious yourself.