Reviews

I did not necessarily like this book but I respected it a lot. (I have a hard time with any book that is rugged or western in general -- maybe because I am an liberal East Coast elite? -- so my lack of emotional connection is perhaps not surprising. I do have an affinity for well-drawn and deeply unlikable characters, though, which this book delivered in spades.) Whatever your literary preferences, this is undeniably a very well-crafted and masterfully written book. I'm glad I read it even though my own shortcomings in taste made it less enjoyable than it could've been.

obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition

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4.0

This isn't a coming of age story, even though it focuses on two siblings growing up/growing apart. I did not expect the sister to be quite so odd and I thought I'd like her and the brother more than I did. However, this is very well-written and engaging, quite unique, and I got very sad for the both of them. There were some passages that I felt the need to highlight and copy, which is always a good sign.

It's always cool to find more female authors from the past, and I definitely would like to read more of Jean Stafford.

As this is as book from 1947, there were a few words I didn't know. I had to google what a "donkey party" is (apparently just a party where you play the donkey game).

roxymelody's review against another edition

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2.5

The ‘coming of age’ aspect and the feelings of rage and not having a place were interesting and beautifully written, but I just wasn’t engaged or invested enough in any of the characters. Also beware the dated racist language and stereotypes!

sweddy65's review against another edition

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4.0

I think this is my favorite book this year, although the book was originally published in 1947. It's an adult novel about children, and it's an adult novel that gets childhood, or at least childhood for those of us who were odd, sometimes enraged, and often believed we would never find a place to fit.

Molly is furious, crazy, genius, and unhappy.

I can't remember how I found this novel, but I'm glad I did.

khilleke's review

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

jwmcoaching's review against another edition

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3.0

Harsh, unforgiving, strange, touching. All of these apply to The Mountain Lion, which kind of reminded me of Camus' The Stranger, but in a completely different setting. Think Mersault crossed with Cormac McCarthy. Stafford is a realist in her prose and almost comes off as existential in her sensibilities. This is deceptively "coming of age," in that it doesn't conform to the standards of that genre, even though you might think that's where it's headed in the beginning.

maryagnes's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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