lyzadanger’s review: “Until just moments ago, I was going to rate this four-and-a-half stars, but I’ve downgraded it to four. The reason? Not even 24 hours after I finished this book, I’m not really thinking about it anymore. It didn’t stick with me.

It was absolutely readable. Wedged somewhere in the comfort space between beach read and Joyce Carol Oates-ish familial angst, it never gave me a moment’s regret for choosing it to read.

The characters are strong and individualistic.The epic nature of the breadth of the geography and history that this novel covers is captivating.

There are a few things that are hard to swallow, though. The character of Sheriff Hock? I can’t believe any human being would think and behave in that matter. The passages of his dialog seemed to stand in stark, unpleasant contrast to the rest of the novel. It’s almost as if someone else wrote his part. Someone with far less talent.

I’m stalling here because I can’t think what else to mention. Something about this book softened my brain a bit; I do have clear visions of what I’ve just read and experienced, but nothing seems to have come of it. But still: enjoyable.”

HarperCollins (2003), Hardcover, 400 pages
tags: fiction, novel, wwi, north dakota, germany, the depression, read, readin2007, 50 book challenge