The Bone People

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Summary: Poignant, troubled, but brilliant!
Review: "The Bone People" is a book for those who are not afraid of language. Keri Hulme has created three very odd and troubled characters; the tower-dwelling hermit, the haunted father and the aura-seeing mute child. They live in Hulme's wild New Zealand, and try to love one another. This a book that you will either love with all your heart, or hate vehemently, but you will never forget it.

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Summary: Hulme writes like the voices inside your head. Beautiful.
Review: There were moments, many of them, when I had to reread paragraphs, or even whole pages of The Bone People because the writing was sometimes hard. Like people's thoughts. Keri Hulme brilliantly (dare I say) climbs inside the minds of three who are so different but drawn together. I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to hear them speak, I wanted to be a fly on the wall during a meal. The roughness of the characters could seem off-putting but they are tangible creatures. Not everyone sinks into this one, but if you can, enjoy

Rating:
Summary: One of the most brilliant books ever written
Review: I read this book back in 1986 and the images and characters are still with me today. This work weaves a story of anger and love so tigthly interwoven that the boundries between the two are blurred almost beyond fathomable comprehension. Hulme as a writer is so keen in her awareness of her characters and their lives that even her use of the Maori language within the text needs not the translator's notes at the end of the work. One simply understands this foreign aspect of the piece as one reads it within the story. It is simply an amazing feat of writing and an amazing story

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Summary: Beautiful and inspirational story of regular people.
Review: This book has stayed with me since reading it. The magic of this book is that it elevates the lives of ordinary people into something special, something really beautiful, and does so with such precision and grace that the whole book is like poetry. Keri Hulme is truly a gifted writer. Her characters are at the same time gritty and magical. And, it's a moving story on top of that! This book was a pleasure to read and I regretted finishing it. Putting it down was like saying goodbye to a friend. I have read one other book by Ms. Hulme and can't wait to read the rest

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Summary: perseverence
Review: The one-line summary says it all
When i first tried to read this book i was put off by the quite strange beginning. This may be because i am a boring person who did not understand what Ms Hulme was trying to say.
I am not alone in my boringness though, (we Kiwis are a boring lot), i have spoken to many people who likewise had to struggle through the opening pages or like me gave up completely.
I always tell the quitters to try again, it's worth it. This really is a magic book.

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Summary: A realistic and romantic view of the lives of three people.
Review: The Bone People is one of the best books I have ever read. The story conveyed abusive and realistic relationships. But unlike other stories that have grisly realistic lives at its focus, The Bone People allows for the people in the book to be characters, who are human but also manipulated by mysterious forces (and fate). The book is magnificent, harsh, and romantic. Wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Magical Realism
Review: I picked up this book in a used book store because as I flipped through and read random passages, the writing enchanted me. Hulme writes exactly as her characters think and speak. She makes up words if necessary, and often uses Maori phrases that lend magic, mystery, and also authenticity to her writing. I used to read fantasy, and the magic in this book goes deeper than any fantasy novel ever could, since it stems from very real encounters and traditions. I loved this book, and I wish I could find more novels by Keri Hulme stashed in the corners of used bookstores...

Rating:
Summary: Powerful and original
Review: If you enjoy writing that is thoroughly original, you will cherish this gem from Keri Hulme. It is the most powerful book I have ever read and is the book I most frequently recommend. Take your time to read and savor the language...it is pure poetry.

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Summary: We are all Bone People...
Review: Kia ora. Your story has reached many people, many places. Heartwrenching and ecstatic.

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Summary: .
Review: I first read The Bone People eight years ago, when I was 19 and starting my own life. It will always be my favorite book of any kind. It showed me that someone felt the world the same way as I. And I didn't even know that about myself until I was in the middle of this book. It made me want to become a writer, the only bad part being I always measure myself against this book and others like it.
It will make many other novels you would have liked in the past seem drab and convoluted.
Enjoy.