This was a GREAT book for anyone who wants to learn about the way animals process information - and as a bonus, you learn about how humans do as well.This was a GREAT book for anyone who wants to learn about the way animals process information - and as a bonus, you learn about how humans do as well. I love that the author puts things in terms a lay person can understand, and I love that she is honest and humble. Grandin writes matter-of-factly about her own disability, and how it has enabled her to identify with the minds of animals in certain ways. I came away with a deeper understanding of how to interact with my horses and dogs, and found that many of the ideas I had suspected about their mentality, she confirms.
There were a few small (very small) theoretical points on which I disagreed with the author. But these minor issues are entirely theoretical, and don't take anything away from the book.
A very worthwhile read for any animal lover/owner/handler, or just anyone with an interest in the mind and how it functions. ...more
I picked up this book for a few cents at a used bookstore, then set it aside for a while. I actually thought I might be bored; it isn't the sort of hiI picked up this book for a few cents at a used bookstore, then set it aside for a while. I actually thought I might be bored; it isn't the sort of historical fiction I normally read. There are no major political characters in starring roles, there are no wars or action scenes, and there really isn't any big, history changing event things center around. However, I loved this book. The author's voice, her depiction of life for the period, and the interaction of the characters charmed me. I could hardly put this one down. The story centers around a young girl and her interactions with her widowed father and the community. I found Cather's writing not only interesting but peaceful, and look forward to reading more from this author. ...more
Another page-turner from Lisa See. This book had a very different feel from Peony and Snow Flower, and in some ways actually reminded me more of an AmAnother page-turner from Lisa See. This book had a very different feel from Peony and Snow Flower, and in some ways actually reminded me more of an Amy Tan novel. Nevertheless, I loved it and can highly recommend!
Not only is the storyline fantastic, the author does a terrific job of intermingling interesting symbolism from both Chinese and American cultures (some of which I'm sure was lost on me, but I caught bits of Chinese symbolism). There is some great foreshadowing and deliberate, engaging use of semantics.
Events in the book occur just prior to the attack by Japan, then proceed to Mao's Red China. For those unfamiliar with China during the period, I would actually recommend a little research beforehand to appreciate some points better. Either way, this is a wonderful novel.
I have noticed some other readers didn't like the ending. It didn't bother me. It is a cliffhanger in a sense, but at least for me, I felt left open for a sequel, but not without completion. Everything I needed to know was there. The reconciliation was within the narrator, and I felt nothing was lacking.
This was not my first read from Naslund, nor will it be my last.
I loved this book! I'll address some of the other readers complaints to start.
The stThis was not my first read from Naslund, nor will it be my last.
I loved this book! I'll address some of the other readers complaints to start.
The style of prose is, in my opinion, in keeping with the time period represented. There is significant, expressive detail, tons of imagery, so if you find that annoying, this book is not for you. You probably will also not like Steinbeck, Dickens, Wharton, Bronte....
As far as too much "stuff" included in the storyline, I would remind those folks that this is the story of many years in someone's life. I felt the various situations and events in the story - the religious exploration, homosexuality, etc. - seemed reasonable within the book's context. Those who felt Una's mindset for adventure was inappropriate for the time period might like to explore Transcendentalism more, and perhaps read some accounts of women in the Civil War, fighting alongside their husbands, posing as their brothers. It might also help to remember that in this time period, artists' colonies were thriving.
And to those who said the book should have ended after Ahab's death, I feel Naslund is merely keeping with the theme she set at the first sentence. She says that Ahab wasn't Una's first husband, nor her last. She then tells us about the character's life, and includes the mentioned husbands.
I will also say that everything in this novel was thought through. If you like digging and picking things apart, you will love this book. I don't do spoilers, but I will tell you that EVERY event in this book, every nuance of it - people's names, the colors, the letters in many of the words - Naslund has thought it all through. If there is a character, or an animal, or anything with any substance mentioned, there is a reason for it. If digging around in a book excites you, this is a great choice. If that stuff usually flies over your head and you sit wondering why this and why that (thinking to yourself, "Please just tell me the story! Get to the point!") you aren't going to like this book.
So summing up, I'd say this is a book for those who like wordy, detailed novels with a lot of imagery, and/or those who love a layer cake novel. Right up my alley!
Like all the books I find that I truly love, the ones I can hardly stand to put down and feel so bittersweet about finishing, this is a story about whLike all the books I find that I truly love, the ones I can hardly stand to put down and feel so bittersweet about finishing, this is a story about what it is to be human. The important elements are ones that transcend culture or time. Anyone who has had a true love in another person, whether best friend, child, spouse, or other relative, can relate to much of what this woman describes. Along with her loves are her disappointments in both herself and others. With a voice that is both strong and delicate, the author conveys the finer and weaker qualities of the main character, along with others in her life, and her challenges, failures, and triumphs.
As well as being a finely crafted, touching, and evocative story, the author has done some wonderful research into past Chinese culture. The excruciating experience of footbinding, the structure of familial and gender relationships and hierarchies, and the cultural superstitions and traditions are expressed in a way that is neither condescending nor endorsing, but interesting and informative, and puts the reader at ease and on common ground with the characters. In other words, I don't believe an already acquired knowledge of, sympathy for, or understanding of Chinese history is necessary to appreciate the novel. And while this is a historical fiction, I imagine an affinity for the genre is also unnecessary.
Summing up, I can definitely recommend this sweet book. Loved it!...more
I loved this book. I selected it to read because my public library's website said that if you liked "These is My Words", you would like this one. HoweI loved this book. I selected it to read because my public library's website said that if you liked "These is My Words", you would like this one. However, between requesting it from there and starting it, I read some Goodreads reviews and thought, ugh, I picked a bummer. Not so! In that light, I want to address some of the negatives I read on this site from other readers.
This book is, indeed, written by a man. And it is told from a young woman's perspective. But I found the author to be extremely insightful, and I'm sure if he had used a woman's penname I would never have guessed his gender. Not only does he grasp what it is to be a woman, he has the naïveté of what it is to be a newlywed, young woman, down pat. He also understands how women perceive men, and how the actions of a husband affect a wife. And he showed insight into how one grows in the beginning of marriage. So, as far as I am concerned, the author's gender is not a problem.
Another issue I noticed in several reviews is that some readers feel this book is depressing. Now this is going to sound harsh, but it's how I feel. Either they are reading from an unsophisticated, naive or very young perspective, or they read the Cliffs Notes version and didn't get everything out of it they should have. Yes, the main character in this novel faces some terrible times. That's life, and it was certainly how life was during the 19th century for the average working person in the mountains of America. People on farms then, and similarly now, dealt with death on sometimes a daily basis, at least in some form. And at that time, illness was terrible and people died from things that don't kill normally healthy people now. What apparently was lost on these readers is the strength and perseverance of the main character, Julie. Julie is a powerhouse of courage and hope. She gets handed lemons in life, and she makes lemonade every time, even when she doesn't feel like it. She delights in the small joys of life - such as the blueness of the summer sky and frost on morning grass, and birds in the trees. When she reaches that point that a trial is over, she feels cleansed or strengthened. And no matter what happens or how bad things get, she never gives up, and always clings to hope - whether for herself or for someone she loves. And the book ends with that very sentiment - hope.
The last of the concerns expressed by other readers I want to address was the graphic details of some of the events, such as a hog killing and butchering. I did not feel it was indulgent. It was graphic, but why wouldn't it be? I'm not sure hog butchering is something you can effectively sugarcoat. And I doubt that the average reader would grasp what a chore it is for a woman to help with hog killing and butchering without some details. Like other events in the book, it's explained in a manner that makes the reader understand it, and in a way that I think a woman who had to go through it might actually explain it.
I'll wrap up by saying one of the things I loved about this book is that it is not terribly romantic, at least in the traditional sense. I don't like books (or movies for that matter) that are fluff. Real life is about people hanging onto each other and relationships through what is described in wedding vows - for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Julie falls in love with her husband just like so many women do. He is physically attractive to her, he appears to be strong in character, and he appears to be ready to do anything in the world to make her happy. But when he disappoints her, and when life is rough, and that "sickness" and "worse" come into play, they learn how to hang onto each other, and how to make a life together - in spite of differences and difficulties. If you need fluff to make you happy, this book is not for you....more
It's hard to say from reading it how much the author draws directly from the diary on which this book is based. There is a great balance of what is imIt's hard to say from reading it how much the author draws directly from the diary on which this book is based. There is a great balance of what is important to a woman in every day living (children skinning knees or marking up walls, the weariness of laundry and dishes, etc.) and more significant events (births, deaths, etc.). The author does such a wonderful job of drawing you into the heroine's life, that those skinned knees and dishes are just as noteworthy to you as they are to the leading character, Sarah. The action is heavy duty at times; Sarah's life is interrupted frequently by the roughness of the American frontier. Illnesses, gunfights, weather, and scoundrels of all sorts wreak havoc.
I could hardly put this book down. Historical fiction is one of my preferred genres, and this book definitely is one of my favorites. Plenty of action coupled with the sort of romance I like (Last of the Mohicans, Bleak House, The King and I, that sort of thing), it kept me turning pages. I borrowed it from the public library and look forward to getting my own copy. Good stuff!...more
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