Aahhhgg - there were several times in this book that I felt like dying rather than continue reading! A woman is lying on her bed dying as her family is preparing for the eventuality. Her oldest son is outside her bedroom window building her casket. She finally dies and the family - with the worst possible luck in the world - travels to her hometown to have her buried among her people. Everything that could possibly happen happens even a swollen river that they have to pass through and they almost lose the full casket to the current. There is way too much talk about the 9 day old stench coming from the casket that has endured every possible element along this trek. The second son loses his mind along the way, the oldest son nearly loses his life, the daughter is on her way to get some medicine to abort her baby, the youngest son is just plain strange and the father is the most worthless man on the face of the planet who ends up stealing his daughters abortion money and taking a new bride the day of the burial!
The one and only redeeming attribute of this work is the technique the author uses in getting perspectives from all the characters. This really worked for me. You even got to hear from the dead woman.
I always like to try and figure out what makes a classic a classic - well in this case I must say I am still wondering. . .
3 comments:
sounds, um....interesting? and depressing, etc...but the fact that it is historical fiction almost grabs my interest. Maybe I will have to listen to it at work sometime?
Not for me right now. Too depressing.
I wouldn't bother - either one of you. It wasn't worth the time.
Post a Comment