Karen Joy Fowler’s Booth offers a deeply intricate and poignant exploration of the Booth family, focusing on the complex dynamics surrounding John Wilkes Booth, the man infamous for assassinating Abraham Lincoln. Rather than centering solely on Booth himself, Fowler expands her narrative to include the lives of his siblings and parents, providing a rich and multifaceted view of this historically significant family.

The novel delves into the family’s theatrical legacy, highlighting the talents and trials of its members, from the famous actor Junius Brutus Booth to his children, who each navigate their own paths under the shadow of their brother’s infamous act. Fowler’s narrative weaves through the personal and political upheavals of the time, capturing the emotional and social intricacies of the Booth family.

One of the novel’s strengths is its focus on the less visible members of the family, particularly the sisters Rosalie and Asia. Their stories add depth to the narrative, illustrating how John Wilkes Booth's actions reverberated through their lives. Fowler’s portrayal of Rosalie’s struggles and Edwin’s eventual escape from his father’s shadow enriches the story, offering readers a more nuanced understanding of the Booth family’s internal conflicts and tragedies.

The book’s structure is notable for its blend of historical detail and personal storytelling. While some readers may find the pacing slow and the narrative dense, the novel’s intricate portrayal of the family’s dynamics and the historical context adds a layer of depth that rewards patient readers. The shifting perspectives and detailed historical backdrop create a vivid tapestry of 19th-century America, making the book a compelling read for those interested in historical fiction.

Fowler’s extensive research and thoughtful narrative choices make Booth a significant contribution to historical fiction. Although it may not appeal to all readers, particularly those seeking a more direct focus on John Wilkes Booth himself, it provides a profound and multifaceted look at a family intertwined with one of America’s most notorious historical figures.

Overall, Booth is a well-crafted and ambitious novel that offers a fresh perspective on a complex historical figure through the lens of his family. It’s a rewarding read for those interested in the intersections of personal and political history, and for fans of Fowler’s detailed and character-driven storytelling.

I don’t know that it’s an absolute standout novel, but I certainly enjoyed it a lot, and it makes me want to read more of her work.

Thought this was a really interesting take on a family-based narrative in this time period, with its trials and tribulations.

The title might lead the reader to think the novel focuses on John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, and it does, but only to an extent. It is a long, complex story and focuses rather on the various members of Booth's family, from his eccentric, unstable actor father, Junius Brutus Booth, to his various sisters and brothers and their perspective on the talented but mercurial John Wilkes. Like father, like son, always devoted to the controversial and the dramatic, John Wilkes is an unlikely supporter of slavery and the South in the American Civil War. (His father's Christian names might presuppose an opposition to tyranny and slavery.)

What I liked most about this novel was not the attention paid to John Wilkes, a spoilt brat if there ever was one, but to his long-suffering family, especially his sisters Rosalie and Asia, and how their brother's actions came to frame their lives.

"Booth" by Karen Joy Fowler is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel that left a lasting impression on me. Fowler's exquisite prose and attention to detail transported me to a different time and place, immersing me in the world she created.

The author paints intimate portraits of each family member which leads to solid character development. The characters are richly drawn and felt very real to me. I was totally invested in them and their stories.

I was engaged till the very end and can't wait to read more books from the author.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a long historical fiction novel and this met the brief for me, following the family through generations this book was an odyssey akin to pachinko. Unfortunately I think this was too long and too vast for even me. The pacing was slow and some of the chapters felt rambling.

This had all the potential to be a favourite of mine, historical fiction told from an obscure perspective and Booker Prize Longlist nominated I had very high hopes.

Unfortunately it just didn’t live up to expectations and I spent most of my time reading this bored. Simply put I just didn’t care about the characters who just seemed to roam from place to place not really doing much of interest.

I appreciate that the purpose of the book was not to give John Wilkes Booth more publicity but his lack of voice within the narrative just left the story lacking and I desperately needed more details, depth and connection.

I know this was a strong read for many but it just missed the mark for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange of an honest review.

Karen Joy Fowler won me over from page one of WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES - I'd follow her anywhere, even into this particular period of American history that usually does nothing for me. Deserving of every accolade, this is a must read.

An intricate, nuanced novel about the family who raised John Wilkes, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. This is both a poignant study of sibling relationships and a timely look at a deeply divided America. I found it a little ponderous and a little bit of a slow-burn, but overall enjoyed it.

Complicated.
I was unaware of this family of actors, such talent passing from Julius to his sons.
The book was not uplifting with hardship, poverty, betrayal and drunkenness its chief ingredients. The family of Julius were always awaiting his return or for him to send money home. His wife struggled to bring up the children, though she had help from a loyal couple who were also slaves. The story is told from Rosalie's point of view initially and then in turn by the remaining children. The death of four of the children is tragic and affects all of the family indifferent ways.
The plays that are featured and the acting roles of the brothers are interesting and in some cases light relief from the families turmoils. Julius's wife appears and harangues the family causing rumours and upset, as no one was aware of her existence.
Slavery is a big issue at the time, with the civil war raging and its battles, atrocities and speeches. The family are divided in their support of Lincoln. The climax is surprising and hard on the remaining family.
Although the story swept me along, there were a lot of character sand at times I was confused by the politics.
Thank you NetGalley and Karen.

Like so many other people these days I find it very hard to get to the end of a movie or TV show, especially a biographical one, without getting out my phone and googling as I watch - which bits are true, what happened next to the minor characters, did it really go down the way the movie is suggesting?
I’ve never done it with a book before, but reading Booth I had the urge. I wanted to know every single thing about this family.
James Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. In writing this book about him, Karen Joy Fowler didn’t want to centre his story and glorify the man behind the crime, so instead she zoomed out and told the story of his immediate family.
What seems so unlikely, is that his immediate family is so ripe to be the subject of an epic, 480 page novel. His father and brothers were famous actors, his sisters followed their own, very different paths, his family were Unionists and the resulting tension between the political opinions of Southern educated James Wilkes and his Northern brothers and sisters is fascinating. As is their adoration of him, regardless.
I just couldn’t get enough of this book. The perspectives, the details. The googling was really a way of extending the experience of reading it as far as I could. Luckily for me Karen Joy Fowler included her own historical catch-ups of all the characters at the end. Can’t recommend highly enough.

I stuck this out for 10% and found it utterly flat and tedious - a long recitation of births and deaths with zero emotion because we know nothing about any of the characters. Not for me - I was hoping for a story about the theatrical side of the family. Had I known it was a lengthy discussion of child death and unevocative grief I wouldn't have requested it.

I loved this book.

Funny, clever and really intriguing, I was thinking about it long after I finished reading.

Fans of the wonderful "We are Completely Beside Ourselves" may be quite disappointed. This is a very different book in both theme and writing style. I fear that the research gets in the way of the story telling but in saying this it may appeal to readers of historical non-fiction as the author has obviously put considerable amount of research into her characters' stories. I put this book down about half way through and wasn't tempted to come back to it.

I read this book expecting another engrossing story by Karen Joy Fowler. It's really well set up as a family saga, and you're quickly drawn in into the lives of the characters. I had no idea who John Wilkes Booth was until I read that book, so it's given me a new appreciation of that period of US history. However, the book was slow-paced, and reading it without knowing where it is going (if you don't know who John Wilkes Booth is!) was a bit of a chore. Not my favourite book by the author, but definitely readable and perhaps more enjoyable with a wider interest in Abraham Lincoln and historical fiction.

A wide-ranging historical novel with so many dimensions. The Booth family are complex and each character is deeply explored. Fabulous

It’s taken me a while to finish ‘Booth’ but now that I have, it feels like quite an achievement - as I’m sure it was to the writer during the process of writing.

This is a fictionalised account of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkie Booth, one of the theatrical Booth family. Much of the novel is about the family’s life in the 1800s, and their involvement in the theatre. Fowler has evidently spent a lot of time researching this novel and even though much is based on real-life, some of this is made up: completely understandable given the complexity of the story.

‘Booth’ is a good read - I didn’t love it, perhaps because reading it felt quite laborious at times, but I admire the quality of the prose and the extensive research Fowler did. It is historical fiction at its most intense.

Maybe 3 ½ stars but found this rather hard going. This should be a very extremely interesting subject but I never really got involved and found the book a bit of a slog. A lot of new information though as I did not know anything about JWB, definitely not that he came from a family of famous actors. I am sure others will find this a more enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley.

A wonderfully enjoyable historical novel about the Booth family, the American theatrical dynasty best remembered today for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, whose action has overshadowed the triumphs and failures of the rest of this talented family. In this fictional account Karen Joy Fowler has expertly woven together fact and fictional imaginings to create a convincing and compelling narrative in which each family member gets their moment in the sun. She explores the family dynamic, the sibling rivalries and loyalties, their problems and tragedies, all culminating in that fateful day in 1965. The world of American theatre is vividly portrayed, and the family's commitment to the stage is expertly evoked. All this against a backdrop of escalating national tension in the run up to the Civil War, a portrait of the country at a key moment in its history. Race, politics, slavery, the position of women – it’s an ambitious novel handled with great skill and writerly craft. Using as many primary sources as are available, Fowler keeps to the known facts and uses creative licence to convincingly fill in the gaps. Although we know how it all ends, she manages to keep the tension rising and the expected climax is still a chilling one. I found the book compelling, multi-layered and thoroughly entertaining.

One of the family members is interesting - guess which one?! - but the novel is focused on lots of other family members who aren't. It's a mix of bad historical drama and family drama that adds up to an unimpressive shrug of a novel. Didn't enjoy it at all and sleep-walked through most of it. No idea what the appeal is with this author - her previous stuff must've been worthwhile - but her latest is such forgettable crap.