For August: North Woods - August CC Book Club Selection
3 Likes
What about The Overstory causes you not to recommend it?I have it on my Libby hold list.
I don’t recommend The Fraud by Zadie Smith. I had high hopes for it, but I struggled to keep interested. I did finish but felt unrewarded.
1 Like
Also, a fan of The Great Believers, haven’t read any of the others you read, @VeryHappy ! Thanks for posting
1 Like
I read Kate Chopin’s The Awakening for a women’s history seminar. I don’t think any of us enjoyed it, but it is important for historical reasons. My husband was given The Overstory by his brother who loved it. They have such different taste in books, my husband got about 1/3 of the way through and was so bored he didn’t bother to finish it.
1 Like
I can sum up The Overstory in one word: Trees.
If you’re not into trees, and nature, and the environment, don’t bother. I am, but – still.
The first third of the book was interesting and really well done, as the author developed the characters, but it felt like a series of short stories, as each chapter introduced and developed one character. (Or, in one case, a couple.) In the next two thirds of the book, the author brought the characters he had developed together, but – to me – not in any way that made sense. They all loved trees, in their own way, and there was an attempt at drama, but for me, except for the first third of the book, it just fell flat.
YMMV, of course.
1 Like
I agree about The Awakening, @mathmom. I can see it’s important from a historical perspective – I’m sure it was groundbreaking for its time – but it was kind of much ado about nothing for me in 2024. Sort of like Catcher in the Rye is at this point – i.e., it once was great but now is – old.
@VeryHappy , thanks for your thoughts on The Overstory. I read about a third of it a few years ago, but then the library took it back (this was before I knew I could put my Kindle on airplane mode and keep a book). Since then I’ve thought about getting hold of it again, but now I see I probably read the best of it and can let it go.
Especially after struggling through The Echo Maker after that. Life is too short!
1 Like
Just a quick update:
I’m about two thirds of the way through Kristin Hannah’s The Women. IMO, it’s fantastic. I highly, highly recommend it.
I was of that era – if we believe that the main character is a real person, she’d be four years older than I am – and it is a fabulous reminder of that period – late sixties, early seventies, and all the mess in Vietnam and at home.
3 Likes
I just got this book as a birthday gift. Your post inspires me to get started!
1 Like
It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. I ugly-cried at the end.
3 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.