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Should finish A Man Called Ove tonight so I’ll start this tomorrow. Not going to lie I’m not super excited about it. I reread David Copperfield just 2 years ago and it’s one of my favorites. Not super excited about a modern retelling but the reviews are great so we’ll see if it can change my mind.
Very much a modern retelling of David Copperfield. It’s good but pretty predictable since as I mentioned I recently read the Dickens novel. I think most will find it very enjoyable. On chapter 9
I havent read David Copperfield, so it will all be new to me! Hopefully will start today. Been wanting to all week, but Ive been busy as shit.
Spoiler: Chapter 6 Laughing at Damon describing the city like an alien world Spoiler: Chapter 10 Popping pills at 10 years old. Goddam Spoiler: Chapter 15 Could see the mom’s OD coming bit goddam. While pregnant and on his bday?
Murdstone - Stoner Peggoty - Peggot Micawber - McCobb Pretty funny she barely even changes the names. I'm on Chapter 20 now. Still enjoying it.
Through Ch 29. I’m enjoying the book. Not a ton of thoughts. Just feels. Spoiler Just gut punch after gut punch. Hope things go well at the coaches house. Probably won’t. Also feel like we’ve gotten a few checkov’s gun- drowning mentions. I fear that’s how Damon is gonna go out. Through 38 Spoiler She’s leaving bread trails for the opium epidemic. Talking about how oxy marketing materials said they’re non addictive ect. Which is actually what they said. Unreal. Lmao at freshmen phone sex The mention of a farmer picking up some ivermectin for their animals should not be noteworthy. But here I am laughing about it. Thanks idiots! I played TE and wore 88 in HS. Good position and number choice Damon.
Loved it. 9/10 Spoiler It was just a great story. Incredibly heartfelt. Great characters and commentary. It was a tough hang for a while, but still a good read. Just gut punch after gut punch. I was so upset when he started using opiates, and was so happy when he went to rehab. I hope he and Angus have a happy long life It almost feels like a response to Hillbilly Elegy.
Through chapter 10. Never ready David Copperfield or any Dickens besides Hard Times Spoiler Fuck Stoner. I've also got a dreadful suspicion there's some pedophilia or fucked up sexual stuff coming up.
On chapter 49, I’ll finish this week and type out my thoughts. It’s well written and definitely a page turner. I hope we get more people reading it because I think it will be popular. With that said I cannot stop comparing it to David Copperfield. I’m trying to and can’t, so that will drive a lot of my comments. I’m avoiding commenting too much as I generally know how this should play out.
Finished it last night. 6.8/10. I mainly compare it to David Copperfield below, so fair warning. Spoiler I flew through this and enjoyed it but as I mentioned earlier I couldn't stop comparing it to David Copperfield. There really is no comparison unfortunately, there is a reason that most people have heard of David Copperfield regardless of if they've read it or not and everyone knows who Charles Dickens is. If Kingsolver had written this novel about the impact of opioids on a poor rural community without using the plot of David Copperfield I think it would have been fine, but I kept thinking of these amazingly colorful characters written by Dickens that just seemed drab by comparison. U-Haul and his mother (who was barely mentioned) can't hold a candle to Uriah Heep and his mother. What she did to the MiCawbers (McCobbs) is borderline criminal. Em'ly's plight at the hands of James Steerforth and the love story written by her adoptive father giving up everything to go and search for her over the course of a huge amount of time is so much more compelling than driving to Atlanta to find Emmie. The Murdstones make Stoner seem like a decent guy. I could honestly go on forever. If you enjoyed this and have not read David Copperfield I would highly recommend it. It is a very accessible classic and one of my all time favorites. So in conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book and think that Kingsolver should not have tried to recreate David Copperfield and just written her own story.
Only about 20% of the way through, been a bit busy so far this month. Plan to power through the next week and finish it. Enjoying it so far.
Through Chapter 24, I'm enjoying it - like others have said not a lot to discuss really at this point
Through chapter 34. 50% Spoiler Things are going pretty good for Demon. Can't wait to see how it all crashes down. So far was wrong about the weird sex stuff.. for now but I got my eye on this U-Haul fella.
Finished Spoiler Complete opposite of the Measure where I was disinterested in any of the characters - the people in this story were so well written and interesting: Demon, Maggot, Aunt June, Tommy, Annie and Mr Armstrong, Angus, Fast Forward, Dori, etc. The chapter where he leaves Lee County and (I assume decides on rehab) reminded me so much of the Rainy River short grom the Things They Carried. I also loved his very brief remarks on Reagan. I'd give it a solid 9/10
Crazy busy month of April so I could never give it the time and attention Necessary until recently. finished yesterday afternoon. I really enjoyed it, but like The Blackfish said, it was so much a “David Copperfield in modern times” to a fault. The issues being address (opioid crisis in America, even the foster system) were really interesting and could make for an even better. I’d still give it a 7.5/10 and glad I finished it before the end of the month/my loan was due to the library.
only at 60% unfortunately. Nasty bug went through the family the last 3 weeks so was a bit hectic and didn't carve out time well. Should finish it this week. Edit: finished a few days ago and forgot to update but then saw it won the Pulitzer. I liked it but didn't love it, kind of lost me for a little bit and wasn't overly motivated to pick it up at times. 6/10
The narrator will describe the season from 1000 foot view then we will catch back up with the main characters at Buffalo Wild Wings
Finished a while ago, liked it well enough Spoiler This one was certainly enjoyable. I think Kingsolver did a good job getting the reader invested in the fate of the characters and it was a breeze to get through. Some of the plot points were telegraphed at times I thought but that's kind of the way it goes with opioids. I haven't read David Copperfield in a LONG time but as others mentioned, she hewed too closely to that story for me rather than using it to build her own work. In addition, I feel that some of Demon's internal dialogue was a bit unnatural; could this due to the author's status as an outsider resident in Appalachia? Hard to say. Either way, good choice for the club and I'm glad I read it. I'd say 7.5/10 or along those lines.