kg1396's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.5
Very slow
andieevalee's review against another edition
4.0
A very long book but worth it. It's really hard to connect with so many characters when a book is about a family for so many generations but this book did it right!
decoachwife's review against another edition
2.0
When I started the book, I was expecting a sweeping epic of 2 immigrant families and their lives in the new world. What I got was a genealogy that included every lifestyle choice, family dysfunction, and vice known to man. It's like she set out to see how many ways she could kill off family members. Some of them were quite creative. There was not much character development, and every time someone finally got interesting, she killed them off. Oh...and there are trees.
dbjorlin's review against another edition
3.0
As is so often said, I really wanted to like this book. And while parts of the book were compelling, when Proulx begins her polmeical ax-grinding (pun intended), her characters become flat caricatures that seem more straw men than living, breathing human beings. It's hard to find interest in a narrative littered with so many straw men, even when you (like myself) agree with the basic conservation argument.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
3.0
Barkskins reminded me of Annie Dillard's the Living, which seemed to be filled with more dying than anything else. Both stories chronicled generations of tragic characters, and complicated relationships with indigenous people.
While I liked this book, I didn't love it. Several of the storylines seemed incomplete, the characters one-dimensional. Considering the length of the book, it seems odd that the end didn't have the sense of completion, as if it was slapped on at the very end. I learned a lot about logging practices and the brutal, short lives of those who were forced into the work for lack of any other options.
While I liked this book, I didn't love it. Several of the storylines seemed incomplete, the characters one-dimensional. Considering the length of the book, it seems odd that the end didn't have the sense of completion, as if it was slapped on at the very end. I learned a lot about logging practices and the brutal, short lives of those who were forced into the work for lack of any other options.
tommooney's review against another edition
1.0
Oh Annie, where did it all go wrong?
Proulx is a wonderful writer but Barkskins is total dross. There is no way this would ever have been published without her reputation attached to it. It is at least 300 pages too long and, surprisingly for Proulx, almost completely humourless.
Much like the recent novel by Margaret Atwood, I feel a little like she is taking the piss out of her readers, exploiting her fans' blind faith in her abilities.
Trying to tell the stories of whole generations of families every 50 pages is clearly impossible. And it is so dull,so devoid of the comic elements that make much of her previous work so compelling.
God I am so disappointed.
Proulx is a wonderful writer but Barkskins is total dross. There is no way this would ever have been published without her reputation attached to it. It is at least 300 pages too long and, surprisingly for Proulx, almost completely humourless.
Much like the recent novel by Margaret Atwood, I feel a little like she is taking the piss out of her readers, exploiting her fans' blind faith in her abilities.
Trying to tell the stories of whole generations of families every 50 pages is clearly impossible. And it is so dull,so devoid of the comic elements that make much of her previous work so compelling.
God I am so disappointed.
davidscrimshaw's review against another edition
5.0
You don't need me to tell you that Annie Proulx is a terrific writer.
This is a long book. I had to check it out twice to finish it. The story spans centuries. That means that, except for a few people at the end, just about everybody dies.
So it's a long read and if you're like me, it will often make you sad.
But if you feel any connection to trees or forests, you should read Barkskins.
And who isn't connected to trees and forests?
This is a long book. I had to check it out twice to finish it. The story spans centuries. That means that, except for a few people at the end, just about everybody dies.
So it's a long read and if you're like me, it will often make you sad.
But if you feel any connection to trees or forests, you should read Barkskins.
And who isn't connected to trees and forests?
billigk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.25
this book will have me thinking for a while. definitely not for the faint of heart, it’s a sprawling odyssey of 400 years worth of family history, infighting, domination, and loss. there is so much here that i’m not even sure where to begin, but i was left staring at a blank wall by the end. proulx somehow makes transatlantic imperialism and genocidal colonization extremely personal.
ebodi8pg's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0