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The Gravedigger's Daughter: A Novel (P.S.) By Joyce Carol Oates ( Harper Perennial )
Release Date: 2008-04-01
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $15.95
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Product Description
Fleeing Nazi Germany in 1936, the Schwarts immigrate to a small town in upstate New York. Here the father—a former high school teacher—is demeaned by the only job he can get: gravedigger and cemetery caretaker. When local prejudice and the family's own emotional frailty give rise to an unthinkable tragedy, the gravedigger's daughter, Rebecca heads out into America. Embarking upon an extraordinary odyssey of erotic risk and ingenious self-invention, she seeks renewal, redemption, and peace—on the road to a bittersweet and distinctly “American” triumph.
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 what a frustrating read!
This book was repetitive and downright frustrating to read. The only reason why I bothered to finish reading it was because I bought this book when it first came out, in the expensive hardback format!
I felt like the author just gave up towards the end of the book, it ended so abruptly and impersonally.
Check this book out from your local library if you must, but don't bother wasting your money on it.
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 Good, but not great ( gwta78703 )
I did enjoy this book, but I think the author got a little lost towards the end and didn't know how to finish the story. I almost didn't finish it because it just got kind of boring and pointless. I also had trouble believing that the main character would end up so cultured and refined after coming from that horrible background. I know that people can overcome adversity and "live the American dream," so to speak, but this was almost hard to believe.
Overall, I think it is an interesting story and character study, but not one of my favorites.
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 Grim, Dark Misery ( patio34 )
Despite the supposed quality of the writing, I can't get past the content of this book. It's disgusting; no lightness, joy, goodness of human nature here. Sorry, but if I wanted to wallow in misery, it would hardly be in a novel.
The hovel they live in with "death leaking downwards" from the graveyard typifies the type of miserable grayness in this awful book. I finally have thrown in the towel after about 120 pages and am sorry that awfulness is in my mind. Violence, blood, cruelty, crassness, obscene, with no redeeming qualities. I don't know one person like any of the characters and am thankful for that.
There is no nobility in this book, no kindness, no caring; nothing but the worst of humankind and despicable people. What a world to inhabit...
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 Masterpiece! ( hawthornewood )
My idol lives up to her reputation. If she doesn't win the Pulitzer for this, I'm going to be p---ed!
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So glad to be done with it!
I finished it tonight and am so glad I'm done! I would have stopped sooner but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I agree with other reviewers that have mentioned repetitive words and metaphors. Yeah, her hair is long; yep, his groin is like a goiter. We get it- cutting her hair is representative, but do you have to beat us over the head with it?? Also, the switch between characters was very choppy. And I'm okay with endings that don't tie up all lose ends, but this one made no sense at all, and I tried to read the letters between her and the cousin and then got tired of it all. I did enjoy the first 1/3 of the book- the sections when she was Rebecca living in the stone house. There seemed to be a story and somewhat of a plot, but it got lost somewhere. Others might like it, I didn't. Read all the reviews, and don't lose sleep over a $14 book.
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