The fear and superstition surrounding the prophecy of a local madman slowly works it's way through a family and begins to tear it apart. An interesting look at how violence and fear beget more violence and fear. This was an engaging story. Well worth reading.

I want to be careful not to turn anyone off of this book with my review because there is definitely a large readership for this type of novel. It just wasn't for me. It is quaint and touching in spots. It is an easy and relaxing, character driven read. If you like a protagonist that you can really love or if you think you would enjoy a very sweet and simple story to get cozy with, then this book might be perfect for you.

I really enjoyed this book of connected short stories that all take place in a sub-division in Scarborough, Ontario in the 70s. They are about a young girl's childhood years and each story focuses on a different member of her family or a neighbour. I thought there was a nice storytelling quality to the writing and it made me a bit nostalgic.

This book is part grief memoir, part cultural exploration. The author loses her mother to cancer which leaves her feeling empty and unmoored. Her mother was her only connection to her Korean heritage which was demonstrated through her delicious, traditional Korean cooking. Zauner grows up completely taking this for granted until she loses it. The book follows the author through her mother's illness and death and then follows the author's attempt to re-connect with her Korean roots by learning to cook authentic dishes. The book is quite tender and emotional and Foodies will love the descriptions of the cuisine. Crying in H Mart honours Zauner's mother and honours her Korean heritage.

I thought this book was quite an accomplishment. It is a novel but reads more like a collection of twelve stories, each about an individual woman who is directly or indirectly connected to the others. It is the depth and development of these characters that is so impressive. They are all so different and unique and she gives them full, complex lives and an abundance of personality. It took me a bit of time to warm up to the structure of the book but once I did, I just enjoyed and appreciated it more and more as I read. A must read for those that love a character driven book.

The author will have all your emotions in the palm of her hand-right up to the last line of the book. If you’re looking for a good psychological family drama that is written with the tension of a thriller, this is your next read.

This is one of the most cinematic books I have ever read. It is a feat of imagination. Be prepared to expand your mind a little before you start this. It challenges perceptions of reality and identity. It's going to take you to another world of labyrinth halls, marbles statues and sweeping tides of sea. What a pleasure to read.

Maggie O'Farrell is such a talented stylist and it shines through like the sun in the writing of this book. I loved what she did with the character of Shakespeare's wife, Agnes. I loved how she keeps Shakespeare offside to give room for Agnes to tell her story. I also love the way O'Farrell portrays grief in her writing. Unlike anyone else. It is a beautiful, creative, memorable piece of writing

I thought this book was quite an accomplishment. It is a novel but reads more like a collection of twelve stories, each about an individual woman who is directly or indirectly connected to the others. It is the depth and development of these characters that is so impressive. They are all so different and unique and she gives them full, complex lives and an abundance of personality. It took me a bit of time to warm up to the structure of the book but once I did, I just enjoyed and appreciated it more and more as I read. A must read for those that love a character driven book.

The author will have all your emotions in the palm of her hand-right up to the last line of the book. If you’re looking for a good psychological family drama that is written with the tension of a thriller, this is your next read.

I like the way Fredrik Backman has such a distinct style but still manages to add a new flavour to it with each book he does. There was a lot going on in this book and I fell in and out of love with it a few times while I was reading it. There were moments that I thought he lost control of the plot but he always managed to pull it together again and by the end I knew that he knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. There are some good characters in the book and plenty of great dialogue and in true Backman style, he manages to make things funny and profound at the same time. Despite my ups and downs, this ended up being a really satisfying read for me. It was very immersive and by the end, I felt like I had been through an ordeal. I like that in a book.

Twelve hours of my life well spent. There are enough concepts in this book to keep you pondering for the rest of your life. Best read with a very open mind.

It all starts with the Dunbar boys: Matthew, Rory, Henry, Clayton & Thomas. "A family of ramshackle tragedy". It is a tragic and beautiful story about a family that I grew to love more than anyone should love a group of fictional characters. But let me tell you what expect. This is not an easy read. It is not something you can casually and comfortably read. It is a bit of hard work, especially in the beginning when you won't know what is going on. The writing will challenge you. It is often fragmented and sometimes almost poetic. It will force you to concentrate and you'll find yourself re-reading sentences to make sure you got it right. It is not at all linear. Downright patchy! However you do get used to the style and I grew to love it. I really can't imagine it being written any other way without diminishing the effect of the narrative. The relationships in this book touched me deeply, both the romantic relationships and the connection between the Dunbar brothers. I think it is probably now one of my favourite books and a real labour of love from the author. I feel like he must have left a little piece of himself in the pages. If you have the patience and time to do right by this book, I would highly recommend it.

It's difficult to write a good review for this book without getting long winded. So I decided to hand out some advice instead. This is a long, dense book, packed with atmosphere and plot. It is rich and detailed. It needs to be read slowly and thoughtfully. If you are not a patient reader, this may not be the book for you. If you are a patient reader, you will be rewarded with an incredibly well written story that takes you back and forth in time and sends you to the mines of South Africa, the battlefields of the Civil War and the streets of Victorian London. The story fits together chapter by chapter and even paragraph by paragraph. (The minimal use of punctuation is a bit annoying, but you adjust to it soon enough) It will take you a long time to get to the end of this book, but when you get there you will be sad it is over.

The author takes on a lot in this book. Too much maybe, but she pulls it off really well. She has created genuine characters who are dealing with difficult and complicated emotions and she weaves it together with such craft. It is quite impressive, especially considering she is writing in verse and using such a basic style. She manages to convey a lot of meaning and emotion into very few words. I listened to this on audio and it was one of the rare times that the audio didn't enhance the story for me. Not that it wasn't well done, it was just a style issue that didn't work for me and I think I may have enjoyed it even more if I had read it myself.

Very dark and a bit creepy with lots of tension. The ending left me a bit frustrated but it was still very enjoyable for the gothic, creepy factor. Leans more toward literary than genre for those that are looking for a thriller.

I was a bit disappointed in this. After reading and admiring The Warmth of Other Suns a few years ago, I was really looking forward to this new book and thought the idea of looking at caste was an interesting approach with a broader scope than just focusing on race inequality. This is where the book failed for me. It was filled with dozens of examples, often one right after another, of blatant injustices that the author referred to as caste, but appeared to me as racial injustice. I think the examples are important but the whole book began to feel like a racial rant at some point. I was specifically looking for an explanation of how caste is different from, but equally as damaging as racial discrimination but the book really reduced itself to a book about race and the political implications of that. Now this is a worthy read for that alone, but it fell short of addressing the ideas I was interested in. I also thought the book was a bit of a structural mess. I didn't find that it progressed with any purpose toward a conclusion. I would still recommend it because it has a lot to offer, but unfortunately it didn't offer what I was looking for.

If you value a book that really has the ability to put you in someone else's shoes, give this a try. I was impressed. It was a powerful, immersive read.

Maggie O'Farrell is such a talented stylist and it shines through like the sun in the writing of this book. I loved what she did with the character of Shakespeare's wife, Agnes. I loved how she keeps Shakespeare offside to give room for Agnes to tell her story. I also love the way O'Farrell portrays grief in her writing. Unlike anyone else. It is a beautiful, creative, memorable piece of writing.

This is one of the most cinematic books I have ever read. It is a feat of imagination. Be prepared to expand your mind a little before you start this. It challenges perceptions of reality and identity. It's going to take you to another world of labyrinth halls, marbles statues and sweeping tides of sea. What a pleasure to read.