francesmthompson's Reviews (976)

Wonderfully entertaining for all the right (excellent writing, astute analysis) and wrong (reveals the horrifying truths behind the collapse of countries' economies) reasons, this book reminded me why Michael Lewis is essential reading for anyone looking for answers and brilliantly told (true) stories behind the financial scandals and disasters of our time.

While nothing much happens and there's not much of an over-arching plot other than a boy growing up at a time of racial segregation, there are many, many observations at play and lessons to be considered... on love, on race, on struggle, on loss, on sense of self and much more. I highlighted more than a few sections because they seemed to very accurately describe some of the world's struggles right now. How sad it is that almost 100 years later we still have such division and prejudice... How poignant and beautiful but also tragic that it takes writers and artists to really paint the picture clearly for us. Thank you Langston Hughes.

The first in a long line of Inspector Rebus crime mysteries, and I believe the first Ian Rankin for me too. I enjoyed many things about the story - that it hadn't aged much in the thirty-odd years since it was published, that it had twists I guessed right and others I didn't get, that it was a mostly simple but horrific crime told from the viewpoints of a number of characters not just Rebus - and I found the writing easy to read and follow, if a little repetitive and stop-start when it came to developing the plot. I certainly felt the first half was more original than the second. This is me being very pernickety, of course, because I still enjoyed the book and would be very interested to read more in the series to understand what happens next for Inspector Rebus... It's also very true when they say that Edinburgh is a main character in the book and it's a must-read for anyone who knows or visited the city and was moved or intrigued by its gothic architecture and deeply layered history of literature.

Really, really, really enjoyed this book told from the viewpoints of Ernest Hemingway's four wives, in chronological order, and significantly with them overlapping one another. While a work of the author's "imagination" there was evidently serious research behind many of the key events and issues explored. The writing was gently poetic at times, subtly smart at others and always had the kind of flow that made you not want to miss a single word in case you missed a soothing turn of phrase or a key moment in the many sub-plots that were very successfully sewn throughout the novel. So very glad I picked this book up. Will be handing it over to someone else to read very soon, which I think is one of the highest compliments I can give a novel.

And I thought females were supposed to be more introspective and analytical than men.... Still brilliant and funny and familiar and educational even if the philosophical discussions did make my head hurt.

What a saga. What a journey. What a wonderful band of characters. This book was the single best thing about me getting an inner ear infection this week. Also, special mention to the fact the American author fooled me into thinking he was British or European or something because he had a very gentle, understated way of handling cultural and language nuances that will trip up the best of us. Will be looking up his other books pronto.

One of my favourite books of the year, and I really didn't expect that based on the blurb or synopsis "55-year-old woman is dumped by husband of thirty years and returns to her childhood home after brief mental breakdown". It felt like there wasn't much original or exciting to look forward to there.

But this book is full of treasures, some of which I don't really want to mention for fear it will spoil the journey. That said, I will mention how the story is told to you like you are an old, close friend of the narrator and she is sharing her deepest and darkest observations, thoughts, memories, learnings, leanings, understandings, witticisms, and love. There is just a lot of love in this book, both for big and little things, and big and little people. Oozing with literary and scientific references and yes, a natural, easy-going but not at all ugly prose - in fact, there is great poetry here - this is a book I am already looking forward to reading again, and I really do not say that about many books. At all. Ever.

Read it with an open mind and an open heart and it will fill both.