The Painted Drum Audiobook

" Haven't finished it yet but I (really) like it so far. Mrs. Erdrich has never let me down. So far so good! "

" It was ok. But even though the plight of the Native Americans was heartbreaking, the book didn't let me feel it on a personal, human level. It kept me detached from the characters. Very much an observer. An outsider. Even purely human matters such as life and death, finding your place in the world, forgiveness, etc. were presented in such a way that, although you could understand them, and feel sad, the book made it all feel clinical and far away, so the reader could not really empathize. "

" Well read. I thought it was much easier to read than some of her other books. Story of Fay, an appraiser of antiques, who encounters an Ojibway drum and how it moves her and what she learsn from it. "

" I read this book for the first time about three years ago, and just reread it for one of my book clubs. I have to say that the first time I read it, I didn't like it very much, but I liked it better this time. The book has three distinct parts, and the first part starts with the narration of a New Hampshire antique dealer/estate sale manager who is 1/4 Native American and not a happy camper. Her self-centered whining is a bit tiring after a while, but when the book moves to North Dakota and Native American history in part 2 it is much more readable and interesting. So two stars for part one, and four stars for the rest of the book! "

" I like Louise Erdrich, though I find her style of writing (though poetic) distracts from the story sometimes. With The Painted Drum, I felt the story wasn't strong enough to support the weight of her prose. "

" Powerful imagery, awesome plot, and not bad writing. "

" An odd but nice read taken from three different points of view that all revolve around the mysterious drum. "

" Fortunately I did not read this but rather listened to it which is the only reason I made it to the end. I felt that there was too much detail and not enough story. "

" A moving story about finding one's self and untangling one's past from the present. Well developed characters but slow at times. "

" I liked this one better than the previous Erdrich novel I've read. This one was woven together and really moving. I was actually a little teary at a couple points. She brings people to life really well. "

" A lovely book, but I couldn't quite decide if it worked or not, and I had some issues with one of the key characters in the first section. A good read, but not Erdrich's peak. "

" liked the native american aspect. "

" You get to the end and all of a sudden the symbols make sense. Very well done. "

" 4.5 stars. About mothers letting daughters down, and more. Love her writing. "

" This is an excellent book. Writing is exceptional, great storytelling and interesting characters. Highly recommend it. "

" Beautifully written yet tragic story. "

" A kind, compassionate look at the lives of disparate ordinary people and the ways they are connected. Many sad tales of human weakness interwoven into an ultimately redemptive story. The Ojibwe characters and stories were particularly interesting. "

" I didn't like this novel as much as others by Erdrich that I've read in the past . . . "

" Read this for my bookclub. An enjoyable enough read. "

" I really enjoyed this tale, especially the stuff surrounding the importance of the drum. It seemed to me that Erdrich was working through some pain of her own. Her stories always seem to be told through multiple characters. "

" seemed to be too many stories happening in this one book, kept jumping to new story lines and the thread holding them all together was quite strained in my opinion. "

" Loved the beginning quarter of the book, beautiful language and imagery. Wish it kicked up the action. The other three quarters were a bit monotonous, therefore, I would not recommend it. "

" Some very interesting things about death and guilt, but what I really liked was the Indian beliefs about the drum and its power, et al. "

" What a story! THe author combined the native American ways with current times. She was able to convey the story of the drum with past times. Again, I liked the way the author went from current time to the past. "

" Just couldn't get going with this one. "

" The writing was beautiful, but that alone was not enough for me. I felt this book was more boring than beautiful. "

" Louise Erdrich is a stunning author. This book had me captured from the first page- it is one that requires an attentive reader and deserves to have its time taken with. I kept a family tree as the story progressed in its intricate linking of events. "

" Beautiful, lyrical writing but I didn't enjoy any of the characters. After a while, felt like a slog. "

" I enjoyed the indian lore. The story jumps around and is a little hard to follow. Talks about the ojibway indain tribe and I work with them on my mission. "

" One of my favorite books is Erdrich's The Master Butcher's Singing Club. Everything else I read by her doesn't even come close. I should have read the reviews first. 'Not her worst, not her best.' "

" Subject matter was disturbing and so I had to quit reading it. "

" Read this for my bookclub. An enjoyable enough read. "

" The narrative was choppy and I found the audio reader tiresome. This felt too ambitious but was saved by some excellent imagery earlier in the novel. "

" Parts were slow for me, but other parts were brilliant. Louise Erdrich always brings such wisdom to her stories, I am always in awe of her skill. "

" Loved this book. Love all her books, nearly. Her evocation of place is outstanding and her mastery of point of view is something to study. Gorgeous sentences and a compelling story. "

" Fortunately I did not read this but rather listened to it which is the only reason I made it to the end. I felt that there was too much detail and not enough story. "

" Louise Erdrich is a stunning author. This book had me captured from the first page- it is one that requires an attentive reader and deserves to have its time taken with. I kept a family tree as the story progressed in its intricate linking of events. "