Scan barcode
lee_hillshire's review
I read this because I saw somewhere that Captain Kidd was in it (plus Britt Johnson, who shows up right at the beginning of News of the World) and who doesn't want more Captain Kidd, right?
He's in one chapter. And it's one of the shortest in the book. :|
Overall the rest of the book isn't bad. Just. Somehow incredibly dull. Although maybe reading this several days into having no AC made me less tolerable for generally slow moving plots. I wanted to like this though, I really really did.
Ultimately the book was just too scattered and unfocused for me. Was it about the experiences of the kidnapped white people while they were with the Kiowa? Nope, we've moved on (after some particularly brutal rape scenes I might add). Is it about Britt's quest to get his family back at all costs? Oh, no, now we're following a Quaker from up north. Well, maybe it's about that Quaker then and his- nope, there's Britt again. Multiple POVs or plot lines are okay and can work very well in books. But they have to be tied together in some way, and here they were just too distant and disconnected for me to get invested into any of them.
I did like Samuel Hammond's plotline, and I wish the entire book was about him. Which is sad, Britt and his family are, I believe, supposed to be the main characters of the book. But that overall storyline was sped through and a lot of things skipped over and moved on from too quickly for it to do anything for me emotionally except glaze over.
I think I can see the intent here, the goal and why it did resonate with some people so much. It just, was too much of too many things for it to draw me in very well at any point.
He's in one chapter. And it's one of the shortest in the book. :|
Overall the rest of the book isn't bad. Just. Somehow incredibly dull. Although maybe reading this several days into having no AC made me less tolerable for generally slow moving plots. I wanted to like this though, I really really did.
Ultimately the book was just too scattered and unfocused for me. Was it about the experiences of the kidnapped white people while they were with the Kiowa? Nope, we've moved on (after some particularly brutal rape scenes I might add). Is it about Britt's quest to get his family back at all costs? Oh, no, now we're following a Quaker from up north. Well, maybe it's about that Quaker then and his- nope, there's Britt again. Multiple POVs or plot lines are okay and can work very well in books. But they have to be tied together in some way, and here they were just too distant and disconnected for me to get invested into any of them.
I did like Samuel Hammond's plotline, and I wish the entire book was about him. Which is sad, Britt and his family are, I believe, supposed to be the main characters of the book. But that overall storyline was sped through and a lot of things skipped over and moved on from too quickly for it to do anything for me emotionally except glaze over.
I think I can see the intent here, the goal and why it did resonate with some people so much. It just, was too much of too many things for it to draw me in very well at any point.
kat2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A beautifully written page-turner, this novel tells the stories of people in Texas just after the Civil War: settlers escaping chaos and slavery in Kentucky, Indians whose hunting grounds are being repossessed, and Quakers creating reservations and schools to contain and control Indians. Jiles writes about a fascinating, turbulent time in our history, with care to show multiple perspectives, and characters I cared about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
sevenlefts's review
4.0
A novel centering on interactions between Native Americans and Eastern settlers along the Red River in the mid-nineteenth century. I took a special interest in this, being somewhat familiar with some of the locations mentioned in the book. Based on actual historical figures, this book is beautifully written -- very poetic in its description.
The main themes center on clashes of cultures and beliefs -- whites and former slaves, Comanche/Kiowa and settlers, Quakers and the military. The most eloquently expressed concept is the psychological stress of capture and forced assimilation into another culture -- and the even more stressful prospect of being returned. Jiles writes about the conflicts surrounding this phenomenon so very well.
I can definitely recommend this for anyone interested in these topics and with a stomach for some fairly graphic violence.
The main themes center on clashes of cultures and beliefs -- whites and former slaves, Comanche/Kiowa and settlers, Quakers and the military. The most eloquently expressed concept is the psychological stress of capture and forced assimilation into another culture -- and the even more stressful prospect of being returned. Jiles writes about the conflicts surrounding this phenomenon so very well.
I can definitely recommend this for anyone interested in these topics and with a stomach for some fairly graphic violence.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Britt Johnson was a former Kentucky slave who, along with his wife, Mary, and their three children, went to Texas in 1863 searching for a new life. Little is known about them, other than that Mary and the children were taken in a Kiowa raid, that Britt found the camps where they were held and ransomed them. This is a fictional account of his life in North Texas from 1863 to 1871.
Interspersed with Johnson’s story is that of the U.S. government’s efforts to enforce a peace treaty that the tribes didn’t feel applied to them. Jiles does a good job of painting the landscape and giving the reader insight into both sides of the issues – the pioneers who saw opportunity in this vast new landscape and wanted only to be able to work their land vs the Native tribes who felt the land belonged to no one and that the gods provided the animals, water, grain for their use. One side drew boundaries on a piece of paper; the other recognized only natural barriers and freely crossed them to follow the herds of buffalo or the best pasture lands for their horses.
I was interested in Britt Johnson’s story and that of his family. Not so interested in the plight of the Quaker appointed as the Indian Agency chief. While I understand the need to include this historical background, I didn’t think that Jiles handled the transitions between story lines very well. It was slow getting started and I lost focus, though was fully engaged by the second half of the book. All in all, this is more than just a western, it’s also the story of one man’s courage and devotion to his family.
Interspersed with Johnson’s story is that of the U.S. government’s efforts to enforce a peace treaty that the tribes didn’t feel applied to them. Jiles does a good job of painting the landscape and giving the reader insight into both sides of the issues – the pioneers who saw opportunity in this vast new landscape and wanted only to be able to work their land vs the Native tribes who felt the land belonged to no one and that the gods provided the animals, water, grain for their use. One side drew boundaries on a piece of paper; the other recognized only natural barriers and freely crossed them to follow the herds of buffalo or the best pasture lands for their horses.
I was interested in Britt Johnson’s story and that of his family. Not so interested in the plight of the Quaker appointed as the Indian Agency chief. While I understand the need to include this historical background, I didn’t think that Jiles handled the transitions between story lines very well. It was slow getting started and I lost focus, though was fully engaged by the second half of the book. All in all, this is more than just a western, it’s also the story of one man’s courage and devotion to his family.
angelamichelle's review against another edition
5.0
Man Paulette Jiles is good. I don’t know any other author that immerses you so fully. You feel the mild confusion of being in another world whose ways you are only gradually learning.
krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/12/19/review-2285-the-color-of-lightning/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/12/19/review-2285-the-color-of-lightning/
cseibs's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable read. Jiles did a wonderful job of giving a balanced view of both Texas settlers and the Plains Indians. The resulting story was appropriately complex. The only true "hero" of the book was Britt Johnson, and even he was conflicted. The book was authentic and rarely condescended.
susanp's review against another edition
2.0
Thought News of the World was an excellent read, this one not so much. Disappointed because I had looked forward to continuing Britt's story, which was only touched upon in News of the World. Parts of this book were excellent; but parts of it were so filled with stereotypes that I could barely keep reading.
margaretmechinus's review against another edition
2.0
I got this audio book after watching News of the World. Half way thru I had to stop listening. She had belabored and hammered home her points about this period of our history. I couldn’t see any good resolution and it made me feel nervous and upset.