Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
Identity isn't Skin Deep, 14 Nov 2002
This is a story about three people, but it is moreover an account of a culture that has been splintered by colonialism. There were a lot of critical arguments circulating at the time of this novel's publication because there was a heavy debate over what the Maori culture should represent itself as and if this female author was doing it properly. The powerful thing about the novel is that while reading it you are hardly aware of the culture representation because at the heart of the story is the conflicts of the central characters. But likewise, when you stand back to look at the novel you see is that the influence of Maori culture is everywhere present in this novel. Instead of trying to interpret these characters as cultural symbols, perhaps they should be conceived as individuals coming to terms with their own identity like anyone else. Kerewin has all the marking of the stereotypical independent artist. She even lives in a tower by the sea, but she is unable to paint. You will find her overpowering ego annoying, but I think you are meant to. Her rapture with herself is one of the things she must learn to overcome throughout the novel. All of the three main characters have a form of artistic expression that is being suppressed through a division in their identity. They must each overcome a barrier before they can truly express themselves and they can only do this together. The interactions between the characters are a masterful portrayal of the way in which close people, especially family members, can avoid some of the most obvious conflicts in their lives when to anyone else they would be quite evident. Toward the end of the novel the characters sink into an almost mythical state of being where their only hope of survival is through a reinvention of their being. This is a sharp departure from the straightforward story up until this point. But it is gradually introduced through a growing emphasis on the internal processes of the characters by narrating their thoughts. I found it disappointing that this novel wasn't properly edited before publication. For some reason the author views this as something to boast about, but I found that a rewording of some phrases and maybe slight cuts for some of the superfluously long scenes would have added to the immense pleasure of reading this astounding novel. Still, as you can tell, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
truly stunning, 24 Jul 2006
I first read this book at sixth form, and whilst the enforced reading I endured there seemed to breed a natural ill will against the titles we were given, the Bone People rose above this to become one of my favourite books of all time. testament to this is the fact that, having just re-read it for a tenth time, it is the first book I've felt compelled to review.
The characters capture you, the language seduces you - the whole thing just blows your mind. A worthy booker winner. Read it.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A deep insight into human nature, 19 Jun 2007
As it's been a couple of years since I read this, and my memory for detail is not so great; I can offer a review of the aspects of this book that most struck me at the time and have stayed with me since.
Firstly, I remember it being quite unlike anything I had read before, and I have read nothing like it since. The narrative style of first-person observation interspersed with thought in English and Maori is difficult to describe (I am failing miserably here!) and took a while to get used to, but lends the book a unique feel. (By the way, there is a handy Maori - English translation guide at the end which I failed to spot until I had finished the book.)
Secondly, I remember that the characters are drawn with exceptional love and understanding. Without wanting to spoil the story, I found myself empathising with them and forgiving actions and attitudes that I would normally consider incomprehensible and unforgivable.
I think I shall have to read it again.
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