Same! I was really looking forward to this one, but it was so hard to stay on track. Lots of people to remember, and the story would divert to other things for a couple of paragraphs before getting back to the point. If I have to trudge along that hard, I am giving up.

You should go back and finish it. It's worth it.

I am so sorry you could not finish it. It did have a lot of characters, but I thought each character aided in understanding the culture of the time. Listening to it may have helped me over come all the intricacies .

This was one of the best books I’ve read in the past several years. I never once thought there were too many characters. If this was too much for you, definitely stay away from Tolstoy. 😂

I liked it. I get your point, but when I struggle with dealing with too many characters, I try to keep going and hope the author reveals more to help the reader clarify things. There were lots of reasons why I loved this book though- it was set in Pottstown and Pennhurst State School and Hospital, places within ~8 miles of my current home. I’m quite familiar with Judaism so I probably struggled less with the Yiddish and other Jewish customs. But most importantly, the story was about struggling against bigotry on so many levels (religion, ethnicity, color, ability, class, gender). But I get it, I recently gave up two thirds (!!!) through 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness,' by Arundhati Roy- I enjoyed what I learned but I found that book was just too long and full of unnecessary pages. Thanks for sharing your perspective!

I did actually finish it because it was my book clubs pick but I did not enjoy one bit of the experience for very similar reasons.as you. As I was listening to it I would get so lost in the "flashback" sequences I would forget what was even going on and have to restart whole chapters until I just stopped doing that half way through and just let it play on despite my utter confusion where it was going most of the time. Alas...

I agree that it's complex and sometimes confusing. But it's a novel, not a TV show. Just go back and re-read if you have to, take notes if you have to. It pays off if you invest a little effort.

I heard this book was good so despite my initial dislike of the blurb, I was excited to read it. Sadly, so many reviews I see say the book isn’t that great. Sucks that this is a required book that I have to read :/

The end, oh my, when the threads come together. And we find out who was the main character, around whom the others played supporting roles. Enough flesh on the bone to go back and reread. And, like most great art, find depth and shining details that didn’t quite come together upon first reading. I finished last night, and consider this among my favorites. Please give it another go when you have time.

Yes, the characters did confuse me, and I have just started reading books in my 40s. I thought it was just me since I have less experience in reading fiction and non-fiction books. I believed I wasn't able to read them well until I saw your video and heard an experienced novel reviewer feeling the same way.

I think I understand the critique, but at the same time, to cut out characters would be to cut out large parts of the plot. The panoply of characters is a way of highlighting the complex social enmeshment in the town (and, by extension, in our country). I found the book masterfully written and would happily give it 6 out of 5 stars to balance our the one-star review :)

I'm about halfway through, but I am determined to finish, even though I agree wholeheartedly. Not only are there a lot of characters, but the details and laborious histories about each character and their second cousin's wife who doesn't even live in the town seem to have zero bearing on the story so far and just serve as needless obstacles for the reader. Unfortunately, I am invested in a couple characters and have a doomed curiosity to find out how their story concludes. Wish me luck!

I agree with you. I just finished this book five minutes ago and wonder why I didn’t stop halfway through. I kept thinking it would get better. It didn’t

IMO you could simply have googled "Characters Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" and printed one of several pdfs available. Yes, there were a lot of characters, but there were many ways to keep track of them....

For heaven's sake people! If you can't keep the characters straight just jot them down. The pay off is how exquisitely the author brings them all together to right wrongs This is literature.

Her review is such a funny way to say that she can't compartmentalize. Definitely a skill issue. If you have an attention span; it's a good read.

Just because it wasn't to your taste, or you didn't like it does not mean the book itself sucks. Let's be clear about that if you're going to go out of your way to bash something that most people DO enjoy.

I have not read this book yet but it is on my TBR. I came across this in my feed and decided to take a look to see what other ppl were thinking. Good to know a little background before reading.

This is your 67th book review of the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store? You’d think you’d keep track of the characters after that many reads 😂

Strongly disagree! It’s wonderful; you gave up too soon.

This review is confusing to me. I found the book interesting and not confusing at all.

This review was… disappointing.

Dear Angela, a one-star review is not appropriate just because you can’t keep up with the book. This one was beautifully written and richly descriptive of a community and a time in American history. It is indeed a difficult book but also an important one. You may deprive yourself if you wish, but I encourage you not to suggest others do the same.

I am sorry you couldn't keep up with the characters and focus. Maybe you should stick to simpler books. I enjoyed the book immensely and had no problems with keeping the characters straight. I agree with the commenter who advised you to keep away from Tolstoy. This book is great. I give your review one star!

Interesting. Did you read his memoir, The Color of Water? His Mother is white, and he is bi racial, so it sounds as if this book comes from there.