Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
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This novel of historical fiction covers the time period of 1887 to 1960, from the Canadian wilderness to California to Montreal. It is the story of Joe O'Brien and the love of his life, Iseult Wilkins. We meet Joe as a boy, caring for his younger siblings. As a young man, he learns to succeed in business and begins to win railway contracts in the wilds of Canada. He meets Iseult and they begin their future together. We follow the family up to 1960, with the backdrop of two world wars and of the changes in the world during that time period. The story pulls us forward through time and follows a marriage that, while far from perfect, provides an anchor for the family members that guides them through their lives. The writing is descriptive, rich and imaginative. It gets into the heads of the characters; we feel their motivations and doubts, experience their pain and happiness. I felt as if I knew this family and finally saw how things would turn out. I greatly enjoyed spending time with this book and will be exploring other books by this author.
I was willing to suspend belief and accept the premise of the story. But, it was not a terribly engrossing story, or particularly imaginative. I liked some of the characters, but did not really understand their motivations. For example, I never really understood why Laurie left her family to become a Watcher. There is just not much insight into why any of the characters acted as they did, with the exception of with Nora. I was disappointed in Perrotta, who has written some great books, like Little Children. My advice is to skip this one!
This is a wonderfully written book, full of interesting and passionate characters. It takes place in 1960's Athens. Greece is undergoing enormous political upheaval as a coup takes place. The Green Shore is based on actual events in Greece during this time period. The story follows an extended family, as each character is affected by the changes in their country and the changes within themselves. I highly recommend this book.
I read this book for my book club group. It's not a genre I normally read and I was curious how spy novels were being written in the post-Cold War era. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the book and the characters in it. An English couple, Perry and Gail, take a holiday in Antiqua and find themselves wrapped up in international intrique and danger. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Dima and his Russian family (and a cast of pseudo-family members). Later, Perry and Gail meet with members of the "Service" and tell their story. What follows is an entertaining caper through Paris and Switzerland, as well as a deepening of the relationships between the characters. The stress of the situation begins to wear on the participants as all of them anticipate how it will end. For me, the ending was somewhat unexpected, although I did consider that it might end this way. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a light and quick read. It is well written and entertaining.
I enjoyed the book and the way the series ended, with one exception. The explanation about why Katniss ended up with the man she did (I'm omitting the spoiler) is vague and incomplete. I felt the author glossed over the reasons and feelings behind her choice or her lack of choice. After reading three books, it seemed that Collins owned us more time and effort than was given to this part of the book. Other characters were dealt with thoroughly, even though they had smaller roles. For example, I felt Prim was given a large and important role in the last book, even though her actual time on the page is small. The theme of Katniss's love triangle is a major part of the series. Everyone I talked to about the books wanted to know who she would choose. It seemed to me more a matter of convenience that she ended up with the man she did, rather than a conscious choice on the part of Katniss. She had even said at one point in the book that she would be able to survive without either one of them. Still, I would have liked for her to sort out her feelings and her love for both Gale and Peeta. After the events that she has endured, it would seem likely that she would take such life choices quite seriously.
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W S Krauss has commented on (26) products.
The O'Briens by Peter Behrens
W S Krauss, May 22, 2012
This novel of historical fiction covers the time period of 1887 to 1960, from the Canadian wilderness to California to Montreal. It is the story of Joe O'Brien and the love of his life, Iseult Wilkins. We meet Joe as a boy, caring for his younger siblings. As a young man, he learns to succeed in business and begins to win railway contracts in the wilds of Canada. He meets Iseult and they begin their future together. We follow the family up to 1960, with the backdrop of two world wars and of the changes in the world during that time period. The story pulls us forward through time and follows a marriage that, while far from perfect, provides an anchor for the family members that guides them through their lives. The writing is descriptive, rich and imaginative. It gets into the heads of the characters; we feel their motivations and doubts, experience their pain and happiness. I felt as if I knew this family and finally saw how things would turn out. I greatly enjoyed spending time with this book and will be exploring other books by this author.The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
W S Krauss, May 10, 2012
I was willing to suspend belief and accept the premise of the story. But, it was not a terribly engrossing story, or particularly imaginative. I liked some of the characters, but did not really understand their motivations. For example, I never really understood why Laurie left her family to become a Watcher. There is just not much insight into why any of the characters acted as they did, with the exception of with Nora. I was disappointed in Perrotta, who has written some great books, like Little Children. My advice is to skip this one!The Green Shore by Natalie Bakopoulos
W S Krauss, May 3, 2012
This is a wonderfully written book, full of interesting and passionate characters. It takes place in 1960's Athens. Greece is undergoing enormous political upheaval as a coup takes place. The Green Shore is based on actual events in Greece during this time period. The story follows an extended family, as each character is affected by the changes in their country and the changes within themselves. I highly recommend this book.Our Kind of Traitor by John Le Carre
W S Krauss, April 20, 2012
I read this book for my book club group. It's not a genre I normally read and I was curious how spy novels were being written in the post-Cold War era. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the book and the characters in it. An English couple, Perry and Gail, take a holiday in Antiqua and find themselves wrapped up in international intrique and danger. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Dima and his Russian family (and a cast of pseudo-family members). Later, Perry and Gail meet with members of the "Service" and tell their story. What follows is an entertaining caper through Paris and Switzerland, as well as a deepening of the relationships between the characters. The stress of the situation begins to wear on the participants as all of them anticipate how it will end. For me, the ending was somewhat unexpected, although I did consider that it might end this way. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a light and quick read. It is well written and entertaining.Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
W S Krauss, February 5, 2012
I enjoyed the book and the way the series ended, with one exception. The explanation about why Katniss ended up with the man she did (I'm omitting the spoiler) is vague and incomplete. I felt the author glossed over the reasons and feelings behind her choice or her lack of choice. After reading three books, it seemed that Collins owned us more time and effort than was given to this part of the book. Other characters were dealt with thoroughly, even though they had smaller roles. For example, I felt Prim was given a large and important role in the last book, even though her actual time on the page is small. The theme of Katniss's love triangle is a major part of the series. Everyone I talked to about the books wanted to know who she would choose. It seemed to me more a matter of convenience that she ended up with the man she did, rather than a conscious choice on the part of Katniss. She had even said at one point in the book that she would be able to survive without either one of them. Still, I would have liked for her to sort out her feelings and her love for both Gale and Peeta. After the events that she has endured, it would seem likely that she would take such life choices quite seriously.(8 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
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