*Ten years ago I read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and found it to be one of the best stories I've ever read. A couple months ago, I saw that the author was releasing his newest work of fiction. I ordered a copy right away. The next day I found out that Oprah choose this novel as her 101st book club selection. I thought she and I both have good taste in books.
What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*This is an epic story covering the years 1900 through 1977 taking place in the country of India.
*The story follows three generations of a particular family. There is something known as the "condition" and the "tragedy" occurs in each generation.
*The first generation begins with a young girl being sent away to marry a much older man.
*From there, the story continues over the next seventy-seven years as the family the young girl created continues through trials, tribulations, and life-changing events.
*Themes and topics of family, traditions, medicine, life, and death are strewn throughout each and every page.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
*When the over 700 page novel arrived at my doorstep, I was incredibly excited to begin what I was sure to be an epic adventure in reading.
*I was fascinated by this young Indian girl traveling across her country to marry a man she never met.
*The first one hundred or so pages were interesting and I was invested in the plot.
*Much to my dismay, I hit a wall and found myself struggling throughout the rest of the story.
*There were a few points where I was about to abandon the book, but I kept going. It took me over a month to read and I recently finished. I'm glad I stuck with it, but it was not always an easy or enjoyable read. The writing was incredible and beautiful, but didn't always grab my attention or interest.
Who Should Read It:
*If you haven't read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, I would highly recommend that novel. I know there are many readers who are raving about this new novel and it is on the best seller list. I think the overall story just wasn't for me. The story was quite long, very detailed, and dragged in many spots. If you do give it a shot, I hope you enjoy it. Happy Reading!
Rating: 3 STARS out of 5 Stars
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