Lovely poetic writing but to be honest, I struggled with this as I was focused on the language and not the characters or the (somewhat limited) plot. I know I'm the odd one out but it just wasn't as engaging as I'd anticipated. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For Michaels' fans (and there are many) and fans of literary fiction.

Held
By Anne Michaels

This book jumps from time period to time period, from character to character. There are short sections – some as short as one sentence - which seem to be attempting to convey ideas about relationships and love, but I found the episodes hard to follow. In fact, at times I could not figure out exactly what the author was trying to get across.

The writing is lyrical, but it is not enough to carry a book which really has no story to speak of. I read the whole thing waiting to "get it". For me, that never happened.

This book took me forever to read, as it takes a lot of mental focus to keep up with the constant jumping around of the characters and their timeline. It felt a bit choppy, until I got use to it. The book is a run of a family from the 1917 to 2025. It starts with the mind of a wounded soldier in WWI as his thoughts run the gamut from pain, and death, and to family. Then it’s 1920 and he is home readjusting to life with his wife and becoming a photographer. Then the story jumps to different times and other people. It’s not an easy read, but the way it’s written, the scenes give you food for thought.
I received this ARC of this book from NetGalley, but giving a review is of my own volition.

There were so many meditative clips throughout this book that really made me stop and think. I highlighted the heck out of so many passages. I also thought it was a bit of a jumbled mess, which is ok, but I think it could have been handled better to make the book shine a little more.

2024 is shaping up to be my year of small but mighty reads, novels that pack a punch over the course of a lunch hour.

From the very first lines it’s clear Held is written by a poet. My breadth of literature is sorely lacking for not having experienced Anne Michaels before — each word is carefully chosen, each sentence molded just so. Much like Claire Keegan (an author I’m far more familiar with), Anne is a master of her craft.

Held opens in 1917 on the battlefields of WWI. John is a wounded soldier whose thoughts wander as death creeps ever closer. In the following chapter however, John has survived, returning home and to his photography business. From there the novel plays with time, bouncing back and forth through the decades and generations, each chapter a glimpse into the life of this family.

For all the paragraphs that made me gasp and pause, I do feel this won’t be a book for everyone. It’s extremely lit fic-y, full of symbolism and metaphors and stream of consciousness-type writing. Nonlinear chapters and a meandering plot (and I use plot very loosely here) might be a struggle for readers looking for a defined beginning, middle, and end.

I absolutely loved it though and am beyond excited to learn Anne has decades of writing — stretching back to the 80s! — for me to discover.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The prose in this book is spare and stunning. Think, All the Light We Cannot See meets The Water Dancer. A sweeping epic that spans from 1900-2025, this novel follows a family from World War One as a photographer discovers he can capture the ghosts of soldiers and family from the Front. This premise is really unique and a perfect read for the winter months ahead.

Held, by Anne Michaels, is a beautifully written series of vignettes connected by very challenging themes and sometimes characters who we see at different times and in different circumstances. The vignettes move forward and backward in time, without a whole lot of connective tissue. While it is easy to be intoxicated by the author's imagery and use of language, the themes and characters require more thought and work to sort through. This might be a book to save for a time when you can devote a few days to the reading, pondering, and sorting of ideas. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.

Held is a beautifully written novel that follows a family across generations. The novel is told through a series of snapshots and vignettes that explore themes of loss and grief. The book demands a fair amount of attention from the reader -- miss a line or two and the connections between the chapters may not be clear, but the effort is worthwhile.

Beautifully written novel that made me want to savor every line. It is an imaginative take on a multi-timeline text that is told in a very poetic way. It was atmospheric and intimate while still containing sparse and creative prose. I would recommend anyone to read this introspective and thought-provoking novel.

I found this to be a difficult read. I suspect it’s one of those books that the critics will love far more than the average reader. It’s a contemplative, cerebral story about the metaphysical and the presence of a soul, it’s also about war and how it affects the mind of those who’ve been in one or seen one, and it’s a love story about people finding their one true love. The story jumps around a lot between different times and places and with different characters. The time span goes anywhere from 1902 to 2025, and you can see how some of the characters from one story are related to characters from another, but not always. The writing style is beautiful, and I liked some of the stories a lot, overall though I found it to be too confusing and disjointed. 3.5 stars

I couldn't get into this story, as it was a little disjointed and all over the place. I just couldn't get into it.

First, this book is absolutely beautiful in both its writing and its undercurrent of despair. Second, it begins after WWI and I tend to avoid that time period for some reason? It does span many years after though. Third, it reads like a college lit assignment and I feel like I should be sitting around with others trying to discuss themes and appear intelligent. I did that with relish when I was getting my English degree over 20 years ago but do not enjoy that as much now.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Hard to get into the story as it jumps around a bit. Not enough of a draw to keep me in the disjointed narrative.

My hopes for liking this book were high, however those hopes were dashed by a very disjointed, confusing story. I thought it started out well... but then it all just fell apart for me.

The writing was beautiful... and if you don't mind a story that falls flat, then you might enjoy this peculiar novel.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this copy of Held, which will be published January 30, 2024.

Beautiful book! Took me a little while to follow what was happening. The prose is gorgeous. I feel like this is a book that you can't rush through. You need to take it chapter by chapter and really soak it in.

I feel like I can see what this book was trying to do but just didn't quite make it. Right as I began to feel I knew the characters, there was a sharp turn and suddenly we were introduced to new people. The tension between the material and spiritual was presented, but with quite a lot of skepticism on the part of many of the characters. The idea of the ghosts being shown in the photographs was both chilling and beautiful, but nothing was done with it after the one chapter where it was shown.

In the end, I'm not sure what the goal or hope for this book was. I can see a lot of beauty and potential but I can't see myself thinking of it for very long after reading because there was so little to hold onto (ironic what with the title).

I loved this book. The writing is beautiful and I enjoyed the structure. It was confusing at times, but I just kept going and was able to follow the story. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Anne Michaels.

Anne Michael’s Held is beautifully written and poetic, but there really isn’t much of a story here, and the way the author meanders through each section, dropping hints but not stating directly what is happening, makes for a confusing read. The premise of the soldier who comes home to a photography business and discovers ghosts that appear in his photographs was intriguing, but the chapters that came after lacked emotion. Overall, the fragmented narrative didn’t work for me, and despite the big philosophical questions raised about love and war, grief and life, time, and the mysteries of the universe, the book left me feeling indifferent to the characters and their very illusive stories.

Lovely and so lyrical and unique. Snippets of love stories reach into the past and the future in fascinating ways. The details are stunning. The history is fascinating and reveals much information in such a alluring manner. The connections made through the years were often moving and always fascinating. Such lush and beautiful writing. I would like to read more of this author - the writing is unforgettable.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Held by Anne Michaels.

Usually the star rating system works for me, but sometimes I wish I could just rate a book "not for me." Yes, the writing is poetic and very beautiful, but I just couldn't get into this story. I rarely knew what was going on. Even with a beautiful poetic style, I still enjoy being able to follow a story.