Rating: Summary: Runs Out of Gas Review: Accordian Crimes is a wildly complex concoction by Annie Proulx that starts off amazingly strong, but starts to lag severely in the second half. When I first finished with the book, I was more than a little impressed, but as I've reflected on it for a week or so, my admiration has diminished somewhat. Reading much like a collection of short stories, the book is comprised of vigettes that are loosely tied together by an accordian that appears in each. The first 3 stories are like firecrackers going off in your ear. The struggles and tough breaks of the immigrants featured in these tales are startling and very compelling. The book's main focus is on examing how the ethnicities of immigrants play a part in the their new lives in America. However, the further we get into the book, the smaller the role of ethnicity and the more bland the storytelling. Of course the author is hinting at the idea that ethnicity dissipates over time, but that does not change the fact that the last few stories are quite difficult to get through. I think most readers will find their enthusiasm for the novel dissipating along with the the character's ethnicities.
Rating: Summary: I dare you to finish this book Review: This is the most bloody Annie Proulx novel yet, with very little redeeming social value. After the fourth "crime" which only took me through about one-third of the book, I just gave up, not being attracted by any continuity which were present in Annie Proulx's other novels, "Shipping News," and "Postcards." In the case of "Accordion Crimes" the attempt at continuity is provided by the accordion of the title, which witnesses the various crimes of murder, lynching, adultery, drug trafficing, etc. In "Postcards," despite the gimmick of the hand printed or typewritten postcards which precede many chapters, it is the vitality of Loyal Blood, the main character, which compels us onward and maintains our interest. Similarly, Quoyle, in "Shipping News" compels us with his dogged and tender nature. The accordion of the present novel just does not have such a compelling personality. However, if you like a challenge, I dare you to finish this book.
Rating: Summary: One paragraph, one life Review: It is my favourite Annie Proulx trait: her brief asides in which the life story of a minor, passing character is summed up to its often funny end. And of these asides, Accordion Crimes is rife. A sweeping, relentless cascade of characters, all of which you care for and identify with, populate this book which is my favourite by Proulx. Annie is "baroque" in the good sense of the word, as every page of hers is rich with multi-layered threads and numerous directions to the story.
Rating: Summary: Too sad - so bad! Review: This is the only book that the 12 members of our book group have agreed upon - our books are for sale to anyone who will take them! We found the premise intriguing until we met the very unlikable characters and read their depressing stories. The only saving grace at this discussion was the entertainment provided by a member who played her accordion for us. None of us had any idea that her mother loved Lawrence Welk so much that she insisted that her two daughters learn to play in order to entertain family and friends.
Rating: Summary: Proulx is one to watch, but Accordian Crimes isn't "it" Review: Virtually all of the constructive comments made by other reviewers have value. I hope I will not be repetitive.Proulx did not disappoint me with "Accordian Crimes," but she didn't convince me that this is close to her best work. That obviously is yet to come. It's interesting the Southern Chester County, Penn., reader rated the book with five stars, having been initiated to the text via a book-on-tape. I had read portions aloud from this book to my teenage daughter, and the difference created by hearing the words aloud was startling. Proulx is a magician with the meanings and sounds of words and with her for gift for creative, definitive description and detail. I found myself many times re-reading sentences and marveling at Proulx's craft, much more so than with any other book I've read in recent years. I was also impressed with the random brutality of the green accordian's journey, running helter skelter from generation to generation in America's heartland. Proulx has so many great gifts just waiting to tackle a truly great project. What will separate great craft from a masterpiece in a future Proulx project will be whether she develops the "fire in the belly" to say something that she feels is really important. I know she has all of the writing tools and depth to deliver a truly powerful and meaningful book.
Rating: Summary: A tedious read- I finally gave up. Review: Like "berniebo2" (last critic), I have enjoyed Proulx's past writing immensely. The Shipping News and Postcards were wonderful novels. The premise of this book has promise- tracing an accordian's journeys through time and owners, giving the reader a sense of the many cultures within American life. But the bottom line was that the book was too wordy, too long, and not very compelling. I couldn't identify well with the characters even in the abstract. If you want to be exposed to a story with this same fascinating theme- only much cleaner- see "The Red Violin" in VHS or DVD. It, too, traces the path of a musical instrument (a violin)though many owners and countries. However, the pace is much swifter and the characters are more engaging.
Rating: Summary: Serious students must read every word Proulx writes. Review: I just finished Accordion Crimes and while I enjoyed it, I could not rank it with The Shipping News. In some ways TSN is an elongated short story rather than a novel but it is long enough to develop the characters, particularly the character of Quoyle, which is what makes the book so endearing. Accordion Crimes, on the other hand, is clearly a series of short stories bound together by the rather weak thread of a single accordion filled with thousand dollar bills traversing history. We see a progression of characters in possession of the accordion that are bound together by virtue of an interest in music, being in the USA as an immigrant and, inevitably for this book, tragedy. Because of the page constraints for each character, there is very little Proulx can do in the way of character development although I did laugh out loud during one of the late chapters at the character Fay McGettigan where he says "They didn't have no pissproof watches then." Proulx could have written a novel around any of several of the characters she does not develop in the book but, it wouldn't have been the book she envisioned. Perhaps her initial idea wasn't bad but, generally, I think Proulx got lost several times in what she apparently most likes to do, research arcane subjects. We are either treated or subjected, depending upon your point of view, to the results of many of these researches in Accordion Crimes. I generally like a good bit of description in a novel, but she got so carried away it detracted from the story, but then, unfortunately, she didn't have that much story to work with, which may be why she chose to fill the pages with her research. Having said all of this, the book is worth reading to get the occasional sentence or paragraph nugget which may be the main reason for reading Proulx in the first place. The woman can string words together in ways where noone has gone before. Any serious student of contemporary literature must read every word Proulx writes.
Rating: Summary: Absurdities, chance circumstances and cruelties of life Review: This is an ambitious novel of Americana told through the device of an accordion brought to New Orleans in 1890 by a Sicilian immigrant. The book is peopled with a huge variety of colorful characters, and the immigrant experience of Italians, Africans, Germans, Mexicans, French, Polish and Irish people are depicted with her skillful social perception, outstanding dialog and overflowing images of the absurdities, chance circumstances and cruelties of their lives. Each of her people die grim and violent deaths, and live small and hatefull lives. There are dozens of characters and not one of them is happy or finds fulfillment. It is a dark novel, which is grim and depressing with occasional comic elements which only enhance absurdities of life. As I got more deeply into the book, I found it hard to pick up because I knew I would be bombarded with another sad story of someone's useless and pain-filled life. And then I couldn't put it down because, in spite of this, the skillful writing would pull me along. The stories are loosely strung together, with occasional flash-forwards for one of the characters, usually describing another future ugly meaningless death. She's writing about the underclass. And the reverse side of the American dream. She does it well. So well, in fact, that her images of lynching, illness, accidents, abusive relationships and cruelty are not easily forgotten. It is not a pleasant picture. But yet, it is surprisingly refreshing. Perhaps because, in spite of her deep and colorful characterizations, the reader doesn't feel particularly sympathetic to their tragedies and meaningless lives. It's a good book, but read it only if you are unafraid to enter a world of unrelenting pain.
Rating: Summary: Another great book... Review: ...from E. Annie Proulx. At turns funny, tragic and horrifying, "Accordion Crimes" tells the story of a small, green accordion as it passes through America from one immigrant or minority to another between 1891 and 1991. Through vibrant character sketches and textured historical context, Proulx exposes the similarities among and the prejudices experienced by Italians, Franco-Canadians, Mexicans, Poles, African-Americans, Irish-Scots and many other racial and ethnic groups throughout our history.
Rating: Summary: Good writing, but racially prejudiced Review: I read the Shipping News. I thought it was great, and that it should be made into a movie. I was disappointed to hear that Kevin Spacey was tipped to be Quoyle. The image I had of him was more like Drew Carey - a sorry oafish kind of guy (not really comical, though). Anyway, I was happy when I found Accordion Crimes, and bought it straight away. It is well written and complex, in plot and detail. However, I have only read about half, so the following opinion may change. I have just this to say at the moment - WHAT IS THIS WOMAN'S PROBLEM WITH THE IRISH? If the subjects of this acrimony were African-American or Jewish the book would never have made it to print! Aside from this, she seems to have missed the fact that Celtic music is strongly accordion based. What trauma have the Irish caused Ms Proulx?
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