A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (P.S.)
by Betty Smith
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Book Reviews of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (P.S.)
Book Review: Bad News in Brooklyn
Summary: 5 Stars
Bad News in Brooklyn
Francie Nolan is the kind of person that lives life to the fullest, no matter what the circumstances are. Francie is a poor Brooklyn girl, living in the early 1900's. She has many struggles to overcome, and few opportunities. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a fiction novel by Betty Smith, is about the battles Francie and her family have to win in order to rise above poverty.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is essentially a biography about Francie Nolan, the fictional heroine in this novel. Francie is an intelligent and determined girl. She is a wonderful writer, and has planned to read every single book in her local library. Unfortunately, though, Francie's life is anything but perfect. Her dad is a singing waiter, and he is addicted to alcohol. Therefore, he doesn't bring home a lot of money, so Francie, her mom, younger brother, and dad, all have to live off of only a couple dollars a week. In order to survive, Francie will have to work hard, and get a job to support her family.
In this novel, Betty Smith describes in detail all of the characters' personalities, which helps the reader better understand their actions. She also describes the time period very well, so it feels as if you're actually living back then.
I really enjoyed this book because it opened my eyes to how different this country was, just less than a century ago. Few people back then were well educated, and some were even illiterate. It also made me see how difficult life is as an immigrant. Francie has to grow up living through all of these hardships.
I would recommend this book mostly to girls, ages 12 to 15. Anyone who enjoys reading fiction or historical fiction , or who liked Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, is sure to love A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Book Review: One Persons Journey Through A World of Books Thoughts:
Summary: 5 Stars
A tree grows in Brooklyn was a pleasant read for a classic. By saying that I mean that some of the classics we have read in the past have just been hard reads - hard to understand and hard to get into. This books writing was smooth and I could follow the story easily. The book is centered around Francie and her family in the back drop of World War One. Told from the perspective of Francie, I quickly was engrossed in the absolute and utter level of poverty they were.
Food is a big theme in this book and while they had very little, Francie's mom Katie could work wonders with it. There is always stale bread and crushed pies, and bone marrow to spread on bread as a treat after the bone has been used in soups. Meat was a rare treat. This book reminded me a bit of The Book Thief as far as the poverty and making the best of what they have.
I enjoyed the theme of the book, yet found it for the most part non eventful. The book goes page by page through Francie's life, what she sees in her parents (her dad drinks too much and her mom works hard cleaning homes to make ends meet). You see Francie is school and you learn her love for books and for learning. The book carries you through Francie's life and through this I see comparable to the tree that grows outside their home... the tree seems to represent Francie - strong and yet with struggles, continuing to grow.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn was published in 1943. The book sold 300,000 copies in the first six weeks after it was published. How amazing is that! I find it astonishing that I have never read this book before. This as well as most of the other greats were never required reading in our local schools.
Book Review: Readable, rambling, and reasonable - 3 1/2
Summary: 4 Stars
The thing about "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is that it is inconsistent in terms of quality. The plot is AT TIMES interesting, and other times so dull I barely even bothered to read what was on the page. The writing is in fact incredibly readable, but that is only because it lacks depth at times and is extraordinarily simplistic.
For the most part, the story of the Nolan's is interesting. Francie seems to be a character that falls into a template or a pattern - she is a reader, she is somewhat weak, and she is an intelligent child. These traits have rather become cliches in main characters, but the point is almost irrelevant here. The remainder of the Nolan family is fascinating, but more often than not, we are only given Francie, which is both disappointing and also boring at times. Things do get quite repetitive.
There's not much to be said about the writing. It's hardly the most beautiful writing I've ever encountered, nor does it have the greatest consistency or flow, but it reads simple. For readers who don't want to dive into a thick book that is also complex, this would probably be a great choice.
The best parts of this book are the little things. The "should-be-great" parts of the book are merely "okay". While the overall story is grand and impressive, at times the book and the writing simply stall, giving a few pages of words that really need not be there. Editing, perhaps, would have helped.
On the whole, this book can be recommended, though be warned that it may not suit those in search of good writing, and also that it stops at time, or rambles. It is thoroughly readable, though, and overall good.
3 1/2 stars - Recommended.
Book Review: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC...
Summary: 5 Stars
Written over sixty years ago, time has not diminished the capacity of this book to capture the reader's heart. This coming of age story that takes place in turn of the century Brooklyn will simply enthrall the reader with its descriptive passages and its richly developed characters. This book survives the passage of time without becoming anachronistic, because the themes upon which it touches are universal ones.
The story centers on the Nolan family. The central character is the daughter, Mary Frances Nolan. Known as "Francie" to all and sundry, she is an intelligent child growing up in poverty in the tenements of Brooklyn with her charming father, a singing waiter and an alcoholic, her hard-working and practical, no-nonsense mother, and her younger brother, who enjoys favored son status in his mother's heart. Surrounding the family are a host of characters that are richly drawn and serve to add to the ambiance of the story as it enfolds.
The events that transpire in the book are seen through Francie's eyes. Her family's struggle with poverty, her father's alcoholism, her mother's steely-eyed determination to keep her family afloat, and Francie's thirst for knowledge and desire for higher education all serve to make this child strong and thrive, where others might only despair. Such is Francie's strength of character. It is that strength that helps her to battle her self-doubts, her loneliness, and lack of friends, while growing up.
This is a beautifully rendered story, a true American classic that will keep the reader turning its pages.
Book Review: Why Did it Take Me So Long to Discover this Beautiful Story?
Summary: 4 Stars
I read tons of classic novels so I was surprised that it took me so long to discover this gem, which belongs on any list of classics.
Betty Smith is a masterful storyteller with a gift for exposing human nature and illuminating the most meaningful nuances of relationships.
I gave it a four-star rating only because it was a slow start for me. I pushed through based on friends' recommendations, and I was glad I did.
After I got sucked in, I couldn't put it down. The story is touching, poignant, deep, moving, and profound. It made me more appreciative of the beauty of simplicity and the joy of relationships.
To me the theme revolves around these two passages:
"'Dear God,' she prayed, 'let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere--be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.'"
"'People always think that happiness is a faraway thing,' thought Francie, 'something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains--a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone--just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness."