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5 out of 5 stars
By
C. Farrell
on
04-22-15
Beautiful and Heartbreaking
What a novel. The writing is fresh and unique, and its spare language reminded me of Hemingway. The author made me deeply care about these two strong characters, and I stopped what I was doing to finish listening to their story. I had no idea how it would end, and kept guessing as the tension slowly, carefully built to a climax. This is a book I will remember for a long time -- a rich story full of the sights, sounds and smells of New York, at times reminding me of Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" in its evocation of racial tension in the US melting pot. Most of all, these are two characters who, while they couldn't be more different from me, I could easily relate to, as their feelings of hope, despair, grief, and triumph reach to the very core of human experience. I am sure this will be made into a movie, but I doubt any movie could be as good as the book. Wonderful narration as well!
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41 of 43 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
B.J.
on
04-23-15
Incredible craftsmanship.
Sometimes you see a house in a magazine that makes you stop and stare. It's true to itself down to the finest detail - a real architectural feat. Even though you may not love the style, you admire the craftsmanship and the level of precision and craftsmanship that went into creating it. That is precisely how I would describe this book.
It's covers some tough topics - like immigration and PTSD - just for starters. That's not new. What's new is the actual writing style. It's SO unique. There's a spareness to it that feels like everything has been boiled down to its most basic elements. The sights and sounds just come at you and it's up to you to interpret them. The way it's written makes you feel like you're seeing it for yourself and deciding what has emotional value.
This book gave me an understanding of a life I will never experience. I know it's been described as a love story, but I just didn't see it that way. For me, it was a book of survival and hope.
I really wondered about the narrator during the first few minutes. He sounds like an automaton. Then I understood it. He delivered this exactly the way it was written. Great choice in the end.
Though I can't say I loved this book - it made me too uncomfortable for that - I really admire the achievement. It is stunning. I think I'll just stop and stare a while.
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59 of 63 people found this review helpful
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By
Mikey
on
04-19-15
Not too impressed
Any additional comments?
I found the story jumped about quite a bit which made it difficult for me to listen to. This is only my opinion, this book has had raving reviews. However I urge you to try it, I'm sure you would enjoy it more than me. I just prefer to be honest and not just chase 'likes' on my reviews to give you the clearest picture possible before purchasing.
:)
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8 of 9 people found this review helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By
alexis6787
on
12-01-15
A bleak but powerful story
I found this book very powerful. The attention to detail is incredible and the story it self sad but worth a read. To be honest though, I found the narrator a bit dull and his accents were at times unfortunate or didnt's seem to fit the character. I also think that becasue it jumps around a lot I wish that I would have read it in print to be able to go back and read again what happened which is more difficult with an audiobook.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful