Truly a masterpiece. It is easy to see why this book received all the praise that it did. Richard Powers is a true genius. Any fan of realistic fiction that is character driven would love this novel. Beautiful.

My favorite of Richard Powers’ novels (or neck and neck with The Goldbug Variations). Reading this book reoriented my relationship with plants.

4.5, rounded down.

Clearly the most ambitious and audacious of this year's Booker nominees, Powers' eco novel largely succeeds in what it wants to do, with some deft characterization; impressive, compelling prose; and harrowing set pieces. But it appears Powers, after 12 novels, has reached that point where an editor cannot tell him how to make his work better - as anyone worth their salt would have told him that three of his nine characters (the computer gamer Neelay, and the Brinkmans) are superfluous, and only tangentially connected to the main story, to the detriment of the book as a whole. Although the book reads smoothly enough, and those sections detailing the stories of these characters work fine in isolation, it causes the work to bog down at several points in the narrative, and becomes both repetitious and pedantic on numerous occasions. Jettisoning these wayward, shoehorned-in characters would have done much to right this problem.

Be that as it may, Powers work remains the most satisfying read of any of the shortlist, so I am rooting for it to take the prize in a few short hours. Frankly, I'd be happy if anything wins other than the horrendous, boring and unreadable 'Milkman'! (...so it probably WILL!)

There are some books that after you read them make you change your world view. Richard Powers has written a powerful novel that will change how you look at trees, nature and how we humans need to be awakened to the role we play in destroying forests that have existed for millennia. The book is divided into several parts. The first part, where we get the background stories on the characters was interesting and held my interest. The second part, where these characters begin to intersect with each other, was a bit long-winded and I often had a hard time remembering who the characters were from chapter to chapter. In a book this length, one could suggest that it may have been helped by some heavy pruning (pun intended), but I think Powers wants to develop the motivation of his characters much like a tree develops rings with age, slowly. There is a religious zeal to some of these people that is often attributed to environmentalists and tree-huggers, but the message is never lost as Powers walks us through the immense beauty of these forests and what we all stand to lose by ignoring the profligate exploitation of nature. In our book club, someone mentioned the Native American "Seventh Generation" philosophy which mandated that tribal decision makers consider the effects of their actions and decisions for descendants seven generations into the future. Powers is warning us that we have failed to look ahead even one generation and that the consequences for mankind and the forests we decimate may be irreparable.

Fascinating, as always with Powers. Highly recommended for discussion groups and fans of literary fiction.

The Overstory
Book Review | 📚📚📚📚📚 5/5
Richard Powers | W.W. Norton & Company

The Overstory is a must-read, dense and thrilling trove of storytelling that deeply roots the existence of trees into relationships between our own individual selves with our families – traditional and non-; communities; humanity; globalism; individuality; and life, death, and whatever that even means.

Why I was interested in this book:
Based on the book’s blurb, I was drawn to the randomness of several introspective strangers from around the country whose lives readers follow as they become examples of arboriculture, and as I suspected, would eventually somehow intertwine.

My assessment:
What a life-changer and game-changer of a book. Richard Powers is a prolific literary genius and this book becomes an epic tale of man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. machine, and even, man vs. humanity rolled into one sure-to-be classic. I read as fast as I could to get to the end, while simultaneously trying to carefully digest every word, phrase and idea Powers put forth. Somewhere early on, I decided that this was a deep examination of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree; while pumping the reader with knowledge of tree facts, philosophies and ethics; while providing an epic tale of individual character growth and global and moral struggles a la Stephen King’s The Stand. Yep, that’s just the start of how amazing this book’s stories and messages engaged me as the reader. The first half of the book read more as short stories as we truly get to know each character, their families, and their personal paradigm shifts. The rest of the book connects the dots and the characters to a not surprising, yet still shocking revelation of this grand paradox. The book leads us down scores of paths of allegory to tree history, cliché, fact and symbolism. But it’s not preachy, it’s not simple, it’s not heady. With so many cultural references I caught, I can’t imagine how many I missed.

It would be unfair to get into specific details beyond what the book blurb already discloses. Suffice to say that I usually read 500+ page books over the summer when I have a little more time. So, my work and sleep habits suffered as I devoured this book: empathically sharing in the characters’ struggles; voraciously stopping to get definitions of trees and their studies, mythology and philosophies, and other literary connections; highlighting phrases, paragraphs and words that became keys to the mystery; and taking notes so as not to forget the important messages being taught.

Stories of the human condition:
This was an incredible logging of characters, rooted in stories of the human condition. While Silverstein’s The Giving Tree was a parable between one tree and one boy, The Overstory addressed more direct and penetrating stories of the (in)human condition of how we as humans take more than can be sustained. It also branched into stories of the eco-condition as it arborized the lives of trees, nature, and our natural systems. Heavy issues conveyed in such playful, compelling and real ways. Since reading The Overstory, it’s hard not to look out the window and just stop and think about the powerful messages told through Power’s realistic, magical, creative and action-packed adventure. Next step is to go beyond thinking and start doing.

The Overstory is less about tree hugging and more about tree embracing.

Disclosure: I received this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley – I would not have likely discovered this book and been so profoundly and positively affected by it without this service.

TAGS:
#TheOverstory #review-book #book review #NetGalley #RichardPowers #TuggleGrassBlues #Tuggle Grass Reviews #TuggleGrassReviews #epic reads #5stars #*****

Everyone has heard the expression “can’t see the forest for the trees,” but few have stopped and unpacked how bleak the repercussions of that outlook might be.

We view each tree on an individual level, a resource provided by the Earth for us to consume. To our mind, no single tree makes a difference – an attitude that results in rampant overharvesting that ultimately destroys the whole. And to many minds, the forest is far more than sum of its parts.

We can’t see the forest for the trees.

That truth is a foundational underpinning of “The Overstory” (W.W. Norton & Company, $27.95), the newest novel by National Book Award-winning writer Richard Powers. A group of seemingly disparate people are each drawn in their way to nature – to trees. Their paths are very different ones, though they find ways to connect – some thoroughly, others glancingly or tangentially. They are the trees that make up this forest.

Nine people, from all walks of life. Nine people driven by a connection to the unseen world of trees. Direct, indirect, consciously or not, each of them feels that presence – a presence being threatened by the never-ending march of progress.

There’s a woman doing groundbreaking research on the communal nature of trees. A man who invents one of the world’s most popular online games. A former military pilot saved by trees and a driven engineer soothed by them. An artist inspired by his family’s tree-inspired legacy and a party girl enlightened by a near-death experience. A psychology student inspired by eco-activists and a married couple at odds over their entanglement. All of them bound together through ties both visible and invisible.

Through the novels four sections – “Roots,” “Trunk,” “Crown” and “Seeds” – we meet each of these individuals and watch as their connections grow stronger. They become conscious of the world around them in a way that few people ever are, sensing the inherent interconnectedness of the forest in ways that they articulate in different ways. Each are driven toward the same end – saving the forests from the greedy advancement of man and allowing them to live for the sake of mankind.

“The Overstory” drifts through time and space as it visits each of these people, exploring their interlocking dynamics before setting them back onto individual paths. Their passions burn brighter even as they grow more shaded and complicated. Past and present collide, and why not – on the time scale of a forest, man’s entire industrialization as a species might as well be an eyeblink.

According to Merriam-Webster, the term “overstory” can refer to two things: the layer of foliage in a forest canopy or the trees contributing to an overstory. And that’s precisely what Richard Powers has given us - an overstory in both senses of the word.

There’s no disputing the author’s prose gifts, but he may well have outdone himself with this one. The richness and complexity of the interlocking arcs and blossoming narrative … it’s just so remarkable to read. There’s an organic ease to the connectivity; none of it feels forced or contrived. It all results in a weird sort of dichotomous sense of inevitability – no individual connection or interaction feels undeniable, while the push of the overarching narrative is unstoppable in its gentle power.

Powers also demonstrates a flexibility of tone that allows for the many differences in mindsets and settings; the shifts are subtle, but it’s almost as if each character’s story is being told by a slightly different teller. Yet it fits together seamlessly, with every narrative variable slotting into place and filling a vital role in the big picture. It’s a book in constant conversation with itself – a conversation to which it would be well worth your time to listen.

This is an exceptional work from one of the greatest novelists of his generation, a book that lingers in the consciousness long after the last page is turned. The narrative interweaving is as quietly intricate as any root system, with each story both supported and supportive. It is mesmerizing to read and nigh-impossible to put down.

In short, “The Overstory” sees the forest AND the trees … and shares them both with you.

The Overstory by Richard Powers
W.W. Norton & Company: 4/3/18
eBook review copy; 512 pages
ISBN-13: 9780393635522

The Overstory by Richard Powers is a very highly recommended, masterful, epic saga about trees and our relationship to them.

"The tree is saying things, in words before words."
There are nine main characters in this story that spans over fifty years. The novel is broken down into four main sections, Roots, Trunk, Crown, and Seeds. The chapters in each section follow the main characters introduced in "Roots." The characters include Nick Hoel. Mimi Ma, Adam Appicj, Ray and Dorothy, Doug Pavlicek, Neelay Mehta, Patricia Westerford, and Olivia Vandergriff. Their individual stories are presented like short stories at the beginning, with a common theme between them. Then in "Trunk" the characters begin to meet or join forces, have epiphanies, or start their life's work. They are all summoned in different ways by trees to take a stand to save the few remaining acres of virgin forest from industrial harvesting and environmental destruction.

The writing is exquisite and meticulous in this finely detailed novel. I appreciated the introduction and development of the characters in the opening chapters, which resemble short stories. This choice to introduce all of these characters before the larger story took shape worked well for me and I was pleased to then see the characters begin to join together. The connectedness of all things is depicted in the overall theme and in the arrangement of the story. Powers includes information about individual species of trees throughout the narrative. The term "Eco Opera" is an apt description for this monumental novel.

It is an emotional novel and I did find myself tearing up or becoming incensed at several points. The time span of the story serves well when considering the growth of a tree. While the novel does not attempt to persuade any one to become an eco-terrorist or take on environmental activism, it does have some wonderful insight into how humans need to realize that everything is connected and how losing parts of the natural world, trees, could eventually lead to our own demise. The Overstory is a novel to relish and appreciate the fine writing and the message.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company.
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I love the beautiful language of this narrative, and I especially love the skillful way Richard Powers compresses time in his storytelling. I love trees, too. This is my favorite Richard Powers book in a long time. I've been reading his work since the 1980s. Thank you for sharing.

An epic story of nine individuals drawn to trees in various ways, THE OVERSTORY, by Richard Powers, weaves these lives into recent history and uses those lives to reflect upon nature (particularly trees), life's purpose and contemplates how much nature needs human existence and vice versa.
Powers begins the book by providing a very specific history of each character and once each of the nine are established and we understand how they got to where they are in their lives, Powers then launches into slowly having their worlds intertwine. The book carries on chronologically after that, bringing us forward from the late 1980's to the present, constantly visiting each person or group. Each person carries with them a unique perspective from the other eight and each of them discovers feelings and truths that molds their motives and desires as they mature. Powers does an excellent job of connecting the reader to each person and carrying the reader through each one's discovery of their own purpose. Also, by describing everyone's connection to trees, the reader becomes more educated and enlightened as to the role trees play in our ecosystem. The prose of the book is very dense and descriptive, letting the reader savor the scenes and actions as they unfold.
Vibrant settings, Passionate and vivid feelings, and emotionally charged action makes THE OVERSTORY a book to relish and will inspire people to find their purpose in their lives.

I enjoyed this more than Orfeo, but there is a greatest hits quality to Powers' most recent novels. I wonder what one of his books would be like with just one narrative. I don't think he is interested in writing that.

Three generations of an Iowa family has been taking monthly pictures of a chestnut tree in their yard for almost a century, although they can no longer remember why. The daughter of a Chinese immigrant must carry on after her father commits suicide under the crumbling mulberry in the family’s yard. A socially awkward Illinois boy grows up with the maple tree planted to commemorate his birth as his only constant companion. A Minnesota couple on their first date audition for an amateur production of Macbeth and fall in love while the oaks of Birnam Wood march to Dunsinane. Near the end of the Vietnam war, a serviceman ejects from his burning plane only to have his plunge broken—and his life saved—by the branches of a banyan tree. In California, a paraplegic computer programmer finds inspiration for his next project while staring at the exotic grove on the campus where he works. A botanist finds her way back from professional disgrace in the Oregon woods amongst the Douglas firs she loves so much.

What is the common theme connecting each of these stories? Trees, of course. But then saying that Richard Power’s earnest and impassioned novel The Overstory is about trees is like saying that Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is about deep sea fishing: it is a true statement that misses the real point. Indeed, far more than being a simple descriptive exercise about how trees function, this book is nothing short of a deeply felt plea to save one of the world’s oldest and most vital natural resources from the man-made threats they face. To be sure, this is story-telling; each of the preceding narrative threads coalesce in various ways through another involving a college girl who is electrocuted but called back to life by “beings of light” to save the ancient forests from being destroyed in the name of economic expedience. However, it is also fiction that has been written with such an overt environmental agenda that it creates a somewhat confusing sense of purpose for the reader.

Powers is a writer that I really admire, having read all of his previous novels over the years. And while I did enjoy reading The Overstory as well, I did not find it to be nearly as compelling as the best of his previous work (e.g., The Goldbug Variations, The Time of Our Singing). Without question, this book has all of his usual flourishes: intricate and intellectually engaging storylines, sympathetic and fully imagined characters who fight the good fight, brilliant use of language. This time, though, the underlying “man vs. nature” message was delivered in such a heavy-handed manner that it overwhelmed any other nuances that the multiple woven tales might have offered. Dialogues between characters, usually so realistic in the author’s work, here often seemed contrived, as if entire conversations were really just setups to deliver a memorable punch line about the power and majesty of trees. Also, I found the eco-terrorism plot that drives much of the narrative to be over-the-top and unrealistic; it may just have been the most convenient way to promote the book’s true cause. So, while I definitely learned a lot from this novel, it did not affect me quite as deeply as the author probably hoped.

Richard Powers’ latest novel is sweeping and ambitious. Nine characters are introduced in a novel that reads a bit like dark, poetic fantasy. The world, our world, feels magical but dark. The writing is intriguing, but the wide array of stories and entanglements and elaborate scene setting just didn’t flow in a way that felt coherent and progressive for me.