Reviews

The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter

eric_roling's review against another edition

3.0

A nice novel that is well told, but drags on a lot. The protagonist is extremely passive, and its frustrating to have the novel revolve around him. I liked the narrative idea of

Spoiler

having first person narrators die.

The author definitely had a point of view about unions and workers organizing. At times it morphed from fiction into thinly veiled essay on the evils of capitalism and the value of organizing.

thomcat's review against another edition

5.0

This was a good story with many well-written perspectives. Set in historical Spokane (circa 1909), it gives both history and corruption with compelling narrative.

The IWW and itinerant workers provide an excellent backdrop for this orphan story. Chapters bounced
around various characters and even a bit in time, some with cliffhangers. It refers to War and Peace in a few ways, but knowledge of that epic isn't required to enjoy this. The Cold Millions wasn't an easy book to set down, and I'm glad I got it from the library when I did. Made for a great weekend of reading.

I love history. I've read one other Jess Walter, his collection of short stories, which wasn't great. This is much better, and of course historical fiction. The author did his homework, and I've seen pictures of the buildings (and read capsule histories of the principle events - and Taft Montana). I've heard the audiobook is spectacular, and plan to re-read this in that form soon. Recommended!

anjreading's review against another edition

3.0

This historical novel set in early 1900s Spokane, Washington was a slow starter for me, and I never felt fully engaged with the story or characters, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I did learn quite a lot about the history of Spokane, the free speech riots, and the struggles of unionization. It’s pretty clear what Walter wants you to think politically, and I never enjoy when an author does that in a novel. The Cold Millions was chock-full of real historical figures, but the story focused most on two fictional brothers and their trials, tribulations, loves, and passions.

poeticmama's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I like fictional books that are based on real events most don't know a lot about. This was an interesting story about the early labor movement. 

meghanarnold's review against another edition

4.0

My instructor for a recent writing workshop used the opening chapter of The Cold Millions as an example for "world building" and it certainly did its job. I was hooked and had to rush out to get this novel from the library. Although it the subsequent opening chapters didn't pack as much of an immediate punch, I definitely stayed interested. Walter kept me engaged with both a city (Spokane) and historical period (early 20th century labor movement), neither of which I knew much about.

At times it did feel like there was a little too much time with the POV of secondary characters, but I appreciated how things tied back together. The omission of other minor characters from the POV treatment was also a bit of a mystery, as it left them feeling sort of one-dimensional. I probably would've given this a 3.75, but I couldn't put it down during the last half and was quite satisfied with the resolution, so rounded up!

lydiaogden's review against another edition

5.0

Beautiful and poetic writing run a compelling, suspenseful story of the life of a boy in 1910 Spokane and the lives that intersect his. Favorite book I’ve read this year and might be an all time favorite. It deserves a second read.

mombond's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I grew up in Spokane and really enjoyed the setting and learning more about the history.

summergarrard0526's review against another edition

4.0

I’ve read a few Jess Walter’s books now and can confidently say he is a great writer. The topic of this book was something I wasn’t very familiar with (the labor wars in the early 1900’s) and I found that I learned a lot while reading. The cast of characters and construction of the narrative kept me interested the whole time so I’d definitely recommend it.

smorrison4's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

I liked the alternating points of view, it is always interesting reading a book from the points of view of different characters. When I first started reading this book back in 2020, it didn't speak to me, so I put it aside and I recently borrowed the audiobook from the library. I had to power through the first couple of chapters because again, it just wasn't speaking to me. I am glad that I did continue listening because the story was interesting. I liked following the Dolan brothers through their stories. I thought Ursula and Gurley were the most interesting characters and I love the epilogue and the information about the rest of Rye's life doled out in this section. 

jen_again's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75