Author: Jane Smiley
Publication Date: 1991
From goodreads
Aging Larry Cook announces his intention to turn over his 1,000-acre farm--one of the largest in Zebulon County, Iowa--to his three daughters, Caroline, Ginny and Rose. A man of harsh sensibilities, he carves Caroline out of the deal because she has the nerve to be less than enthusiastic about her father's generosity. While Larry Cook deteriorates into a pathetic drunk, his daughters are left to cope with the often grim realities of life on a family farm--from battering husbands to cutthroat lenders. In this winner of the 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Smiley captures the essence of such a life with stark, painful detail.
My Review:
So, this book. Well, ummmm... It took me about a month to trudge through it - very abnormal for me. I wasn't thrilled by the start - but once I start a book, I am the kind of person that must continue to the end, like it or not.
My understanding on this book, was that it is a modern day Lear. Not being familiar enough with the story of Lear, I can't speak much to that. This book won awards, and that goes to show that my style of book are not award-winning caliber. This book was long and drawn out and rather depressing. I think the cover drew me in and it was in a discount pile.
I usually try to read books that push me out of my normal go-to zone every once in a while. I especially enjoy when I am pleasantly surprised with a book I pick up to read that is out of my realm. I was not pleasantly surprised with this book. It wasn't that it was terrible, I just had a really hard time getting into the plot. There were no characters I could relate to and I just felt like I was reading for reading's sake. I didn't want to be transported into this book and I am usually the opposite. I get lost in books and can't get enough of them.
Not a terrible, but not my cup of tea in the slightest.
Overall Review: 5/10
Next Review: Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
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