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pattyrishan's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elly29's review
3.0
If I had to choose one set of words to describe this book, it would be, "neo-literary." This is not an easy read , and the faint of heart or casual reader should not pick up this book. If the constant use of Maori words does not get you, (she does have a useful glossary in the back), then be prepared for Hulme's esoteric style of leaving things half-said, using dashes, inserting poetry, and only sketching the scene. Reading Hulme is like looking at a Franz Kline painting.
This is the most difficult piece of literature I have read since college. It was exhilarating. Her prose contains poetry and self-reference and theses beautiful ah-ha moments where the story and the meaning come together. This did not happen for all of the stories, in part because I got lazy and didn't want to continue all that research, and in part because some stories were too esoteric. (With all the Maori, I spent a fair amount of time translating, which took me down the rabbit hole of learning about New Zealand.) My favorites included "Some Foods You Should Try Not to Encounter," "Hinekaro Goes on a Picnic and Blows up Another Obelisk," "The Eyes of the Moonfish," and "Getting It."
This is a book I will come back to -- probably sooner than I should.
This is the most difficult piece of literature I have read since college. It was exhilarating. Her prose contains poetry and self-reference and theses beautiful ah-ha moments where the story and the meaning come together. This did not happen for all of the stories, in part because I got lazy and didn't want to continue all that research, and in part because some stories were too esoteric. (With all the Maori, I spent a fair amount of time translating, which took me down the rabbit hole of learning about New Zealand.) My favorites included "Some Foods You Should Try Not to Encounter," "Hinekaro Goes on a Picnic and Blows up Another Obelisk," "The Eyes of the Moonfish," and "Getting It."
This is a book I will come back to -- probably sooner than I should.
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