Through Black Spruce

Average

5 weeks ago

I am not one to tear apart someone for trying but i have to say this is not an award winner in my opinion. Too underdeveloped to be an award winner. The author does description and narrative well, but the story is too loose. I had no attachment to the characters and the ending seemed contrived. I felt it was just an average read but i feel there are definite streaks of greatness and look forward to future writing by him.

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• 3 people found this helpful

2nd Great Novel

4 months ago

Boyden did a wonderful job on his second novel Through Black Spruce. Similar to his first, Three Day Road, the story alternates between two main characters - Will Bird (Xavier Bird's son) and his neice Annie. This well crafted novel drew me in within the first few pages and it was very hard to put down. I love Boyden's writing style, especially the dialogue between characters - he captures the subtle dialect differences that exist in N. Ontario communities very well. Although it wasn't… + read more

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• 1 person found this helpful

Crossroads

5 months ago

The best way to describe this book is that it is fundamentally about people at the crossroads -- between the traditional and the modern, good and evil, young and old. The novel is a slightly complicated read since Boyden uses a double monologue of both his protagonists Will and Annie. Although slightly distracting at first, both narratives intersect together nicely so it isn't all that difficult to follow. Boyden is a great storyteller there is no doubt about that. I would have appreciated… + read more

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• 9 people found this helpful

I was hooked

7 months ago

I brought a copy of Through Black Spruce with me on a weekend holiday with the intention of perhaps getting through the first few chapters. I didn't realize that a chapter or two into the novel I would be hooked - I finished the book before my weekend was over. I enjoyed the simultaneous narratives of the two main characters, each trying to survive in a rough and challenging wilderness: Will in Northern Ontario, and Annie in Toronto and New York City. At times the beginning of the… + read more

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• 7 people found this helpful

A page turner

8 months ago

I received this book as a present for Christmas and I honestly thought the person who gave it to me probably just picked it out because it had the Giller prize sticker. Personally, I do not take much notice on whether a book wins an award. However, I am also one to try and give a book a fair chance. So I hadn't read any of these reviews until after I finished the book. I found this author told a wonderful story. At first, it took me a couple of chapters to adjust to the native phrasing but… + read more

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