I started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it...
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This is one of my favourite books of all time. It was wonderful to fall in love with Leo Gursky in the first few pages. When the plot became tangled & turned in on itself, I was forced to let go of trying to follow the threads & just let the book carry me to its profound & understated conclusion. I appreciated that the author never dropped me on this carried journey, but led me brilliantly through plot turns in which I was unable to see very far ahead, if at all. Just like life!
If you have read The Art of Racing in the Rain, then you already know that Garth Stein tells a good story. Raven Stole the Moon was written 13 years earlier and, while Stein may have honed his writing in that time, he has repeated his ability to tell a great story.
Jenna's life in Seattle is all too real - grief & guilt following the death of her young son in Alaska have only increased in the 2 years since. She leaves her husband behind at a party & soon finds herself on a ferry to Alaska, desperately seeking answers.
As magical elements begin to appear, we are drawn into the land of Jenna's Alaskan Tlingit grandmother, where the lines between reality & legend blur. Both worlds are drawn in very believable fashion & Jenna is pushed to the brink in her search for resolution.
Fresh & powerful, this is a magical book. Don't miss it.
I appreciated the variation among these 8 novellas. Each takes one into a different reality & challenges the reader to adopt a new set of eyes & ears & assume a changed perspective. Some characters & situations appeal more than others, & the beauty of the novella & short story is, that you are out of one world & into the next very quickly. A delightful & thoughtful end-of-summer book.
On the wild coast of Western Australia, 2 young boys take an older surfer as their hero, and all 3 push themselves to the edge of endurance, excitement & disaster in this mature coming-of-age story. The sea itself is a character and, like the sea, this brilliant tale carries a dark undertone. Fans of Winton will be delighted.
I am a fan!
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SusanL has commented on (5) products.
The History of Love: A Novel by Nicole Krauss
SusanL, July 11, 2011
This is one of my favourite books of all time. It was wonderful to fall in love with Leo Gursky in the first few pages. When the plot became tangled & turned in on itself, I was forced to let go of trying to follow the threads & just let the book carry me to its profound & understated conclusion. I appreciated that the author never dropped me on this carried journey, but led me brilliantly through plot turns in which I was unable to see very far ahead, if at all. Just like life!Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein
SusanL, November 1, 2010
If you have read The Art of Racing in the Rain, then you already know that Garth Stein tells a good story. Raven Stole the Moon was written 13 years earlier and, while Stein may have honed his writing in that time, he has repeated his ability to tell a great story.Jenna's life in Seattle is all too real - grief & guilt following the death of her young son in Alaska have only increased in the 2 years since. She leaves her husband behind at a party & soon finds herself on a ferry to Alaska, desperately seeking answers.
As magical elements begin to appear, we are drawn into the land of Jenna's Alaskan Tlingit grandmother, where the lines between reality & legend blur. Both worlds are drawn in very believable fashion & Jenna is pushed to the brink in her search for resolution.
Fresh & powerful, this is a magical book. Don't miss it.
The Most Beautiful Book in the World: Eight Novellas by Eric Emmanuel Schmitt
SusanL, August 25, 2009
I appreciated the variation among these 8 novellas. Each takes one into a different reality & challenges the reader to adopt a new set of eyes & ears & assume a changed perspective. Some characters & situations appeal more than others, & the beauty of the novella & short story is, that you are out of one world & into the next very quickly. A delightful & thoughtful end-of-summer book.The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
SusanL, August 3, 2009
What a refreshing read! Enzo is everything one wants in a friend & to spend the book's life in his wonderful head was a treat! Now, do my cats........(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Breath by Tim Winton
SusanL, August 3, 2009
On the wild coast of Western Australia, 2 young boys take an older surfer as their hero, and all 3 push themselves to the edge of endurance, excitement & disaster in this mature coming-of-age story. The sea itself is a character and, like the sea, this brilliant tale carries a dark undertone. Fans of Winton will be delighted.I am a fan!