≫ Libro Cascade A Novel Maryanne O'Hara 9780670026029 Books

Cascade A Novel Maryanne O'Hara 9780670026029 Books

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Cascade A Novel Maryanne O'Hara 9780670026029 Books

To be very honest, When I began reading this novel, I was actually rather bored. The first chapter certainly didn't grab me and thrill me any and it was kind of slow plodding along for a while after that. I didn't dislike it at all and the writing is good, but there wasn't much excitement at first.

As the story progressed, I had trouble finding a character that I could identify with, but as time went on, I grew to like this book. The plot, although the pacing is slower,is interesting and unlike other books I have read. I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the town and the desires of the residents to fight the government that threatened to change life as they knew it.

While I wouldn't say this novel is for everyone, if you are the thoughtful type that enjoys pensive stories where you can put yourself in the place of the characters and examine how they feel, then you may just find out you love this book.

With me, my enjoyment of this book was eventual. By the end of reading it, I was happy that I had done so. I was about halfway through before I understood the point and began to settle in. The language is at times a bit formal and has a stiffer feel. I would call this more of a bare-bones type of book. The author does not waste page after page with extra description and the dialogue reflects this.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy literature that is on the outside of the mainstream. It's different than I expected, but that is also what made me like it in the end.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.


Tags : Cascade: A Novel [Maryanne O'Hara] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b><b>A locked box and a deathbed promise. A town threatened with flooding. And a raft of difficult personal decisions.</b></b><div> It's 1935. Desdemona Hart Spaulding,Maryanne O'Hara,Cascade: A Novel,Viking,0670026026,Man-woman relationships;Fiction.,Marriage;Fiction.,Triangles (Interpersonal relations);Fiction.,American Historical Fiction,Contemporary Women,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction Contemporary Women,Fiction Historical,Fiction Literary,Historical - General,Man-woman relationships,Marriage,Triangles (Interpersonal relations)

Cascade A Novel Maryanne O'Hara 9780670026029 Books Reviews

Really great fictional telling of the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts. The characters are well developed and the plot is really interesting, including a look at divorce in the 1930s, and artists in the WPA program.

Cascade follows a complicated woman through economic hardship, a marriage of convenience, divorce, career, and finally a happy ending... All entwined with quasi-historically accurate details about the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, which obliterated at least one town in Massachusetts (the story is fiction but the Reservoir really did submerge towns). Along the way, we see anti-Semitism accepted in small town life, the difficulty that single women faced in supporting themselves, the WPA program that employed artists to do public works, and more. Yes, it's a romance, but not a depressing bodice-ripping story. Much more interesting than that. Great reading.
I'm torn about my ultimate feelings for this story. The main character, Desdemona, is a woman driven to follow her heart. She's been raised in a conventional community by an unconventional father, and she's always believed that she would be able to live her life and design her own career in the arts as she wanted to. A twist of fate pushes her harshly onto another path, and she struggles to adapt, not always successfully.

I have to say that many times I didn't like Desdemona much. The author has frequently shown her to be a selfish, slightly whiny character who spends a surprising amount of time moaning to herself about what she's lost or what she can't have rather than trying to make the most of the choices she's made.

My problem is that women are so often encouraged to do what THEY want to do, and not what others think that they should do. Desdemona often does just that. So, why does she seem so childish and self centered?

The story of this threatened New England town, the citizens of the community, and the pressures from without is well told, and you can certainly find someone to identify with amongst the assorted interesting characters. On top of that, the local drama is set within the greater brewing storm in Europe just before WW2, and the increasing tension in the US.

I did keep reading, because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next, and Ms. O'Hara manages to maintain different levels of suspense as she spins out four or five tales. While not a conventional 'page turner', her ability to keep the reader engaged is real.

Pacing seemed erratic. The first half of the book seemed very slow, and sometimes repetitive (if only emotionally). After languorous beginning, the last portion of the book felt rushed and unsatisfying. But, trying not to be a 'spoiler', I felt that in the end, Desdemona finally got the life she had spent over a year creating for herself.
To be very honest, When I began reading this novel, I was actually rather bored. The first chapter certainly didn't grab me and thrill me any and it was kind of slow plodding along for a while after that. I didn't dislike it at all and the writing is good, but there wasn't much excitement at first.

As the story progressed, I had trouble finding a character that I could identify with, but as time went on, I grew to like this book. The plot, although the pacing is slower,is interesting and unlike other books I have read. I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the town and the desires of the residents to fight the government that threatened to change life as they knew it.

While I wouldn't say this novel is for everyone, if you are the thoughtful type that enjoys pensive stories where you can put yourself in the place of the characters and examine how they feel, then you may just find out you love this book.

With me, my enjoyment of this book was eventual. By the end of reading it, I was happy that I had done so. I was about halfway through before I understood the point and began to settle in. The language is at times a bit formal and has a stiffer feel. I would call this more of a bare-bones type of book. The author does not waste page after page with extra description and the dialogue reflects this.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy literature that is on the outside of the mainstream. It's different than I expected, but that is also what made me like it in the end.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.