Accordion Crimes was not so much a novel as a series of loosely interconnected vignettes. And even within the vignettes it was entirely possible the point of view could slip, and you’d be suddenly looking through the eyes of a different character with just the change of a paragraph.

And really, to be frank, none of the situations or characters held the charm, wit, and detail that made The Shipping News such a delightful read.

I don’t think I’d recommend this one…

I love E. Annie Proulx’ books, but this one was kind of disappointing. As the accordion changes hands, we are told a story of the new owner. Some of these stories are brilliant, others are just downright boring and a struggle to get through. As a result, the book is wildly uneven, even though the ending is brilliant and poignant. I wish there was a median between recommendation and not recommending on this site, because I don’t want to downright say to avoid it… because when the book is on track it is wonderful.

Rating: 3*/5

I’m enjoying this, but whoa it’s kinda morbid and creepy.