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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “The White Bone is a captivating and fascinating novel which examines destruction, family, loss, madness, and decay through the eyes of a matriarchal elephant society. A beautiful read, both delicate and aggressive at once, it is especially a treat for elephant enthusiasts. Reads easily and...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=285” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“The first time I read this, I thought, "what a super book, how original". However, when I picked it up again it totally disappointed. Can't really say why but...”
Book Rat wrote this review Friday, October 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=285”
Lisa A wrote this review Friday, September 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Barbara Gowdy's The White Bone is a wonderful story of elephants reminiscent of Watership Down (one of my all time favorite stories). ”
Mike R wrote this review Friday, September 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I really wanted to love this book and for the first 9/10 of it I did. It's shocking in it's brutality, poignant and lovely at times, introspective and wise throughout. It is worthy of all the praise it has received. However, I have now read it twice and have felt empty at the end of it both times.
Todd N wrote this review Wednesday, June 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I always like to come away from literature having filled my soul with something; hope, drama, peace, rage, anger, mirth or what have you. Despite it's beauty, this book has taken more from me than it has given. I would recommend it, but don't go looking for it to uplift or nourish.”
“Oh. My. God.
Marianne L wrote this review Monday, June 22 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Brilliant book in everyway. It is heart breaking and imaginative. It made me want to be an elephant :) It made me want to cry. It made me angry at humans' willful distruction of wildlife.
READ THIS BOOK!!! It will change your life.”
“This novel follows a herd of elephants as they move to a fabled land of freedom, an impossible utopia, out of the reach of poachers. Although it is well researched and you can learn a lot about this majestic species, the fragmented writing can get frustrating. Also, as original as the idea may be, there is still something left to be imagined in the execution. The reader feels dragged along, a slow moving elephant, waiting for liberation on the last page.”
Anne of Green Gables wrote this review Sunday, June 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I cried. SO beautiful.”
Deborah B wrote this review Wednesday, June 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Virgaux78 said: It's a story about several families of elephants, but mostly about one female elephant, her adoptive family and their search for an oasis (The Safe Place) during a terrible drought.
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Saturday, November 8 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I give this book two stars because the premise was really good, but the flow of the story was terribly painful. There was not only a family tree of all of the elephant families in the front, but there was also a multi-page glossary of elephant words to refer to during the course of the novel. It was too easy to get the names of the different elephants confused, as well as try to remember what words from the glossary are and there was a lot of flipping back and forth. Also,as the story is told from the point of view of an elephant, there were some things being described that I really wasn't sure the protagonist was talking about.
It was a difficult read in that I wanted to see it to the end -- the characters endure much suffering and you want to see them persevere, but there were times when I just thought, "I cannot read another page. It's driving me nuts!". I would suggest it, but only if you haven't got anything else to read that's more pressing.”
“I have never read a book like this one. It is richly imagined, told from the perspective of elephants, who have their own society, customs, modes of communication, religion, philopsophy... The human "hindleggers" who so carelessly kill elephants are the true "beasts" of this story. It makes me wonder about the realities of the animals around me. I appreciate Joy Williams' review on the back of the book: "Reality is not the perception of humankind alone but of all creatures...a realization of noble and tragic lives not our own." After finishing this book, this "hindlegger" vows to be more humble and compassionate toward other creatures, beings who just may have feelings and thoughts we could never fathom. ”
Cuento wrote this review Saturday, March 8 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
