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Summary: Creative writing. Fails to understand/condemn child abuse.
Review: Very creative stream of conciousness - more pleasing than Joyce. Kerewin is an interesting character and there are many fascinating scenes.However, there seems to be a lack of understanding of child abuse, psychology of the abused and abusers. And a lack of condemnation. One would hope that an author of such talent and creativity as Ms. Hulme would use her talents and power to condemn without sympathy behavior that is condemned by feminists and feeling and responsible men. Even most criminals are intolerant of child abuse.
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Summary: When people ask me for my favorite novel I tell them...
Review: Honestly, my favorite novel. I started it, called in sick to work and didn't go back until I had finished it. I just read Crime & Punishment this year and it came in at a close second. Keri's use of language (many languages) is so beautiful. I have always made up silly sense words when none appropriate seem to exist and I love Keri's word play (such as "...the eyesting of onionjuice...") The way that joy & tragedy are comingled without ever feeling cloying is fantastic. Thank you so much for your novel. It is one of my favorite gifts for newer friends.
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Summary: 'Difficult' yes, but its strands weave you in
Review: I first read 'The Bone People' at university, and have never seen such a mixed reaction to any novel - the tutorial on this one was very divided. To me this is a desert island book, one I can get something different from every time I read it. Its style is unconventional, not 'literary', but ultimately it's incredibly rich and rewarding. Yes, the descriptions of Simon's beatings are difficult to read, but anything less and the author would be open to accusations of glossing over the abuse. Thinking that Keri Hulme tries to 'legitimize' child abuse is missing the point. She does not condone the abuse, but she doesn't demonize the person carrying it out, either, and some people might find this disturbing; yet not everyone who abuses a child in real life is evil incarnate. It's difficult to read because a character we have grown to like and to sympathise with is responsible for it; when I first read the book I almost refused to believe that he could be responsible. Even good, compassionate, loving, kind people can be abusive when put under great stress; it's possible to help change their behaviour. 'The Bone People' portrays the abuse as a horrific, incredibly damaging thing, and then holds out the possibility of hope, transformation, redemption. If you can get past the stigma and the intricate, spiralling style, 'The Bone People' is an unforgettable, richly textured, rewarding tale.
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Summary: uhmmmmmmmm.....
Review: This book is different. The best reading experience I`ve ever had - and a beautiful danish translation, if anyone prefers.
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Summary: This is a book I can taste and smell. Worth multiple reads.
Review: It seems as if there are simply too many books in the world to read any of them more than once. "The Bone People" is different. It must be read more than once to fully embrace it's texture and depth. The poetry grows on the reader. The only recent experience I've had with a book that impacted me in such a strong way was "Fall on your knees" by Ann Marie McDonald. Both books are richly drawn, slightly melodramatic, pulsating with color, and impossible to put down. The difficult parts of "The Bone People" (child beatings, etc.) did not horrify me. Instead, they served to reveal the basic brokeness of all of us, and the struggle we all face to live up to our highest visions of ourselves. Add the expectations of others, of society, of our individual cultures, and we find life a pretty rocky road. "The Bone People" is my summer book...hot, bittersweet, and exhausting. But what a good tired feeling it is!
Rating: 
Summary: A book that somehow makes excuses for child abuse.
Review: Try as I may, I have to admit that I stopped after one of Simon's more horrific beatings. The subject matter of this book is difficult, but that is not the problem. The problem lies in the fact that the author attempts to legitimatize child abuse. As the mother of a 5 year old, parts of this book are unbearable. If I want to read about child abuse, I'll look in the newspaper. However, I must admit that the author has a splendid writing style, and I understand that there is much more to see in this book than child abuse but it is overshadowed. This book certainly distressed me; I just think the same story could have been told without the torture of a child.
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Summary: Kia ora ano! Hello again!
Review: It's been over a year since I learned readers and authors could talk to one another under the auspices of amazon.com - many tides, much water under the the bridge. We've - because I am not myself alone, I am part of a thriving & warm family - been fascinated by the range of comments. Love it ! There's people who hang their hearts out (bless you all) and people who cant read (look up "Booker prize" on the web, dear): there are canny readers, and guarded readers, and readers who are just plain *loving & involved* (count me in your number _ I deal first with my heart, second with my mind & critical intelligence and third, with long-honed writing skills). So - ka nui aku mihi kia a tatou katoa (yep, even & always the ratshit commentators but first and aboveall the people who are willing to support.)
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Summary: I thought it was superb
Review: The Bone People is defintely a find. Tips: don't be discouraged at first when it seems really weird. The book gets a lot better as it goes on. The relationships were realistic and the development slowly was good. It flowed and just gripped you. I couldn't put it down!
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Summary: Wonderful Novel!!
Review: I have to comment on this novel after reading the review suggesting the "sophisticated" readers will be fooled by the reveiews into reading it. By all means--*read* this novel. I just got my Master's degree in English literature-- so you can probably rank me up there with "sophisticated" readers (since really it would only mean experienced). I love this novel. The characters are true, the metaphors are good. It is, however, a post-colonial novel and is not meant to stick to your expectations of what a novel "should" be--because, after all, who sets these norms? Expect something different and open your heart to a new kind of truth. Think about the cycle of abuse, healing, patterns of behavior then think about the difference between the tower and the spiral structure at the end. What are the significances. Who is the Moari (sp?) man in the floor? What does he mean? Why do people love Joe so much? What does it reveal about ourselves? These are just things that have stuck with me over the years. It is a book with many layers. The thing I like best about the novel is Simon. We all love him, and we love Joe because we feel Simon's joy in his presence. But why is Simon so abnormaly hungry for his love--could it be the same feeling that allows people to put up with abuse in their own lives? In addition, there is a great mystery within. Read it. Pay attention. Please, don't be so shallow as to just see it as different and condemn it. Open your eyes, come out of the tower, and spiral your way into a new understanding of reality. Heather
Rating:
Summary: A favourite.
Review: Thank you, Keri Hulme. This is a book that I have carried across continents, and re-read from time to time over the last 12 years. Excellent, emotional, really grabs me.
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