Not Just Desserts

Tunbridge Wells Book Club

Book Reviews - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Opinions were very split on this book, with half the group rating it very highly and the other half being somewhat disappointed.

The group were unable to find many of the characters likeable and some people struggled to sympathise with the Price family. We all felt it built up tension leading to disaster effectively, though some people found this rather irritating and felt the first few chapters of the book moved very slowly.

We felt there were some clever comic moments in the book which contrasted well with the overall despair felt by the Prices.

Some of the group found the family's portrayal unbelievable whilst others argued that it was the family's naive evangelism that made the book believable. Others felt that, given the subject nature, the book was nothing special and missed opportunities to stand out.

So, an open verdict with a lively discussion!