Rating: 
Summary: Frustrated by my expectations
Review: First, I should explain my expectations: the book would be about the Master Butchers Singing Club(set up by the title and cover photo), the central character would be a man (presented as the protagonist by the exposition), and the relationships would be rich and textured (given to me by Erdrich's previous work). Unfortunately, I feel betrayed as each expectation fell, and fell hard. Neither the men of the Singing Club nor Fidelis are central characters. Women are. Which is fine, except that Erdrich lead us in a different direction from the start. (The cover photo of my edition has been changed to a b/w portrait of a German woman--so apparently, I am not the only one who felt put off.) My biggest disappointment is that deep and life-long relationships are given to us by the narrator as a point of fact instead of the author allowing us to see them develope which is more believable or at least endearing. I wonder if Erdrich tried to do too much here: too many characters, too many plots for too little paper. Instead of creating rich and memorable characters, we are given a list of events and told to accept how deeply the characters feel about one another. I feel frustrated because I do like the kernal of these characters and would have appreciated a more simplified plot in exchange for depth of feeling and the first-hand witnessing of the relationships' development. If you approaching Erdrich for the first time, I would not recommend this one.
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Summary: Successfully "balances" the joys and sorrows of life...
Review: Great story and climax but the denouement was a bit of a let down (one reader called it "disarrayed", I would agree). Still, it is a lovely, thought-provoking book and well worth 4 stars. It had a touch of mystery and the unexpected. I think what I found most interesting of all was that the seemingly humorous inclusion of the carnival style "balancing" act in the begining of the novel is really, in my mind, an underlying theme for the whole book. For every act of evil, there is an act of good; for each death, new life or new life paths. Another writer would have taken the same novel and made a tearjerker. But in Erdrich's hands, this otherwise somber tale is imbued with a sense of hope that improves the story. This book reminded me a bit of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams but with a writing style that is more lyrical and sophisticated, 'showing' more than 'telling'.
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Summary: Interesting Characters - beautiful descriptions
Review: Great storytelling - I did not want the book to end. I was a bit let down by the disarrayed ending, but the characters - especially Ciprian and Eva - are so full of life and detail I felt I knew them personally. I recommend this highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite done but a great book
Review: I am only 2/3s of the way through this book but had to provide a comment. I heard the author speak on NPR and bought the book based on the conversation. It is beautifully written and thoroughly engaging. I cheated and read the end about 3 chapters ago and can't wait to see it unfold. I highly recommend this book
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Summary: This woman can write!
Review: I am so impressed with Louise Erdrich's writing. " 'Miracles at Little No Horse" was terrific, and so is this book. I listened to the author read it on audio cassette and that was even better. She is the finest writer I've come across in many years. This book is a masterpiece. Her prose purely hums. Her characters are wonderful, richly developed. I listened twice to this tape for the absolute pleasure of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Reality isn't pretty
Review: I first fell in love with Louise Erdrich's work when I was given a copy of LOVE MEDICINE to read before it had even been published. I was fascinated by the subject matter, the delicately layered characters, and the surprisingly effective use of shifting perspective. It was a world beyond words, and one so incredibly memorable and so deeply (and unexpectedly) satisfying that I decided Erdrich's works were the only contemporary novels worth collecting. I'm sorry to say however, that Erdrich's passion for tragic characters leading desperate lives in stark landscapes and impoverished communities has soured me to her more recent books, and THE MASTER BUTCHER'S SINGING CLUB is no exception. Delphine Watzka, the "heroine" of this book, leads us on an emotionally relentless journey through a barren and depressed town in remote Argus, Minnesota, a community populated by Erdrich's usual ecletic collection of tormented characters who suffer the aftermath of World War One, the Depression and the onslaught of World War Two. Characters die of cancer, alcoholism, and freak accidents. Families are murdered, babies are left to die in outhouses, wild dogs slaughter family pets, nearly everyone is poor and those who aren't are borderline insane. Fidelis Waldvogel, a character based loosely on Erdrich's own grandfather, makes his living killing livestock, and while Erdrich does a good job of revealing the man underneath the bloodstained aprons, sausage casings, rotting piles of bones, buckets of offal, and strings of chicken feet, his occupation coupled with his endlessly sobering personal dramas makes this book a difficult read. True, there are moments of triumph and inspiration interspersed throughout the story, but overall Erdrich's passion for tragedy undermines the book's effectiveness, particularly since it has become obvious that is a recurring theme in all her work. Erdrich knows as well as anyone that life isn't easy, but I have to believe that it can't possibly be this bleak either.
Rating:
Summary: Her best yet.
Review: I have to admit that I had a hard time engaging this book the first try. I found the setting and initial characters to be a bit contrived and put the book down until I was in the 'mood' to read such a novel. However, the second attempt kept me going until the end and wished it did not end. Her writing is probably one of the best examples she's ever done. I have found her other novels to be somewhat repetitive in theme. This story spans several generations and cuts across the Old and New World. This may be one of those rare books on my shelf that will deserve more than one read. If you think the combination of characters is contrived, wait until the last page of the book... when you find out that she writes her fiction from life. No regerets. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Her best yet.
Review: I have to admit that I had a hard time engaging this book the first try. I found the setting and initial characters to be a bit contrived and put the book down until I was in the 'mood' to read such a novel. However, the second attempt kept me going until the end and wished it did not end. Her writing is probably one of the best examples she's ever done. I have found her other novels to be somewhat repetitive in theme. This story spans several generations and cuts across the Old and New World. This may be one of those rare books on my shelf that will deserve more than one read. If you think the combination of characters is contrived, wait until the last page of the book... when you find out that she writes her fiction from life. No regerets. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Absolutely the best yet from Erdrich
Review: I have to say I have just fallen in love with this book. It seems to me Erdrich's storytelling skills are just flourishing and this has got to be her best effort to date. Why am I reminded of Look Homeward Angel? I'm half way through and this book just must not end! Character development, use of language, understanding of people and cultures, sorrow, tenderness, brutality of life, a rich a vibrant spirit, it's all there. Congrats! I've been a huge fan of hers for years. Love her work. (NYT book review was (...)
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Summary: Family trees
Review: I hope that Master Butchers is the beginning of a new set of novels intertwining Delphine, Fidelus, and Cyprian's families in the way Erdrich wove and embroidered tales of her Ojibwe ancestors. That the writing is by turns stark, poetic, and convoluted fits with my own experiences of family story-telling and family secrets of the Great Plains and the Great Depression. The book may not be for those who lack the patience and curiosity to listen at family reunions.
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