Reviews

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

book_concierge's review against another edition

3.0

A Maori novel; somewhat odd but compelling. There are some horrific scenes of child abuse, and I think the ending is just a little too pat. But it gave me a lot to think about.

crazysecondname's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ich hab nach 35 Seiten gedacht okay das wird in 5-sterne buch. und auch: ich kann verstehen dass es einen Buchpreis gewonnen hat.
zwischendurch war ich dann nicht mehr ganz so sicher mit den 5 sternen aber einfach der Schreibstil war so gut und hat mich so abgeholt jede andere Bewertung fühlt sich falsch an. ich kann absolut nicht beschreiben was ich in dieser letzten Woche gelesen habe, worum genau es ging, aber es war so so gut like wow. was bin ich froh das gelesen zu haben

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Cancer

badclassical's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

avidreadr's review against another edition

5.0

this book really impacted me as a younger reader; it was my introduction to maori culture and i was so absorbed

jjankunas's review against another edition

5.0

I chose to read this book a couple of years ago because of a PopSugar reading challenge. The category was something like "A book that takes place somewhere you want to travel" and when I Googled "book set in New Zealand", this popped up. I'm really glad it did. I had no idea about Maori culture, and this book helped me look further into that. I was also shocked at how emotional the whole book had me. There were points where I felt sad enough to cry, and almost sick to my stomach, and oh, the sympathy pains from all the injuries!!! Yikes. Loved it though. Very emotional.

adastrame's review against another edition

4.0

The Bone People is a challenging book to read due to it's eclectic writing style. It breaks a lot of conventions and utilizes a variety of ways to let us see into the characters—though it's not always quite clear which character, or what is really happening, and certainly not why. The book probably needs re-reading a few times to truly be appreciated/analyzed.

At the core of it, however, is the strange relationship between a hermit painter who lives in her self-built tower, a very clever though mute child, and the child's foster father who can be very affectionate, but also very violent. The book has a few parts that are a bit tedious, but also quite a lot that are moving, shocking and suspenseful. It's certainly unlike anything I've ever read before.

biomimic's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

duygusu's review against another edition

2.0

I don't know how to put into sentences how it felt to read this book and the feelings it evoked in me. Below I try with words:

Difficult
Disgust
Sorrow
Hope
Confusion
Questioning
Inadequacy


It will stay with me like a thorn I cannot get out. The writing was superb but the topic and the way it was dealt with left me with a bad taste.

heidi_meredith's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

Bizarre and disturbing. It reminded me of 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks, although it's around 20 years since I read that, so my memories of it are vague. I was compelled to keep reading and most wanted to hear from the boy's perspective. Kerewin was the character I could most envisage as a real person. I like the writing style, redolent of Toni Morrison, Zadie Smith and Virginia Wolfe at times. The plot was painful and almost a study in attachment disorders, but in a world of magical fast healing. 

worldroamer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25