Reviews

The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis

jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition

2.0

I really can't even tell you what this was about. There's this little town in New England where the membrane between worlds is very thin. This book tells about one summer in the town's history and some of the weird things that happen.

This sounded like exactly my kind of book. It wasn't. At all. I should have been warned when I read the book jacket and saw that the author had won some sort of Kafka prize. I've never read Kafka, but I have this vague idea that he's hard to understand and the reader is left unsure of what exactly just happened. That's where I am. I don't know what the point of this was. I'll be honest here and say that, maybe, if I had some sort of intellectual book club to discuss this with, I just might enjoy it more, or at least "get" it. I don't belong to a book club, but I do usually "get" books, whether I enjoy them or not, and I just don't "get" this one. I couldn't wait to finish it and I'm so disappointed that this was the book I had with me on my weekend at the beach.

If Kafka's your thing, you might like it. I don't think this book's for the average reader though.

katzreads's review

2.0

The blurbs say "odd and entrancing," "metaphysically exploratory, psychologically questioning, and full of suspense," "original," and "magical." I say overwrought, unnecessarily complicated, and significantly unsatisfying.

scheu's review against another edition

2.0

I feel badly about shelving this book under 'read' as I was unable to finish it. I'm sure that some readers might really enjoy this book but it was simply not meant for me. I dislike the narrative structure intensely, I didn't like the characters, and I didn't have the patience required to get to the point where the 'thin place' in the title made a difference in the story.

I'm still willing to read Davis's _The Walking Tour_, however, but I'll be more prepared to abandon the book if it fails me.

marthagal's review

2.0

Either this book sucks or I'm not smart enough to get it. Also, I'm not really into nature and/or the spiritual world, and this book is. It sort of reminds me of the Grapes of Wrath with the in-between non-story chapters, with the significant difference that in that book, I thought they worked.

hhwalker425's review

3.0

An interesting tale but lacking direction, with little aestheticism to make up for the fact. But, intriguing character study.

karieh13's review

3.0

Many times during the reading of this book - I considered putting it down and getting rid of it. It's not exactly an easy read - and I can't say that I was very engrosed in it - nor was I especially concerned about finding out how it ended. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who...but when I was in a character's mind - I did enjoy being there. I liked seeing, smelling, feeling the world through someone else's senses. Though the flow of action was hard for me to get a grip on - the flow of the world, the feel of the season (summer) was very vivid. This is the 2nd book of Davis's that I've read - and as with the first one (The Walking Tour) - I spend most of the time feeling lost and as if I am walking around with blinders on - but what I can see is like a painting; true to life but larger than life. Dripping with color and texture and emotion, Davis's books are easy for me to appreciate but far more difficult to lose myself in.

thatguy2022's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

erin_jones's review

5.0

You want a traditional novel? Look elsewhere. I love novels that act like novels as much as the next person, but I also loved this. It does not act like a novel. Well it does insofar as it's prose, with transitions, and paragraphs. But y'all, when you read this book, know that you don't NEED to remember any of the character's names. The town is the protagonist. Not everyone will love this. But you'll love it more if you approach it with an open mind. You get the perspectives of moose and beaver and people who seek connection. You get a brief history of the town starting before the glaciers. Rocks are subtle characters. It's gorgeous, profound, and resonating. I hope you read it.

ambyrvi's review

1.0

50 pages until the end of the book and I realized if I can't figure it out enough to like it yet, the last 50 pages won't make up for it. It's obvious it's loved by many, just not my thing I guess.

brynebo's review

2.0

As part of my search for spirtual enlightenment, I have been reading both fiction and nonfiction with "alternative" views. This was one attempt. Interesting concepts, but not compelling as a story.