Winter's Bone: A Novel

I have listened to audiobooks for 10 years at about 15 books per year. I have loved many books but I have never been moved to write a review before. "Winter's Bone" is a remarkable book. It is "The Road" (whose language I loved, which I found too bleak to finish) but with a more human scope that makes the directness and frequent brutality of the story moving rather than depressing. It is written in spare but evocative language that cuts straight through to the essence of the story and its characters. The narrator is perfect for the role. This is an absolute must listen. Do not skip this book. It will stop you in your tracks.

A masterful melding of language that paints vivid, photograph-quality pictures of hardscrabble life in the Ozarks, with narration that conveys the authenticity in every word of tragedy and survival. Although far too short, this is by far among the very best of the many Audible selections I've enjoyed. I look forward to more from this author and narrator!

I saw the movie and was stunned, it really captures the rural meth reality gripping so much of our country. It's heartbreaking. The book is even better. The movie was 'everywhere america' but the book is totally Ozarks, clannish, primitive and fascinating, the characters give you a glimpse into a community that developed in isolation and defies hope. Well written, perfectly developed, wonderfully narrated.

Galviin's voice, at once childish and slightly hoarse, is the perfect one to read this story. Woodrell's descriptions are always shaded with violence and desperation, and this tale of abject poverty in the snowy mountains of Appalachia benefits from all of them. Winter's Bone brings the reader into a the kind of world where you start to understand why hundred-year feuds still exist. The protagonist, a young girl named Ree, is already hardened but not invincible. As she navigates through fights with meth addicts and ignorant backwoods you start to believe she's on the most important mission of her life.

Anyone who reads even the first page of Winter's Bone will not deny that Daniel Woodrell can write. This book centered on the milieu, and on the struggle of the main character, Ree, who is one of the toughest heroines I've ever encountered. This book is a tutorial in how to write strong women.

The violence and grittiness of the story fit the subject matter, and the resolution of the book was satisfying. The only thing that kept this book from being five stars was Woodrell's propensity for spinning Ree's internal metaphysical experiences out a little too long, and a little too often. Those moments occasionally worked, but often distanced me from Ree and made me question the veracity of her voice.

Read this book for Ree, Teardrop, and Gail. Read it for a tough heroine and a fascinating milieu that will make you look closer at the world around you. The audio version of this book is excellent, and highly recommended.

The book was a good read, the movie was pretty good...this audio book is a masterpiece!

I'm glad this book was short because it was B-L-E-A-K. It was well-written and excellently narrated. Because it was succinct, I didn't find the bleakness overpowering. If this had been a long book, I don't think I could have finished it. Definitely worth a listen.

First I saw the movie. A great movie, kept me on the edge of my seat. Talking about oscars, the oscars deserved this movie. But I didn't get everything, didn't understand why things went as they went. So I bought the audiobook. Read by Emma Galvin, it took me some time to get used to her voice, her intonations. Listened to her reading the book, in my car commuting, twice. I got enthralled by it.

The movie tie in may diminish attention to the quality of the prose in this book, which is unfortunate. It is true that some of the metaphors are a strained if not trite but I thought it was worth the missteps to have the author really entertain with the writing as well as the story. Maybe the movie royalties will allow him to take a bit more time with his next.

This was awesome. The writing is wonderful, and the story is compelling and emotional. I highly recommend listening to this, then seeing the movie, in that order.