Cover Image: The Travelers

The Travelers

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

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I was so looking forward to reading this based on the description – a sweeping saga charting American history from the mid 20th century to the early 2000s, told through the lives of two families. Going into this novel, it was – as other readers have commented – difficult to keep up with who’s who (the character list at the start should have given it away!) and I found it a little disjointed to follow along. It’s a story told with empathy, that touches on a wide range of themes – racism, domestic abuse, the AIDS crisis... There’s a lot that works, but structurally, more could have been done to keep the reader moving along with the narrative and get a better grasp on the interrelating characters.

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A very hard hitting read, confusing at times with many characters, but beautifully described, such prose! What a talent.

It's the sort of novel you put to one side, knowing it is going to be a weighty read. But the stories were well interwoven through the years, and the changing landscape through the years flowed cleverly.

Just don't expect it to be a light read!

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I really wanted to read this, but unfortunately the copy I've received is compromised to the point of illegibility: broken paragraph or entire pages repeated.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review; as this was an ARC, it contained the bare bones text and the photos at the start of the chapters, I believe the final edition contains family trees throughout and information on the photos.

This book takes place over several generations and shows the strings that weave a few families together as their paths continue to cross.

The book opens with a character list which spans 2 pages which sets up the scale of this novel but also is a little bit of an information overload upfront. When I started reading this book I kept a copy of the character list open beside me to keep track of all of the connections between the characters but as I got further into the book, I just relaxed into the story and didn't try to follow the connections too closely and enjoyed the moments where I saw the characters' stories overlapping.

This book is powerful whilst also feeling like a slice of life. This is not the book that I would normally pick up but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend.

Some content warnings for implied sexual assault, murder, domestic abuse (this list may not include all potential triggers).

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An exquisitely written and deeply affecting short novel which spans six decades and follows two American families as they seek to improve their situations, whilst forced to combat prejudice and hatred. It moves through a series of vignettes portmanteau style and while the characters are richly drawn, I personally found that jerked me out of the narrative somewhat. Still an excellent literary read.

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The Travelers is an exquisitely crafted novel, full of deeply rich and very real characters, all who lead different lives but all share a connection. It's interwoven stories all interact perfectly.

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Sorry but the copy I received of ‘The Travelers’ by Regina Porter is unreadable. Paragraphs are repeated.

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My thanks to Random House U.K. - Vintage Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Travelers’ by Regina Porter in exchange for an honest review. It was published in various formats in July 2019 and its paperback edition is due to be published on 16 July 2020.

While a relatively short novel this family saga tells the story of two American families, one white and one black, over six decades from the mid-1950s through to Obama’s first term and touches on the events and sweeping changes to USA society during this period.

It has a large cast of characters and I was initially pleased that it opened with a list of them. Yet it still proved difficult for me to keep track of who was who. After a conventional opening the narrative bounces about in time and even though each chapter opened with a banner indicating the years covered within, it proved confusing.

So, yes I found it a challenging read and set it aside for later. Time passed. When my local online library recently stocked its audiobook edition I borrowed it to listen alongside reading the eARC. (That’s when I discovered that my eARC had formatting issues with sentences and paragraphs occasionally repeating themselves.)

Rather than a conventional narrative ‘The Travelers’ is a series of interlinked vignettes as if browsing through a mixed up stack of family photographs with anecdotal commentary from a helpful family member. Interestingly, the print edition includes a number of stock images of people, places, and objects.

Regina Porter is a playwright and that is apparent in her use of dialogue over exposition. I recognised that the writing was very good and the social issues covered are certainly important and yet its unusual structure made it difficult to feel engaged. Still after a while I just relaxed and stopped stressing over who was who and enjoyed the glimpses of these interconnected lives.

I did like the way that certain objects and themes were interwoven through the years; such as the eighteen foot alligator and a 1967 battered copy of Tom Stoppard’s ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’. The play is referenced a number of times in the text.

It is very much a work of literary fiction and while challenging did provide much food for thought. It’s a novel that once in paperback (and when our libraries open up again) I would welcome being added to our Reading Group Collection as it provides a wide range of topics for discussion and I would also welcome a reread.

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The travellers is a great debute. It is beautifully written, in (somewhat) humoristic and detailled prose. Important themes that are touched upon in this novel show how the problems of fifty years ago still are problems now. Despite the fact that the novel sometimes feels like a big maze (all those different characters!), it is absolutely touching and impressive.

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This book has sat on my virtual to be read pile all Summer, maybe I subconsciously knew that it would be a challenging read, and this weekend I found out I was right, it was. Though, not the way I thought.

It is an epic story, a family saga spanning an iconic period in USA history. It focuses on family, racism, sexuality, sex discrimination, as well as a myriad of other politically and socially significant themes, but it explores them through two families. One black, one white, and the ways they interconnect, sometimes intimately, other times just for a moment in time. This is an intensely personal way of exploring the modern-day history of the USA. It brings it to life, recalling memories for some, and making it real for the younger generation, who didn’t live through it.

Six decades are covered and the cast of character is plentiful, but it is the way the story is written that I find challenging. It is best described as a series of short stories, each featuring members, of the two families, often at a notable historical time point. Many of the scenes are retold more than once, being seen from another point of view. Whilst, this reinforces the effect of the historic event, it does make the reader feel they are experiencing a groundhog day.

If you can accept the unusual structure, which would work seamlessly in visual media, not surprisingly, the author is a playwright. The story is enlightening, humourous, poignant and romantic, illuminated with rich historical detail. Full of vivid imagery, the reader can visualise what is happening, how it affects the participants, and the story as a whole, very easily.

So, if you enjoy historical literary fiction, and are prepared to let it absorb you without worrying about who did what, and why do you have to see it, from so many perspectives. This is a story that will sweep you away, in time and place, whilst also illuminating the political and social struggles of the USA’s citizens in an influential sixty-year period.

I received a copy of this book from Random House UK- Vintage Publishing -Jonathan Cape via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Really enjoyed it despite finding the prose a bit difficult to follow at first. Worth pushing through for a rewarding and interesting read

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The Travelers make their way across America during the 1950's to the Obama Era.

This is a novel not about setting but landscape - political, social, religious, ideological and more. 

Themes and events which made their mark on America and indeed the world are woven into the plot: the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, racism and The AIDS crisis.  The novel is infact a series of  vignettes/short stories. They tackle many enduring American issues, most notably racism.

I found the style in which it was written was very hard to read and immerse yourself in. IT was a worth novel rather than a fascinating one. Did I fully get what is was trying to say? I don't think so. But it did have a message - several infact - it just went around the houses to get to the destination. Those travelers had a long journey!

Several short stories rather than one complete,. cohesive novel. A picture overall of the changing landscape of America. I feel this is a novel I should have liked but didn't.

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My first impression was that this was going to be a challenging read and to a certain extent, it was but do stick with it. It read like a series of short stories, the same event frequently being observed by more than one character. Each individual is connected either tenuously or by a significant relationship. The narrative runs from the 1950 to the 2000s and addresses themes of family, race, class and sexuality. The writing is quite idiosyncratic but also beguiling.

This is a rather unique novel the merits of which will no doubt be hotly debated. It is clever without being ‘smart’ and perplexing in its own way. I think I would have to read it again to truly get inside all the nuances and the messages it contains. If that makes a great book, then this is one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Travelers by Regina Porter encapsulates several perspectives over several generations and the intertwining of two families.

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