Book Review - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - Pulitzer Schmulitzer

Here's the thing...no one can argue that this book is well written. It is. No one can argue that the characters are believable. But really, what a snooze. I was much more interested in Jack and in the preacher's wife than I was in the main character. And she barely touched on their stories.

It really felt to me that the author was working out her own ideas about religion and morality and didn't bother to write much of a story around it.

I much prefer the effort of working through a story to get to a point rather than just having the point pushed directly onto you. Take for example "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. In that case, the author is definitely working through various ideas around religion, morality and society but does it through the creation of not just well written characters but also a bold setting and a creative plot.