She is pretty amazing. I read the Poisonwood Bible a few years ago and it was long, but quite good. Then recently I read Animal Dreams and absolutely loved it and could in some weird way relate to the character. Now I am trying to read The Bean Trees but haven't had tons of time for reading now that I have started school again. Anyone else read her stuff and enjoyed it (or not enjoyed it... I respect other opinions)?
I read The Poisonwood Bible a few years ago as well at the urging of my boss, who's a huge Kingsolver fan. I thought it was a great book but I can't say I liked it. That is, it was well written and featured some powerful characters (notably the father). However, it was just too depressing...those girls should have rebelled a little more, rather than allowing their crazy religious zealot of a dad to take them deep into Africa. I do really want to pick up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle soon though.
Yeah there were many things about the Poisonwood Bible that irritated me, but it was well written and gives an interesting perspective on the fuckage that has gone on in the Congo. Read Animal Dreams. So much less depressing. And it's just beautiful. I have The Bean Trees sitting on my night stand but I am not sure I am ready to be committed to a book again just yet. lol.
I read The Poisonwood Bible a couple of years back. A friend had recommended it, and one day while scoping out a used book store on vacation, I found it! I picked it up, headed to the beach, and finished it the next day. I thought it was awesome. Some moments were certainly hyperbolic, and yes, depressing, but I thought it was a unique story, and very expressive. I'm looking forward to picking up her others.
i just finished the poisonwood bible. she was amazing at really portraying each character via their voice. i enjoyed how she incorporated real history within it's pages...although some of it seemed over the top.
I read Pigs In Heaven a couple of years ago and both liked and disliked it. Kingsolver is an excellent writer. I think a lot authors dont take the time to make their words and imagery flow (which sometimes makes me stop reading a book) but Kingsolver did a good job. In Pigs in Heaven, I found myself getting really frustrated with the main character and I thought that the ending was just a little too fairytale for the complexity of the story. However, it was a good book and I think the reader is supposed to be frustrated with the main character though I suppose some people would empathize with her.
I read a lot of her stuff in college, the poisonwood bible most recently. I think it's her best- amazingly well written. I have animal vegetable miracle now, but haven't started it. I'm needing the escape of fiction, but I understand it's great.
I prefer Animal Dreams to Poisonwood bible personally. Poisonwood is amazing but also a bit overwhelming. I mean, it is sort of a bit topic to tackle, so I definitely give her credit for how well she did it. But Animal Dreams was just a little easier to keep up with for me. Maybe my brain is just made of grape jello though.
I read the Poisonwood Bible a couple of years ago, and just loved it! One of my college roomates was actually the daughter of a missionary couple to South Africa (her family). Anyway, I found it to be accurate (from what I know) as well as so very well-written....am glad to read that she has several other books. This book that many of you have mentioned - Animal Dreams...I can't wait to find it, as well as the others by her. I read a lot, and did find Kingsolver's writing quite to my taste.
