Helpful Score: 9
I would not recommend this book to anyone. The thoughts and actions depicted of a 6 year old were very unrealistic and the language was foul. I have worked with emotionally disturbed children for years and have never known a child with these kind of thoughts at such a young age. I did not finish the book. I tried going back to it several times and it just didn't ever get any better.
Helpful Score: 3
I highly enjoyed this book by Nancy Huston. It was chosen by our Book Club so I don't know if I would have picked it up on my own. It is written backwards in time starting with a 6 year old boy, Sol, who lives in 2004. It goes back with each generation talking in the first person, back to World War II. So, next the hear from Sol's dad, Randall, at age 6 in 1982. The next person to emerge is his mother, Sadie, at the age of 6 in 1962. The last narrator to appear is Kristina at the age of 6 in 1944-45. As the reader learns more and more about this very disfunctional family, it emerges that there is a secret that has been kept throughout the years. We get glimpses of it, but we do not actually learn the whole truth until we read Kritina's section.
As you can see, the reader soon becomes fascinated with this style of writing - always from the perspective of a child and going back, back, back until all is finally exposed. What I particularly liked was the honesty and truthfulness of the child narrators. It is as if the author has a VERY good insight into the minds of children and of their silent suffering at the hands of cruel or indifferent adults or different parenting styles.
When I was done with this book, I thought it would be fun to read it again, this time knowing the whole history of the family back through the 60 years the book covers. I would have a whole new perspective and probably it would be a completely different book to read.
As you can see, the reader soon becomes fascinated with this style of writing - always from the perspective of a child and going back, back, back until all is finally exposed. What I particularly liked was the honesty and truthfulness of the child narrators. It is as if the author has a VERY good insight into the minds of children and of their silent suffering at the hands of cruel or indifferent adults or different parenting styles.
When I was done with this book, I thought it would be fun to read it again, this time knowing the whole history of the family back through the 60 years the book covers. I would have a whole new perspective and probably it would be a completely different book to read.
Helpful Score: 3
Ehh... This book had an interesting premise and structure, but it seems that some of the more interesting parts of the story fell in the gaps between sections. Really, the book's downfall lay in the characters. I can't think of a book with more unlikable and unrealistic characters. I didn't even know that books could make six-year-olds unlikable. As for unrealistic, these four "six"-year-olds were so grown up that rather being precocious, they were ridiculous.
The book starts off with the most unlikable of the four, Sol. I am fairly certain that the Hitler himself was a more pleasant six-year-old than the megalomaniac masturbator Sol.
That being said, there were some entertaining parts of the book, but all in all it was simply too unrealistic to enjoy. There were factual errors as well as some translation mistakes. I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
The book starts off with the most unlikable of the four, Sol. I am fairly certain that the Hitler himself was a more pleasant six-year-old than the megalomaniac masturbator Sol.
That being said, there were some entertaining parts of the book, but all in all it was simply too unrealistic to enjoy. There were factual errors as well as some translation mistakes. I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Helpful Score: 2
Im writing this review because 2 of the 3 previous reviewers did not like this book. I, on the other hand, thought it was outstanding. The style of the writing drew you into the story and kept you engaged . The layout of the chapters made me want to go back and review what had occurred in previous chapters since the storyline goes from present to past. I actually thought of reading the book a second time from back to front. I would recommend this book.
