Comments (37)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Daniel Boone Regional Library.
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1 to 25 of 37 items
Dec 16, 2020
The author of this novel is considered one of America’s leading fiction writers having climbed to literary fame in 1986 with his brilliant The Sportswriter which I enjoyed in large measure. The main character in this latter work is an…
Sep 09, 2018MikeEe rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great novel, great narrator! I loved following Dell as he tried to make sense of himself and his world, often using his rarely infallible reverse-thinking. I was always interested and sometimes fearful of what would happen next.
Sep 04, 2018gvlee rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Didn't get past the 2nd chapter. Too similar a writing style to Laura Hillenbrand (Sea Biscuit). Annoying style with plot going nowhere.
Aug 05, 2018
Richard Ford should be ashamed of using the name of our wonderful country to write a book about a confused teenager. The contemplations , one after the next into tangents of tedium are boring and frustrating. This was terrible writing;…
Apr 06, 2014toby65 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A remarkable read, because of the quality of the writing. Very slow going at times, but just about worth the effort. I say 'just about' because the truth is that the thoughts and experiences of a 15 yr old boy are just not that…
Mar 03, 2014uncommonreader rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
In a rambling and roundabout way, Ford narrates the impact of parents' actions on their children in the short and long term. It was not credible that a man, looking back on his life, could remember everything from the distant past in such…
adam_cooper
Feb 15, 2014adam_cooper rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Richard Ford may well be the greatest craftsman of the English language working today and Canada suggests that he is getting more astute with age. Ford's celebrated observational skills enliven his most ambitious plot to date and the…
msmigels
Dec 30, 2013msmigels rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
A fifth of the way into this book, I went back to the reviews that first enticed me into reading it to see if I was missing something. They all talked about the beautiful and brilliantly crafted prose. For me, it was dull plodding sentence…
Dec 19, 2013molmil8 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I have seen some comments that readers have found this book too slow and that nothing happens. While I agree I do not think that every books has to be fast-paced. The place descriptions give the reader a vivid impression of the place and…
Nov 13, 2013srd10 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Richard Ford can write! The book "Canada" introduces you to interesting people which you feel you know. The story is intriguing. Most of all: this is written wonderfully well.
Nov 04, 2013bandblair rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I was underwhelmed.
Jun 17, 2013
Tedious! Says the same thing over and over. I got to about page 65 and decided my time was better spent elsewhere.
Mar 31, 2013santiano9 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this and realized all the hype was worth it. Well and cleanly written - good story and good characters.
Mar 14, 2013
Read this one first. It has lots of holds on it
jeanner222
Feb 11, 2013jeanner222 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
First, I’ll tell you about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later. So begins the narrative of Dell Parsons, whose life takes a turn in 1960. When their parents were arrested for armed robbery,…
Jan 30, 2013BPLNextBestAdults rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is one of the finest novels I have ever read. Many authors have written about the same - abandoned young men / boys faced with a hostile or uncaring environment. Think David Adams Richards, Cormac McCarthy, Charles Baxter, Russell…
sheri06
Jan 16, 2013
Beautifully written novel..very insightful..almost quit reading it due to the slow pace, but the prose like writing style drew me in..and eventually the storyline as well..a classic in my opinion
Jan 12, 2013dontbugmeimreading rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
If a book hasn't grabbed me by page 50, I usually put it aside. I gave this one to page 100 just because of the title and other people's reviews but it's going nowhere. There are too many other books out there to waste any more time on…
Jane60201
Jan 11, 2013Jane60201 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down.
Dec 21, 2012bookwormjeph rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
On picking this book up it felt like a large daunting read, but once I started I couldn't put it down. The story draws you in and before I knew it I was almost reading it while walking- a sure sign of a great book but not a good thing…
Nov 29, 2012
One of my favourite writers but this time there is little of the humour that comes through in previous works. It’s very downbeat in its tale of a boy growing up with the legacy of his parent’s naïve attempt to rob a bank. He’s sent across…
Nov 06, 2012
Dell Parsons, just 15 in 1960, is about to experience events that will color his views of life forever. His parents rob a bank. To call this a coming-of-age book diminishes it. Ford makes you think about living your life whatever you?ve…
Nov 03, 2012megaculpa rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This isn't a review, just a comment, because I didn't finish the book. Got halfway through and bailed. Ford painstakingly narrates the story from the perspective of his teenage protagonist. Good writing, but the thoughts of young boys…
Oct 06, 2012mexicanadiense rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
A very disappointing read, for the most part a dull slog that takes the reader nowhere particularly interesting...twice!
Oct 02, 2012celia99 rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
BORING!