I love how this book creates its own mythology with the art shows. I want a print of the scree that was at some of the book signings. I would love to commission a painting of >!Kalin up against the tree with Navidad resting her head in his lap!<- it was one of the most powerful moments in the book for me.
Hello everyone, I am so happy that I am over the initial "learning cowboy language" obstacle as the book is not as hard as I imagined for non native speaker, but now I am it the chapter where I have no idea what's going on. And it's passing the last scree that should be easy.. but it changed. Around page 425.
I think they are going across. I was struggling with how screes works and if they are going up or down. Many words that were new for me. But I think in Cavalry chapter, they went up the scree. Zigzag jumping. While now they are trying to cross across the scree without sliding down..am I right?
But I have no idea what they are doing. How they are using the rope - I thought they are holding it, but then there was a part where rope was off the ground. And wasn't the rope too short? Kalin have regrets that he is facing wrong direction. I have no idea how rope works with horses. Yeah...explaining my confusion sounds funny.. :-D but could someone explain me plain simple this scene? I will be so greatful.
Edit: maybe some pics that inspired the landscapes would help too.
Holy shit the ending of chapter 3…I was shocked, for a chapter I was mostly bored by…so sad and so unexpected.
I'm casting no shade on those who love the book, indeed I envy you. I loved House of Leaves, so tried this one out.
I'm now about 2 hours in, and ready to bail. TWO HOURS (two round-trip commutes for me) and I'm barely past the initial scenes with Tom and Kalim and Linsey (pardon any misspellings, I'm listening to the audio) at the horse barn. I finally had to shut it off some time while hearing about how Tom always protected Kalim from Linsey at high school.
There's no possible way I can listen to 58 hours and 10 minutes, all narrated by an excited small-town gossip with ADHD, relating it as if I (of course) knew everyone in the town, both past and present. If all the tortured countrified metaphors and pointless digressions were stripped out, there's perhaps a paragraph worth of actual plot so far.
Question 1: Is the entire book told by this same character, and in this same style?
Question 2: is there anyone here who listened to the audiobook (all of it) ... and enjoyed it?
I see people calling the book amazing, life-changing ... and I'd love to get to that part. But - I just have no patience for the way it's being told so far. If I do give it another try, I think I'll playing it at double speed.
EDIT: You've all convinced me; what it has on offer is just not compatible with the options I have for consuming it. I'm not in the market for what it's selling. I've returned the audiobook.
I would have gotten some fleeting, petty satisfaction in playing it fast (Oh you want me to slow down? Screw that Mark, YOU SPEED UP!!) but that's no way to enjoy a book.
I fell absolutely in love with Tom’s Crossing last winter, and it inspired me to go on a trip to see the mountains that inspired the story. For reference I’m from a pretty darn flat area, no mountains (or really even hills) around. Today is my first non-travel day in the area.
Everywhere I look, I’m stunned. It’s breathtaking here.
I’m not a fit man, but I did go up Dry Canyon trail on the area just west of Timpanogos, and it was surreal going through something that felt like the beginning of the journey: driving through a residential area, to a parking lot, which stops next to the canyon trail. Two big cliffs face each other like they’re the gate of the mountain. I went up until the trail forked, had an apple and some cheese, and came back down, all in all about 2.5h. Of course, I was barely making it while people were jogging and biking up and down lol.
I’d be interested in more real-life places that might have inspired settings in TC, what do y’all think? I’m here for the week and want to soak in as much as I can :)