Comments on: O Swamplandia! https://iwilldare.com/2011/03/o-swamplandia/ A little bit of heaven & A whole lot of hell Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:28:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 By: Jodi https://iwilldare.com/2011/03/o-swamplandia/#comment-27793 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:28:32 +0000 https://iwilldare.com/?p=9907#comment-27793 In reply to margosita.

@margosita,

I think what I liked so much about Kiwi’s parts was that it reminded me so much of George Saunder’s “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline.”

!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!

I think when Birdman and Ava ran into the ranger (or whomever that was on the boat), and he told her to be careful — that was my first hint that things weren’t going to go well for her.

Now, a few weeks after finishing it, I’m a little curious about what Birdman’s intentions were. Was he kidnapping her?

]]> By: margosita https://iwilldare.com/2011/03/o-swamplandia/#comment-27785 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:44:49 +0000 https://iwilldare.com/?p=9907#comment-27785 I just finished “Swamplandia!” this weekend, too. I agree with your take, for the most part. Except I think I may have disliked the Kiwi chapters more. I didn’t feel the mounting sense of danger in Ava’s journey with the Bird Man because it kept being broken, so the end of it hit me too hard. I went from being a little bored to being hit in the gut, which jolted me from the story.

Still, Karen Russell’s prose is excellent. There were passages that I never wanted to leave. In that respect, I understand all the fuss.

]]> By: nomadreader https://iwilldare.com/2011/03/o-swamplandia/#comment-27763 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:22:34 +0000 https://iwilldare.com/?p=9907#comment-27763 I don’t think I loved it quite as much as you do, but I understand where you’re coming from. The book began to fizzle for me about the half-way point. I loved the beginning. Ultimately, I think it was bigger than a short story but not big enough for a novel. I am eagerly awaiting her next novel!

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