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Karen Fisher

The Sudden Country (poetry) Unknown Binding

146 ratings

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Print length

94 pages
Publisher

Main Street Rag
ISBN-10

1599484226
ISBN-13

978-1599484228
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Andrés Reséndez
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Product details

Unknown Binding ‏ : ‎ 94 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1599484226
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1599484228
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds

Customer Reviews:
146 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		54%
4 star		19%
3 star		15%
2 star		7%
1 star		5%

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Top reviews from the United States

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LFL8812

Confusing & Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 23, 2017

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I don't understand all the glowing reviews of this book. Thank goodness I got it for my Kindle when I was notified by Bookbub.com that it was on sale. It was 2-3 mos before I got to around to reading it &, of course, by then I had forgotten what it was about. That usually isn't a problem but it was here. This book starts in what I was taught is called "in medias res", i.e. in the middle of things. I had no idea of the time period, where he was going & why, what had happened to him, why he was in such bad shape or exactly what was going on. I had to guess. Then the chapter ended & started a new one w/ a different set of folks but the same questions. Some reviews say what wonderful descriptions of wagon train life & scenery. I've read several pioneers going West books & in comparison I thought this had very little of that. In fact it took me quite awhile to figure out they were on a wagon train but still don't know where anything took place. Another confusing thing, as some mentioned, that the story goes from their present time back to someone's past & it's had to tell when. The author often talks about 2 males then uses the pronoun 'he' so you don't know what 'he' she is talking about. I thought a lot of the words & phrases were very awkward making me wonder if maybe English, or at least American English, wasn't the author's first language. There were quite a few segments where I had no idea what the heck she was talking about or trying to say. I was going to give up one it but came back & read the reviews again & saw one who said the 2nd half is better so I kept going. I think it is actually Book 3 that does improve but there are still a lot of the same problems w/ it. I did finish it but it was tough. So poorly written. It wasn't worth the $2-3 I spent on it & that was so disappointing b/c I like this time period. The other books I have read were excellent but this one is dreadful.

16 people found this helpful

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Susan E. Jacobi Johnson

Coulda been a contendah... but it's a bog instead

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 13, 2017

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This book might be great for some, but not for me. It started off with great promise, albeit a little confusing until you figure out who everybody is, and that the story skips around in time and between characters with no warning. So it's like a large puzzle slowly forming. That was fine. I enjoyed certain aspects of it - the physical descriptions of the terrain, weather, and daily activities of the journey, for example. That satisfied the historian in me, and is the primary reason I enjoy historical fiction a great deal. HOWEVER. I am now just past halfway through the book, and I am abandoning ship (maybe I should say I am abandoning prairie schooner). The prose is dense, at times florid, and just far too "poetic" for my taste. I am not finding myself drawn any further into understanding or enjoying the protagonists....just being bored with all the verbal flourishes and meanderings. The subject matter had enormous potential, but in my opinion, just devolved into a muddy mess that I don't care enough about to wade laboriously through. I give up. And I can count on one hand the number of times I have abandoned a book unfinished in all my 61 years.

9 people found this helpful

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Kathy H. Dench

A joy to read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 18, 2018

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Being somewhat a history buff, I intrinsically enjoyed the general drift and goals of this book. Being from the general area of the end of the book gave it particular flavor, being able to “sort of” see the terrain in question. What I could not have known is the poetic power of this author’s prose.

I think especially of the power of the descriptive prose used to define sounds. She doesn’t just explain them, rather, using a motley collection of words, she paints them.

The underlying story line was a great vehicle for the presentation, just enough sex to be interesting, but anything gratuitous would have marred the narrative beyond repair. And so it is not there.

There is much to consider here; life lessons, choices good and not so much, I think it may be worth a second read.

One person found this helpful

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J. Calvert

Great read about the Oregon trail.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 29, 2014

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This is a great read. The book is about a family who make the trek out the Oregon trail in 1847, one of the first years. The author;s family came out to Oregon at that time and some of the story is based on her family records. I live in Eastern Oregon and also know the area around Fort Hall in Idaho well; the book captures the landscape nicely. The author has done voluminous research which makes the book very accurate and informative about the Oregon trail. The doomed love story between the mother of the family and their mountain man guide really got to me, I found the book mature and thoughtful and very well written, though as the author acknowledges there is a lot of Cormac McCarthy influence.

6 people found this helpful

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john e sjaastad

Some great passages

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 8, 2018

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I found this book took a while to hit its stride in terms of character and narrative and the sentence fragments seemed harsh early on but more rhythmic as the book went on. The work is very well researched and the landscape at times is beautifully depicted. The author provides deep insight into the characters who choose or are forced on this incredible journey and the toll it takes. In short, there’s a lot to this work and while I struggled initially to get traction this is one book I would be inclined to read again.

One person found this helpful

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k. leroux

A disappointment

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 28, 2021

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I think her writing overly wordy. Too many complicated descriptions of events and feelings. I found it sort of a pioneer soap opera. It was also difficult to keep all the secondary characters straight. The book is an OK read, but not a “must read” in my opinion.

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retired reader

Best book of the summer

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 20, 2013

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This was one of the best novels I have read in a long time. First, the writing is absolutely spectacular. Fisher's use of figurative language to describe the pioneer's trek west puts you there with them. I have never read a book that so well describes the physical and emotional journey these people took. The main character is an unwilling pioneer, taken from her lovely home because of her husband's desire to go west. On the trek the family crosses paths with another pioneer, an immigrant from Scotland. The relationship between the wife and the Scotsman is developed with sensitivity and practicality. The ending is not the one I wanted, but it was realistic and - for the main characters - it was the only possible ending. The book also explored the concept of Manifest Destiny, and gave an intimate look at Native Americans during the Westward Expansion. I loved this book.

21 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Mr. G. E. Downs

A well told tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 27, 2017

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This is one of the strangest narrations I have had the opportunity to read in a very long while. In my estimation it is a very likely depiction of the truth in this period of westward expansion in North America. Far more realistic than the nonsensical tales we were told through the 50s & 60s in our television and in film. The style of narration I found disconcerting and challenging to begin with but with a little perseverance it becomes clearly a fine way to help you understand the thoughts and emotions of these finely crafted characters.

music lover

Loved it.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 22, 2017

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Loved this. I felt like I was there, the immediacy and realness, the language, put me in the story.

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