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Like the Appearance of Horses
A novel of one family, a century of war, and the promise of homecoming from Dayton Literary Peace Prize winner and National Book Award finalist Andrew Krivak
Rooted in the small, mountain town of Dardan, Pennsylvania, where patriarch Jozef Vinich settled after surviving World War I, Like the Appearance of Horses immerses us in the intimate lives of a family whose fierce bonds have been shaped by the great conflicts of the past century.
After Bexhet Konar escapes fascist Hungary and crosses the ocean to find Jozef, the man who saved his life in 1919, he falls in love with Jozef’s daughter, Hannah, enlists in World War II, and is drawn into a personal war of revenge. Many years later, their youngest son, Samuel, is taken prisoner in Vietnam and returns home with a heroin addiction and deep physical and psychological wounds. As Samuel travels his own path toward healing, his son will graduate from Annapolis as a Marine on his way to Iraq.
In spare, breathtaking prose, Like the Appearance of Horses is the freestanding, culminating novel in Andrew Krivak’s award-winning Dardan Trilogy, which began with The Sojourn and The Signal Flame. It is a story about borders drawn within families as well as around nations, and redrawn by ethnicity, prejudice, and war. It is also a tender story of love and how it is tested by duty, loyalty, and honor.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 9, 2023
49 people are currently reading
11416 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Krivak
10 books345 followersThe grandson of Slovak immigrants, Andrew Krivak grew up in Pennsylvania, has lived in London, and has taught at Harvard, Boston College, and the College of the Holy Cross. He lives with his wife and three children in Somerville, Massachusetts and Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 31, 2023
No matter what Krivak writes, it’s hypnotic. His strength is in his prose with the narrative following. It could be the most mundane subject and I would happily drift off to lala land.
This is a multi generational story. The latest in the triology following The Sojourn and the The Signal Flame: A Novel. A father, Josef Vinich, an ‘adopted’ son, a daughter and their child. The war that disrupts their lives well after their return.
But there is no joy without sorrow. No war without borders. The war may have ended for these men at different times, but as wars do, they remain ongoing in one’s mind having witnessed and participated as a soldier. It ravages the soul and the person one becomes struggles to re identify with the person they once where. It can take years to heal -if they even do- one layer at a time.
This is dense with multi dimensional characters. The ties that bind to our birth country never straying too far from where one goes.
Themes of Mental health, PTSD, addiction.
The writing: breathtaking.
5⭐️
This is a multi generational story. The latest in the triology following The Sojourn and the The Signal Flame: A Novel. A father, Josef Vinich, an ‘adopted’ son, a daughter and their child. The war that disrupts their lives well after their return.
But there is no joy without sorrow. No war without borders. The war may have ended for these men at different times, but as wars do, they remain ongoing in one’s mind having witnessed and participated as a soldier. It ravages the soul and the person one becomes struggles to re identify with the person they once where. It can take years to heal -if they even do- one layer at a time.
This is dense with multi dimensional characters. The ties that bind to our birth country never straying too far from where one goes.
Themes of Mental health, PTSD, addiction.
The writing: breathtaking.
5⭐️
March 19, 2023
4.5 stars
This is a story of men who go to war, a multigenerational story spanning decades. It moves around in time, telling of the family first introduced in The Sojourn and The Signal Flame. Jozef Vinich is a man I was happy to meet in the first novels. This one is focused on the wars fought in by others - the Romani boy he saved years before and who is taken in by Jozef and later marries his daughter and the second is about their son. It’s heartbreaking and moving reflecting on the wars, the losses, what it does to these men, to the family they leave behind. It’s also about saving lives in one way of another, about the things that life is made of - family and friendship, belonging, of where home is, what the land they built theit home on means, of love .
If you’ve read the first two books , a lot of what happens here is already known, but here I found the more in depth intimate story of what happened to these two men . I was most glad to meet Jozef again. If for nothing else, read it for the writing. It’s the kind of writing that has me at times rereading sentences and paragraphs just to experience them again. Of course, with Andrew Krivak, in addition to the stunning prose , there is always so much more .
I received a copy of this from. Bellevue Literary Press through NetGalley.
This is a story of men who go to war, a multigenerational story spanning decades. It moves around in time, telling of the family first introduced in The Sojourn and The Signal Flame. Jozef Vinich is a man I was happy to meet in the first novels. This one is focused on the wars fought in by others - the Romani boy he saved years before and who is taken in by Jozef and later marries his daughter and the second is about their son. It’s heartbreaking and moving reflecting on the wars, the losses, what it does to these men, to the family they leave behind. It’s also about saving lives in one way of another, about the things that life is made of - family and friendship, belonging, of where home is, what the land they built theit home on means, of love .
If you’ve read the first two books , a lot of what happens here is already known, but here I found the more in depth intimate story of what happened to these two men . I was most glad to meet Jozef again. If for nothing else, read it for the writing. It’s the kind of writing that has me at times rereading sentences and paragraphs just to experience them again. Of course, with Andrew Krivak, in addition to the stunning prose , there is always so much more .
I received a copy of this from. Bellevue Literary Press through NetGalley.
February 26, 2023
This was good..
However I was hoping it would be more of a continuation of this family that just enthralled me in The Signal Flame which I absolutely loved!
The beginning of the book I thought was excellent.. focused on the members of the family, then a lot of the rest of the book involved two of the family members during World War II and then later the Vietnam War.
The writing was excellent of course, this author really is great, but I kept hoping as I was reading it that the story would take up again with the family’s story.
4 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bellevue Literary
Press for the ARC!
However I was hoping it would be more of a continuation of this family that just enthralled me in The Signal Flame which I absolutely loved!
The beginning of the book I thought was excellent.. focused on the members of the family, then a lot of the rest of the book involved two of the family members during World War II and then later the Vietnam War.
The writing was excellent of course, this author really is great, but I kept hoping as I was reading it that the story would take up again with the family’s story.
4 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bellevue Literary
Press for the ARC!
February 9, 2023
’Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses, so they run.’ - Joel 2:4
This is a story of family, the wars fought through the generations of this family, as well as the impact it has on family.
This story begins in 1933, as an eleven-year old girl is standing in front of the window watching as a boy is approaching their property, hunched over with a pack on his back, dressed in men’s clothing, but unlike the clothing the men wore in Dardan. She watches as he approaches the house and climbs the front steps, and knocks on the door. She waits, and after a time, he knocks again. And still she waits. When her mother comes from the kitchen, none too pleased to be interrupted and begins to chastise her, but Hannah whispers to her that the person outside is a stranger, but she doesn’t believe they need to be afraid of him. ’Rather (and she could not say why), he was someone she had been waiting for.’
’He had come from someplace unlike any she or her mother could imagine, and she wondered if it was the place her father had spoken of, in a story told before she fell asleep one night, about a kingdom of people dressed like this boy, a kingdom so vast, its borders of mountains and rivers could not be crossed by foot in four phases of a moon.’
Her mother goes to the door and opens it, and he looks at the mother and then the daughter, and asks the mother if Mr. Vine is home, a question he’s practiced. The mother tells him he is not home, but invites him in to wait for her husband. ’To je v poriadku’, she tells him - ‘it’s okay’, ’Si hladný?’ she asks, - are you hungry?
Not long after, Hannah’s father returns, and when he sees the man he’s traveled all this way to see, the words tumble out of his mouth in a rush, how and why he had traveled all this way to find him.
This story begins in Dardan, Pennsylvania, where Jozef, Hannah’s father, came to live after the first World War. This is also the place where Krivak’s ’The Signal Flame’ is set. The story does go back in time and place, and shares the family stories related to the wars that followed. While war is a theme throughout this story, this isn’t a story as much about war, as it is a story of how it affects the lives of those who served, as well as the lives of those waiting, praying for their safe return. Affecting each generation involved in World War I, World War II as well as Vietnam.
This is a story about family, and the impact these wars have on this family over the generations, as well as different responses to these individual wars by the families and those who wait for their return. But, it is also a story about love, loss, the impact on those who served, and the army values of honor, duty and loyalty.
Despite the topic, this is a beautifully shared story written as though Krivak has thoughtfully chosen each word, each sentence, each paragraph. He writes with a quietly atmospheric beauty, and a passion and compassion for these people whose stories he shares.
Pub Date: 09 May 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Bellevue Literary Press
May 18, 2023
“…there is an intimacy with darkness some men discover when darkness is the only thing visible.”
Themes, prose, gravitas, characters, mood, voice, borders, boundaries---I thank the literary gods for the blessing of Andrew Krivak. His trilogy starts with The Sojourn and then The Signal Flame, and finishes in this sublime and unsentimental journey of loss and acceptance, shame and redemption, fathers and sons, with a patriarch, Jozef Vinich, an American of Hungarian descent, who could be every man, or no man you know.
Extreme Hungarian factions carried out nationalist policies of hate and murder against Romanies and Jews following WW I, leading up to WW II. Brexhet (Becks) Konar, adopted by Jozef Vinich, emerges as a rogue but principled character, setting off a chain of momentous events. The call to war is passed from one generation to the next.
Over a century of armed conflict and the struggles of two primary families—an extended family of Hungarians, a courageous aunt, plus a heartening West Virginian friend with his dog, Hector. It immersed me from page one, brilliantly through to the end. Krivak doesn’t waste time with hand-holding. He trusts his readers to imagine the world he reveals, and to be patient. Some sections have dates, some do not. Some chapters are clearly defined, others show a little cleavage, but is wrapped in shadows.
How Krivak writes: He lights lamps in the darkness and personifies characters with urgent silence and inward longing. Disclosures are frequently channeled by inference. I slowed my pace and often re-read passages for the poetry of the prose and the deeper meaning beyond the page. Closing this trilogy with a potent narrative, his multiple protagonists struggle, enter wars, witness the formidable, and finally (or again) seek home. In their searches, in and out of war, borders are breached, fought over, shift. The borders are a poignant motif, a layered theme between families and nations. Sons of sons carry the weight of their heritage into combat.
Families are ripped apart and reconnected; peace of mind occurs in welcome but brief stretches in the story, a reprieve between tense and tragic events. War is base, naked, soul-crushing. We read of men lost or captured in battle, in the World Wars, Vietnam, Iraq. The women these men love are at war with the wars, torn by waiting and lean letters, left to grieve the losses their loved ones endure, endure the losses left with their men.
Like the Appearance of Horses is a masterpiece, the final and pivotal book in Andrew Krivak’s enigmatic trilogy. Darden, Pennsylvania is the multigenerational family’s central location—some are Americans, others immigrants who arrived from forbidding places.
Not all threads are tightly pulled together, don’t expect a tidy ending, but rather an inexorable one. Epic and measured in tone, no word of this trilogy is extraneous, no chapter or character is superfluous, no event is merely incidental. The narrative is told non-linearly—not by the marching of time but through character, theme, and memory.
“…he knew that while all blood, like water, flowed into ground, memory did not so easily lie down. …Memory, the thing fracted and upheld like a story within a story told in whole and in part…partook of some immortality, and lodged there within the soul like the inhabitant of a house left alone at the top of a hill…”
A huge thank you to Bellevue Literary Press for sending me an ARC for review.
Themes, prose, gravitas, characters, mood, voice, borders, boundaries---I thank the literary gods for the blessing of Andrew Krivak. His trilogy starts with The Sojourn and then The Signal Flame, and finishes in this sublime and unsentimental journey of loss and acceptance, shame and redemption, fathers and sons, with a patriarch, Jozef Vinich, an American of Hungarian descent, who could be every man, or no man you know.
Extreme Hungarian factions carried out nationalist policies of hate and murder against Romanies and Jews following WW I, leading up to WW II. Brexhet (Becks) Konar, adopted by Jozef Vinich, emerges as a rogue but principled character, setting off a chain of momentous events. The call to war is passed from one generation to the next.
Over a century of armed conflict and the struggles of two primary families—an extended family of Hungarians, a courageous aunt, plus a heartening West Virginian friend with his dog, Hector. It immersed me from page one, brilliantly through to the end. Krivak doesn’t waste time with hand-holding. He trusts his readers to imagine the world he reveals, and to be patient. Some sections have dates, some do not. Some chapters are clearly defined, others show a little cleavage, but is wrapped in shadows.
How Krivak writes: He lights lamps in the darkness and personifies characters with urgent silence and inward longing. Disclosures are frequently channeled by inference. I slowed my pace and often re-read passages for the poetry of the prose and the deeper meaning beyond the page. Closing this trilogy with a potent narrative, his multiple protagonists struggle, enter wars, witness the formidable, and finally (or again) seek home. In their searches, in and out of war, borders are breached, fought over, shift. The borders are a poignant motif, a layered theme between families and nations. Sons of sons carry the weight of their heritage into combat.
Families are ripped apart and reconnected; peace of mind occurs in welcome but brief stretches in the story, a reprieve between tense and tragic events. War is base, naked, soul-crushing. We read of men lost or captured in battle, in the World Wars, Vietnam, Iraq. The women these men love are at war with the wars, torn by waiting and lean letters, left to grieve the losses their loved ones endure, endure the losses left with their men.
Like the Appearance of Horses is a masterpiece, the final and pivotal book in Andrew Krivak’s enigmatic trilogy. Darden, Pennsylvania is the multigenerational family’s central location—some are Americans, others immigrants who arrived from forbidding places.
Not all threads are tightly pulled together, don’t expect a tidy ending, but rather an inexorable one. Epic and measured in tone, no word of this trilogy is extraneous, no chapter or character is superfluous, no event is merely incidental. The narrative is told non-linearly—not by the marching of time but through character, theme, and memory.
“…he knew that while all blood, like water, flowed into ground, memory did not so easily lie down. …Memory, the thing fracted and upheld like a story within a story told in whole and in part…partook of some immortality, and lodged there within the soul like the inhabitant of a house left alone at the top of a hill…”
A huge thank you to Bellevue Literary Press for sending me an ARC for review.
April 1, 2025
Completing the Vinich-Konar family story that began with The Sojourn and The Signal Flame, Like the Appearance of Horses sweeps up the various threads of this complicated tapestry and weaves them into a finished narrative. Interestingly, it's my least favorite of the three (least being relative here), because it moves back and forth through the entire span of this multi-generational story, covering some of the same ground from the earlier books, introducing new stories and new characters, and yet if I hadn't read the first two, I fear I would have been completely lost. This is my strong recommendation to read the first two books (which interestingly, I read out of order—that didn't matter in the slightest) before taking this on.
Because I knew these families and their histories of war—the literal, World Wars I & II, and Vietnam—as well as the battles they fight within themselves and between each other—I felt at home on that beautiful farm in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Like the Appearance of Horses rounds out the full legends of Becks's experiences in Europe after he is separated from his company in the Ardennes forest and is rescued by Roma who regard him as a Prodigal Son, and what befell his son Sam more than 20 years later while a POW in Vietnam. The narrative moves back and forth in time, breaking our hearts with endings, then taking us back to the beginning when there is still hope of a different outcome.
Epic, yes, but once again, Krivak instills an intimacy in each moment, bringing us so tightly into these characters' thoughts that we breathe with them, feel their emotional pain as they endure unimaginable hardship.
If these seem like heavy reads, well, yes, they are. But also transcendent. Krivak's prose is a revelation, at once spare and lyrical, lucid and gorgeous. Four books in (don't miss the stunning dystopian The Bear, unrelated to the Dardan Trilogy) and Andrew Krivak has become one of my favorite writers.
Because I knew these families and their histories of war—the literal, World Wars I & II, and Vietnam—as well as the battles they fight within themselves and between each other—I felt at home on that beautiful farm in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Like the Appearance of Horses rounds out the full legends of Becks's experiences in Europe after he is separated from his company in the Ardennes forest and is rescued by Roma who regard him as a Prodigal Son, and what befell his son Sam more than 20 years later while a POW in Vietnam. The narrative moves back and forth in time, breaking our hearts with endings, then taking us back to the beginning when there is still hope of a different outcome.
Epic, yes, but once again, Krivak instills an intimacy in each moment, bringing us so tightly into these characters' thoughts that we breathe with them, feel their emotional pain as they endure unimaginable hardship.
If these seem like heavy reads, well, yes, they are. But also transcendent. Krivak's prose is a revelation, at once spare and lyrical, lucid and gorgeous. Four books in (don't miss the stunning dystopian The Bear, unrelated to the Dardan Trilogy) and Andrew Krivak has become one of my favorite writers.
August 23, 2023
Adding a few thoughts I wasn't up to when I gave it the rating....
"War, what is it good for...absolutely nothing."
Powerful lyrics to an iconic song. And this story confirms it, tracking several men through multiple generations and multiple wars. I don't have to go through a war to know the carnage it creates, not only on the landscape but on the souls of those who live through it. The ones who fight, the ones they kill, the ones left behind, the ones that exist in the path of the wreckage...there is nothing untouched by its existence.
The trajectory of this story is a bit disjointed, skipping around a bit with gaps in between and moving back and forth through the events, which makes it a bit difficult to follow and keep track of who's who as it morphs. But it's not insurmountable and does eventually come together as a cohesive picture in the end. The characters are interesting and the narrative keeps one engaged. And throughout we watch the outcome of that miserable thing called war on lives, hearts, and bodies. For the squeamish, this doesn't focus on war itself or battle scenes, but on the integration of the war experience into people and their choices. It was a softer, more subtle accounting that brought you gently into the angst of the characters.
Thank you, Jen, for making me aware of this book.
"War, what is it good for...absolutely nothing."
Powerful lyrics to an iconic song. And this story confirms it, tracking several men through multiple generations and multiple wars. I don't have to go through a war to know the carnage it creates, not only on the landscape but on the souls of those who live through it. The ones who fight, the ones they kill, the ones left behind, the ones that exist in the path of the wreckage...there is nothing untouched by its existence.
The trajectory of this story is a bit disjointed, skipping around a bit with gaps in between and moving back and forth through the events, which makes it a bit difficult to follow and keep track of who's who as it morphs. But it's not insurmountable and does eventually come together as a cohesive picture in the end. The characters are interesting and the narrative keeps one engaged. And throughout we watch the outcome of that miserable thing called war on lives, hearts, and bodies. For the squeamish, this doesn't focus on war itself or battle scenes, but on the integration of the war experience into people and their choices. It was a softer, more subtle accounting that brought you gently into the angst of the characters.
Thank you, Jen, for making me aware of this book.
May 8, 2023
“The way a story ends, Bohumir, has everything to do with the way it begins.”
Those words are spoken later in this book to Bohumir, son of Bexhet Konar, who escapes fascist Hungary and makes his way across the ocean to find Jozef, the man who saved his life when he was young. But it is also an apt summary for the author’s trilogy, which began with The Signal Flame, continued to The Sojourn, and ends up here, with the third and final novel.
For those who have read the first two novels, it is comforting to relax into Andrew Krivak’s splendid, finely crafted prose. His writing is so evocative that it’s easy to envision every scene he so masterfully creates. For the sheer joy of the written word, Mr. Krivak is a writer who deserves a wide readership.
It is, in every sense of the word, a continuation, as we see the effects of these endless wars on Bexhet, who enlists in World War II, and later, one of his sons Samuel, who is imprisoned – both physically and psychologically – in Vietnam, and later, his own son Burne, an Annapolis graduate called to Iraq. Each is tested by his own demons and each draws his own battlefields. And in a tradition that dates back to Odysseus, each soldier must navigate his own complicated homecoming.
And so, what is this final novel about? It’s about the integration between nobility and cowardness, which, as it turns out, isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sometimes, the world (or your own prescribed world) might see your actions one way when in fact, the opposite is true. There is usually a fine line between guilt and justification, truth and mythology, conflicts and healing, love and what passes for love. But one thing that remains constant during all these times is the need for forgiveness and redemption.
The title itself is taken from the prophet Joel, who compares a plague of locusts that come to devour the land to war horses, and it promises a return to what was lost. And as it is written, shall the promise be kept. We all read for different reasons and for me, the novel shines when it the family members are front and center. One scene surrounding Sam’s own homecoming left me gasping for air. The war episodes are brilliantly portrayed, but maybe I have lived a little too long to read about this universal senselessness that robs young men (and women) of their lives and peace of mind.
Having made this subjective statement, I believe Like the Appearance of Horses – which can be read as a standalone or more fulfilling, as the capstone of a powerful trilogy – is a book that should not be passed up. I owe a big thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for its graciousness in allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.
Those words are spoken later in this book to Bohumir, son of Bexhet Konar, who escapes fascist Hungary and makes his way across the ocean to find Jozef, the man who saved his life when he was young. But it is also an apt summary for the author’s trilogy, which began with The Signal Flame, continued to The Sojourn, and ends up here, with the third and final novel.
For those who have read the first two novels, it is comforting to relax into Andrew Krivak’s splendid, finely crafted prose. His writing is so evocative that it’s easy to envision every scene he so masterfully creates. For the sheer joy of the written word, Mr. Krivak is a writer who deserves a wide readership.
It is, in every sense of the word, a continuation, as we see the effects of these endless wars on Bexhet, who enlists in World War II, and later, one of his sons Samuel, who is imprisoned – both physically and psychologically – in Vietnam, and later, his own son Burne, an Annapolis graduate called to Iraq. Each is tested by his own demons and each draws his own battlefields. And in a tradition that dates back to Odysseus, each soldier must navigate his own complicated homecoming.
And so, what is this final novel about? It’s about the integration between nobility and cowardness, which, as it turns out, isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sometimes, the world (or your own prescribed world) might see your actions one way when in fact, the opposite is true. There is usually a fine line between guilt and justification, truth and mythology, conflicts and healing, love and what passes for love. But one thing that remains constant during all these times is the need for forgiveness and redemption.
The title itself is taken from the prophet Joel, who compares a plague of locusts that come to devour the land to war horses, and it promises a return to what was lost. And as it is written, shall the promise be kept. We all read for different reasons and for me, the novel shines when it the family members are front and center. One scene surrounding Sam’s own homecoming left me gasping for air. The war episodes are brilliantly portrayed, but maybe I have lived a little too long to read about this universal senselessness that robs young men (and women) of their lives and peace of mind.
Having made this subjective statement, I believe Like the Appearance of Horses – which can be read as a standalone or more fulfilling, as the capstone of a powerful trilogy – is a book that should not be passed up. I owe a big thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for its graciousness in allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2023
This latest (and last in the trilogy) novel of the Vinich/Konar family once again has overwhelmed me with the beauty of both the writing and the storytelling. The reader sees the older generations move through their adult lives and also sees the younger generations grow and face their own lives and wars (primarily Vietnam). We learn more of the past of some of the main characters in the previous novels (some gaps are filled in beautifully) and we learn more of some previously minor characters, such as the aunt and her activities behind the Iron Curtain. I am not beginning to do this novel the justice it deserves. It is a novel of war – being in war, reacting to war and coming home from war. It is a novel of search for roots and revenge (a big well done item!). It is a novel of family – for all a family’s strengths and weaknesses and its love and tensions. It is a novel of the land on which the family lives. It is a novel that contains some of the most beautiful, eloquent and moving writing I have ever read.
May 29, 2024
At last, done with this trilogy. I picked these up because I read The Bear which had supernatural elements and focused on how a young girl survived in the wild by herself. I especially liked the natural setting of the book, and assumed these would have similar themes. While all three did explore isolation and existing with their land/the wilderness, these themes were most pronounced in war settings (first book: WW1 and third: WW2 and Vietnam). Since I am not interested in war-related books, I found the combat-related sections dragged due to both the content and the author's disaffected writing style.
Since the second book was set state-side and described the goings-on of a family as they grappled with their feelings about Samuel, who was missing in Vietnam, I wondered if this book would focus on his story. Samuel's war story was in here, but only as a small section. Instead, the book jumped around in perspective and time, both filling in the gaps between the first and second book and jumping ahead to provide closure for characters. Since the second book skipped over Hannah's childhood through Beck's WWII and reintegration story there was a lot of focus there, but it also described Samuel's reintegration into civilian life, Ruth's perspective when Samuel came home, G's war story, Paul Younger's feelings..truly, everyone seemed to have their say, and the three books together create an extremely thorough chronology.
I liked hearing Hannah's perspective as a child and about her interactions with Becks, since the author skipped her story going from book 1 to 2. Samuel's section also interested me since the perspective shifted from third to first person and the writing became more urgent and engaging. This was near the end and I hoped it would be that way for the rest of the book, but alas, it went back to third person and there was another war section. I did love how it ended though -- Hannah's last thoughts as she passed away having lived a life full of her children and grandchildren.
To me, these books were well-written but slow. I liked the themes of the second one best (what is it like to wait for someone to come home from war when you don't even know if they're alive?) and reading about the family's relationships with their land and the wilderness. I did not care for the many war stories, and am not sure if I would have picked it up had I known it would focus on war as much as it did. After finishing I did find reading the trilogy to be rewarding, and would recommend these to someone looking for something literary who enjoyed war books and/or family sagas.
Since the second book was set state-side and described the goings-on of a family as they grappled with their feelings about Samuel, who was missing in Vietnam, I wondered if this book would focus on his story. Samuel's war story was in here, but only as a small section. Instead, the book jumped around in perspective and time, both filling in the gaps between the first and second book and jumping ahead to provide closure for characters. Since the second book skipped over Hannah's childhood through Beck's WWII and reintegration story there was a lot of focus there, but it also described Samuel's reintegration into civilian life, Ruth's perspective when Samuel came home, G's war story, Paul Younger's feelings..truly, everyone seemed to have their say, and the three books together create an extremely thorough chronology.
I liked hearing Hannah's perspective as a child and about her interactions with Becks, since the author skipped her story going from book 1 to 2. Samuel's section also interested me since the perspective shifted from third to first person and the writing became more urgent and engaging. This was near the end and I hoped it would be that way for the rest of the book, but alas, it went back to third person and there was another war section. I did love how it ended though -- Hannah's last thoughts as she passed away having lived a life full of her children and grandchildren.
To me, these books were well-written but slow. I liked the themes of the second one best (what is it like to wait for someone to come home from war when you don't even know if they're alive?) and reading about the family's relationships with their land and the wilderness. I did not care for the many war stories, and am not sure if I would have picked it up had I known it would focus on war as much as it did. After finishing I did find reading the trilogy to be rewarding, and would recommend these to someone looking for something literary who enjoyed war books and/or family sagas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2023
First it must be said that Andrew Krivak is a brilliant writer; his prose is utterly beautiful. His descriptions, characters, and plot, carry me away, willingly, to another time and place and I am immersed yet again in the lives of the Vinich and Younger families in not only the small town of Dardan, Pennsylvania, but also the world at war for the past century.
“Like the Appearance of Horses”, is the third in a trilogy about the Vinich family. You do not have to have read “The Sojourn” or “The Signal Flame” to enjoy this novel, but you will WANT to. This novel fills in details of the Jozef Vinich’s titular soujourn from Austria-Hungary to America, and the evolution of the family he will build in Dardan.
Many might characterize these novels as “war stories” since, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War touches this family in profound ways. And yes, it’s that, but so much more, because the effects of war are never confined to the battlefield, the hospitals, or the prisoner camps, but are also felt at home in the hearts and mental health of everyone concerned.
I very recently read “The Signal Flame” and so it was much on my mind; I had loved it and it felt totally flushed out to me. But I didn’t realize until reading “Like the Appearance of Horses” how much MORE there was for Krivak to reveal! It’s like a BONUS I wasn’t expecting but was delighted with!
I’m going to explore some of Krivak’s interviews about these novels to see if he had all three plotted/outlined in his head or on paper when he began. I suspect he did, and then wonderfully sewed this patchwork quilt of a novel together.
So if you love great writing, historical fiction, unforgettable characters, and a perfectly plotted story with some suspense and some surprises – this trilogy is for you, no matter where you start it!
(Have tissues on hand.)
Many thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for an ARC of this masterpiece.
“Like the Appearance of Horses”, is the third in a trilogy about the Vinich family. You do not have to have read “The Sojourn” or “The Signal Flame” to enjoy this novel, but you will WANT to. This novel fills in details of the Jozef Vinich’s titular soujourn from Austria-Hungary to America, and the evolution of the family he will build in Dardan.
Many might characterize these novels as “war stories” since, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War touches this family in profound ways. And yes, it’s that, but so much more, because the effects of war are never confined to the battlefield, the hospitals, or the prisoner camps, but are also felt at home in the hearts and mental health of everyone concerned.
I very recently read “The Signal Flame” and so it was much on my mind; I had loved it and it felt totally flushed out to me. But I didn’t realize until reading “Like the Appearance of Horses” how much MORE there was for Krivak to reveal! It’s like a BONUS I wasn’t expecting but was delighted with!
I’m going to explore some of Krivak’s interviews about these novels to see if he had all three plotted/outlined in his head or on paper when he began. I suspect he did, and then wonderfully sewed this patchwork quilt of a novel together.
So if you love great writing, historical fiction, unforgettable characters, and a perfectly plotted story with some suspense and some surprises – this trilogy is for you, no matter where you start it!
(Have tissues on hand.)
Many thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for an ARC of this masterpiece.
June 6, 2023
My dad is 76. He didn't go to college, though he should have. He worked six days a week for over 40 years as an exterior carpenter, putting up siding and soffit and fascia and, later, installing windows and doors. 95% of his working hours were spent outside doing physical labor that had elements of geometry, woodworking, and artistry. He would come home dirty and tired and he would drive me to baseball practice or go pull the chains at my brother's football games. He was a working-class guy who had the brains to be an engineer or a nurse.
Depictions of guys like my dad are few and far between. When they show up in pop culture or in literature, they're often bullies or down-on-their-luck dreamers. Or both.
More importantly: They don't read books like Krivak's. And that's why this book, this trilogy of books, is so damned important and vital. Here's three novels that take working-class Americans seriously, books that map their histories and geographies. Books that detour through wars and diaspora and really examine a group of people who have no need for academic learning and the kind of big business that has killed working people for generations, but who spend their entire lives learning and doing the hand-to-hand selling that makes up the "small businesses" that I knew when I was a kid.
And so I recommended all three books to my dad. And he read each of them, two of them in one sitting on his patio or in his reading chair. My dad, with no college literature courses but a lifetime of observations about life, which is what literature is, really, in the end: Just a series of observations about life from an infinite number of voices.
In the end, though, I want Krivak to be at the top of the list of voices. What a magnificent book, and what a gift.
Depictions of guys like my dad are few and far between. When they show up in pop culture or in literature, they're often bullies or down-on-their-luck dreamers. Or both.
More importantly: They don't read books like Krivak's. And that's why this book, this trilogy of books, is so damned important and vital. Here's three novels that take working-class Americans seriously, books that map their histories and geographies. Books that detour through wars and diaspora and really examine a group of people who have no need for academic learning and the kind of big business that has killed working people for generations, but who spend their entire lives learning and doing the hand-to-hand selling that makes up the "small businesses" that I knew when I was a kid.
And so I recommended all three books to my dad. And he read each of them, two of them in one sitting on his patio or in his reading chair. My dad, with no college literature courses but a lifetime of observations about life, which is what literature is, really, in the end: Just a series of observations about life from an infinite number of voices.
In the end, though, I want Krivak to be at the top of the list of voices. What a magnificent book, and what a gift.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. If you’ve read either (or both) of the other two books in the trilogy, you’ll want to read this one just to get closure…and Krivak’s prose once again is mostly exceptional. I don’t think this novel matches the brilliance and narrative perfection of The Signal Flame, and it’s a bit below The Sojourn as well in my estimation. There are some peculiar actions by some of the characters that seem, well, out of character based on the previous novels. And the two central stories both veer into mystical territory at times…and just get hard to believe (so many improbable circumstances and coincidences). But I was glad to see some loose ends tied up, and Krivak’s writing very rarely disappoints.
May 21, 2023
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
May 21, 2024
It was written in a very poetic almost philosophical fashion. The generational threads for each character were interesting and thought provoking. I appreciated the way each son had to find his own way and battled with his past or what he went thru.
The writing style was a little difficult to follow - both with the ambiguity at times and how the timeline and characters kept weaving in and out and overlapping.
Possibly if I’d read the others in the series this would make more sense but each chapter and focus shift it would take me awhile to figure out what we were talking about or whom.
It was a good book but not my favorite style of narrative.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
The writing style was a little difficult to follow - both with the ambiguity at times and how the timeline and characters kept weaving in and out and overlapping.
Possibly if I’d read the others in the series this would make more sense but each chapter and focus shift it would take me awhile to figure out what we were talking about or whom.
It was a good book but not my favorite style of narrative.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
March 25, 2023
She only knows that he did things he would not speak of, and it took time for him to forgive himself, just as his father had, and her father had. Just as she had. Needed the time to forgive.
from Like the Appearance of Horses by Andrew Krivak
Three generations. Three wars. Andrew Krivak’s Dardan novels combine gorgeous descriptions of the mountains and woods with grim narratives of war. Each generation bears the psychic scars of war.
The trilogy begins with The Sojourn, a National Book Award Finalist. This powerful novel tells the story of Josef Vinich, born in America to a Hungarian father. After the tragic loss of his mother his father takes him to his homeland in the Carpathian mountains where they lead an idyllic life sheep herding. Josef was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army as a sniper. When captured, he is spared when he pleads for his life in English. At war’s end, he saves the life of a pregnant Roma girl who dies giving birth; he returns the child to his people. After his ‘sojourn’ abroad, Josef returns to America.
The second novel is The Signal Fire. In 1933, the baby Josef had saved, Bexhet Konar, arrives at Josef’s door in Dardan. The Roma people were targets for racial cleansing and Becks’ grandfather sent him to the man who had saved his life as a newborn. Becks becomes a son to Josef, whose daughter Hannah falls in love with him. They married and had two sons, Bo and Samuel.
When the United States entered WWII, Becks volunteered. After he became separated from the army, he was found by Roma who consider him a legend, and who take him on an arduous trek across the winter landscape to find his grandfather. Beck was imprisoned for desertion, and at war’s end, returns to Dardan a changed man. His life too soon ended in a tragic accident.
After Josef’s death, Bo runs the lumber mill. Sam is missing in action in Viet Nam, leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Younger. It is 1972, and a devastating flood destroys much of the town and causes a series of accidents which change Ruth’s life. It is a powerful scene. This gorgeous book is a story of grace and healing after deep loss.
The Appearance of Horses is Sam’s story, set within the generational history, taking us to Viet Nam and his return, and on his journey from despair to healing. Sam learns his father’s war story, and how in war, every man is altered and in need of forgiveness.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses, so they run.
Joel 2:4
Krivak has drawn his title from Joel, a Post-Exilic prophetic book in the Old Testament. The book is a call to repentance and a return to Yahweh, with a promise of peace and prosperity after a time of war and pestilence. Joel promises restoration of what was lost when attacked by the enemy with their war horses.
Samuel was considered a lucky charm by his comrades before he was captured by the NVA and undergoing alternating torture and kindliness. He escapes and returns home to discover Ruth ready to marry his brother and his grandfather deceased. His loss is total. He spirals down until all he has left is suicidal ideation. Then, his luck returns. He is found, he is reclaimed, he finds family, purpose, and love. He finds a new home in new mountains. What was lost was restored.
And that is the promise of these stories. The wars of nations take away. We are winnowed and threshed, and the chaff is beaten off, but the promise remains of new life.
Krivak touches on so much history I didn’t know, especially about the Roma people. Josef’s conscription into the Allied army in WWI sets him as an enemy to the country of his birth, while the foreign-born Becks joins the US army to avenge the Nazi massacre of his people. National boundaries break down to more powerful familial and ethnic attachment.
There is family we inherit, and the family we choose. Josef accepted Becks as a son. When Sam finally returns from Viet Nam, he no longer feels at home. In the end, he finds a new family attachment. When Ruth Younger loses everything, she is invited into Sam’s family.
The novel begins when Josef’s daughter Hannah first sees Bexhet Konar trudge up the road to their house. From the beginning, she is drawn to him. It is Hannah who must forgive the Younger family and offer Ruth a home after she loses everything in the flood, including Sam’s baby. And it is Hannah who ends the novel, in old age remembering these men, down to Bo and Ruth’s son now at another war. “Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?” she thinks.
The Dardan trilogy covers a century of war and its affect on generations of one family. It is a marvelous achievement.
I received an ARC from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
from Like the Appearance of Horses by Andrew Krivak
Three generations. Three wars. Andrew Krivak’s Dardan novels combine gorgeous descriptions of the mountains and woods with grim narratives of war. Each generation bears the psychic scars of war.
The trilogy begins with The Sojourn, a National Book Award Finalist. This powerful novel tells the story of Josef Vinich, born in America to a Hungarian father. After the tragic loss of his mother his father takes him to his homeland in the Carpathian mountains where they lead an idyllic life sheep herding. Josef was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army as a sniper. When captured, he is spared when he pleads for his life in English. At war’s end, he saves the life of a pregnant Roma girl who dies giving birth; he returns the child to his people. After his ‘sojourn’ abroad, Josef returns to America.
The second novel is The Signal Fire. In 1933, the baby Josef had saved, Bexhet Konar, arrives at Josef’s door in Dardan. The Roma people were targets for racial cleansing and Becks’ grandfather sent him to the man who had saved his life as a newborn. Becks becomes a son to Josef, whose daughter Hannah falls in love with him. They married and had two sons, Bo and Samuel.
When the United States entered WWII, Becks volunteered. After he became separated from the army, he was found by Roma who consider him a legend, and who take him on an arduous trek across the winter landscape to find his grandfather. Beck was imprisoned for desertion, and at war’s end, returns to Dardan a changed man. His life too soon ended in a tragic accident.
After Josef’s death, Bo runs the lumber mill. Sam is missing in action in Viet Nam, leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Younger. It is 1972, and a devastating flood destroys much of the town and causes a series of accidents which change Ruth’s life. It is a powerful scene. This gorgeous book is a story of grace and healing after deep loss.
The Appearance of Horses is Sam’s story, set within the generational history, taking us to Viet Nam and his return, and on his journey from despair to healing. Sam learns his father’s war story, and how in war, every man is altered and in need of forgiveness.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses, so they run.
Joel 2:4
Krivak has drawn his title from Joel, a Post-Exilic prophetic book in the Old Testament. The book is a call to repentance and a return to Yahweh, with a promise of peace and prosperity after a time of war and pestilence. Joel promises restoration of what was lost when attacked by the enemy with their war horses.
Samuel was considered a lucky charm by his comrades before he was captured by the NVA and undergoing alternating torture and kindliness. He escapes and returns home to discover Ruth ready to marry his brother and his grandfather deceased. His loss is total. He spirals down until all he has left is suicidal ideation. Then, his luck returns. He is found, he is reclaimed, he finds family, purpose, and love. He finds a new home in new mountains. What was lost was restored.
And that is the promise of these stories. The wars of nations take away. We are winnowed and threshed, and the chaff is beaten off, but the promise remains of new life.
Krivak touches on so much history I didn’t know, especially about the Roma people. Josef’s conscription into the Allied army in WWI sets him as an enemy to the country of his birth, while the foreign-born Becks joins the US army to avenge the Nazi massacre of his people. National boundaries break down to more powerful familial and ethnic attachment.
There is family we inherit, and the family we choose. Josef accepted Becks as a son. When Sam finally returns from Viet Nam, he no longer feels at home. In the end, he finds a new family attachment. When Ruth Younger loses everything, she is invited into Sam’s family.
The novel begins when Josef’s daughter Hannah first sees Bexhet Konar trudge up the road to their house. From the beginning, she is drawn to him. It is Hannah who must forgive the Younger family and offer Ruth a home after she loses everything in the flood, including Sam’s baby. And it is Hannah who ends the novel, in old age remembering these men, down to Bo and Ruth’s son now at another war. “Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?” she thinks.
The Dardan trilogy covers a century of war and its affect on generations of one family. It is a marvelous achievement.
I received an ARC from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
May 8, 2023
This is the third of the Dardan Trilogy. The first book, The Sojourn, tells the story of the formative years of Jozef Vinich; the second, The Signal Flame, begins in 1972 after Jozef’s death and focuses on his widowed daughter Hannah and her son Bo. This installment returns to 1933 while Jozef is still alive.
Bexhet Konar arrives in Dardan, Pennsylvania, looking for Jozef, the man who saved his life at the end of World War I. Jozef welcomes Bexhet (Becks) into his family; eventually he marries Hannah and they have two sons, Bo and Samuel. The second part of the novel is about Samuel who has served two tours of duty in Vietnam where he becomes a prisoner of war.
The unifying theme of the trilogy is the effects of war on those who serve and those who are left behind. Jozef fought in World War II, Becks serves in World War II, Samuel serves two tours in Vietnam, and Jozef’s great-grandson Burne is mentioned as being in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Men return from battle changed people, unable to reconnect with their families – if they return at all. The family members left behind worry and grieve. There is heartbreak for everyone. And there seems no end to war: the last chapter is from Hannah’s perspective and she thinks, “Yes. There is a war there. Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?”
There are some sections which are problematic. Becks’ wartime experiences, especially his trek from France to Hungary, are described in too much detail. Then his arrival at the kampania site stretches credulity; not only does he manage to find it, but the timing seems contrived. The episode involving Sam and Kira is strange. She takes him to a place that “is not a good place, but it is the only place I know”? Mystical elements seldom appeal to me, and the ones in this novel don’t. Certainly, the mythology that the Romani create around Becks also seems incredible. Sam’s meeting with Doc Moore is so coincidental as to be “astounding.”
The style is similar to that found in the previous two books. The author has several very long sentences whose meaning is sometimes lost in verbosity. 100+-word sentences are not unusual. Though grammatically correct, these convoluted sentences require the reader to stop and re-read. Readers must also be prepared for some challenging vocabulary like fossorial and obliquity.
This is not my favourite of the trilogy, but now that it is complete, it might be interesting to re-read all three books in order.
See my review of The Sojourn at https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/... and my review of The Signal Flame at https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/....
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Bexhet Konar arrives in Dardan, Pennsylvania, looking for Jozef, the man who saved his life at the end of World War I. Jozef welcomes Bexhet (Becks) into his family; eventually he marries Hannah and they have two sons, Bo and Samuel. The second part of the novel is about Samuel who has served two tours of duty in Vietnam where he becomes a prisoner of war.
The unifying theme of the trilogy is the effects of war on those who serve and those who are left behind. Jozef fought in World War II, Becks serves in World War II, Samuel serves two tours in Vietnam, and Jozef’s great-grandson Burne is mentioned as being in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Men return from battle changed people, unable to reconnect with their families – if they return at all. The family members left behind worry and grieve. There is heartbreak for everyone. And there seems no end to war: the last chapter is from Hannah’s perspective and she thinks, “Yes. There is a war there. Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?”
There are some sections which are problematic. Becks’ wartime experiences, especially his trek from France to Hungary, are described in too much detail. Then his arrival at the kampania site stretches credulity; not only does he manage to find it, but the timing seems contrived. The episode involving Sam and Kira is strange. She takes him to a place that “is not a good place, but it is the only place I know”? Mystical elements seldom appeal to me, and the ones in this novel don’t. Certainly, the mythology that the Romani create around Becks also seems incredible. Sam’s meeting with Doc Moore is so coincidental as to be “astounding.”
The style is similar to that found in the previous two books. The author has several very long sentences whose meaning is sometimes lost in verbosity. 100+-word sentences are not unusual. Though grammatically correct, these convoluted sentences require the reader to stop and re-read. Readers must also be prepared for some challenging vocabulary like fossorial and obliquity.
This is not my favourite of the trilogy, but now that it is complete, it might be interesting to re-read all three books in order.
See my review of The Sojourn at https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/... and my review of The Signal Flame at https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/....
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
May 18, 2023
LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF HORSES is the third book in a trilogy. But I cannot compare it to Andrew Krivak's other books because this is the first of his I've read. I had no problem reading it as a standalone, though.
The first main character, as I think of him, is Jozef Vinich. We learn about his serving in World War I and are told about his life. But I know from reading other reviews that Jozef first appeared in an earlier book.
A few years after Jozef is back in the US after World War I, Bexhet appears at his door. He is only 15 years old and has traveled from Hungary in search of Jozef. Apparently, he was with Bexhet's mother when she gave birth to him and died. Jozef brought the newborn Bexhet to his grandfather, a gypsy. Bexhet's father is unknown. When Bexhet's grandfather saw that trouble was coming to Europe, he sent Bexhet away. So Jozef takes him in and loves him as a son.
Becks (as they call Bexhet) ends up marrying Jozef's daughter, Hannah. I think of him as the second main character. He is in World War II and serves more than honorably but is jailed as a deserter. We learn how that came about. After 2 years, he is released and goes home. He and Hannah have two sons.
Samuel, the second son, is the third main character, as I think of him. He joins the Marines and is sent to Vietnam where he eventually becomes a POW. Much changes with his family back home. They assume after a year that he is dead. But when he comes home and sees all the changes, he doesn't handle them well. He ends up leaving and, after traveling (accidentally) west, going to see a fellow Marine in West Virginia.
I'm surprised that I wasn't already familiar with Krivak. He really is quite good. So I would have said this is a five-star book but for some problems I had with it.
This is a character-driven story presented in a unique way. He starts with the end of each story, then goes back to tell the story from the beginning and fill in your questions. Sounds like something you won't like, I know, but it somehow works. It might drive you crazy until you understand this presentation style, though.
Krivak is inconsiderate to his readers in some ways.
*Many of his sentences are so long it is difficult to remember the subject and to find the predicate. Those sentences lose their meaning until you re-read them.
*He does not use quotation marks, which were invented to aid readability.
*Some sections are way too detailed and risk losing the reader.
But Krivak is considerate to his readers in other ways. He did something that can aid you considerably and that keeps LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF HORSES from becoming just a three-star book. He provides a list of characters, along with who each is, at the end of the story (or stories as I think of them). I wish all authors would do this.
Read this book in spite of its problems. You should be glad you did. I am.
I won this book from the publisher through librarything.com.
The first main character, as I think of him, is Jozef Vinich. We learn about his serving in World War I and are told about his life. But I know from reading other reviews that Jozef first appeared in an earlier book.
A few years after Jozef is back in the US after World War I, Bexhet appears at his door. He is only 15 years old and has traveled from Hungary in search of Jozef. Apparently, he was with Bexhet's mother when she gave birth to him and died. Jozef brought the newborn Bexhet to his grandfather, a gypsy. Bexhet's father is unknown. When Bexhet's grandfather saw that trouble was coming to Europe, he sent Bexhet away. So Jozef takes him in and loves him as a son.
Becks (as they call Bexhet) ends up marrying Jozef's daughter, Hannah. I think of him as the second main character. He is in World War II and serves more than honorably but is jailed as a deserter. We learn how that came about. After 2 years, he is released and goes home. He and Hannah have two sons.
Samuel, the second son, is the third main character, as I think of him. He joins the Marines and is sent to Vietnam where he eventually becomes a POW. Much changes with his family back home. They assume after a year that he is dead. But when he comes home and sees all the changes, he doesn't handle them well. He ends up leaving and, after traveling (accidentally) west, going to see a fellow Marine in West Virginia.
I'm surprised that I wasn't already familiar with Krivak. He really is quite good. So I would have said this is a five-star book but for some problems I had with it.
This is a character-driven story presented in a unique way. He starts with the end of each story, then goes back to tell the story from the beginning and fill in your questions. Sounds like something you won't like, I know, but it somehow works. It might drive you crazy until you understand this presentation style, though.
Krivak is inconsiderate to his readers in some ways.
*Many of his sentences are so long it is difficult to remember the subject and to find the predicate. Those sentences lose their meaning until you re-read them.
*He does not use quotation marks, which were invented to aid readability.
*Some sections are way too detailed and risk losing the reader.
But Krivak is considerate to his readers in other ways. He did something that can aid you considerably and that keeps LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF HORSES from becoming just a three-star book. He provides a list of characters, along with who each is, at the end of the story (or stories as I think of them). I wish all authors would do this.
Read this book in spite of its problems. You should be glad you did. I am.
I won this book from the publisher through librarything.com.
July 19, 2023
This novel completes—and adds a great deal of depth to—Andrew Krivak’s stunning and award-winning Dardan Trilogy. Covering the life of Jozef Vinich and his two grandsons, Bo and Sam Konar, these three books—The Sojourn (2011), The Signal Flame (2017), and Like the Appearance of Horses (2023)—state their themes with frankness and power, cover their very memorable characters with charity and clarity both, and exhibit a rare, an ineffable, art, worth every moment you would devote to them. Andrew Krivak deserves the awards which have greeted his marvelous writing.
Like the Appearance of Horses takes its title from the second chapter of the Book of Joel, in a passage describing the unstoppable rush of an army that lays waste to the land. This quote enunciates the principal theme of the three books supremely well. War unites this family in heroism, devastating loss, and in tempering the character of all whom it touches.
This novel belongs chiefly to Sam Konar, Jozef Vinich’s second grandson, who, after a series of misadventures (chiefly, engaging in one too many drag races in his hemi head hot rod) is directed by the authorities that his only alternative is to enlist (in the mid-60s) in the Armed Forces.
What follows fills much of the book. Sam does two tours in Vietnam from ‘66 to ’72, near the end of which he is captured and winds up in the notorious North Vietnamese prison dubbed the Hanoi Hilton. There he is forcibly turned into a heroin addict by a creepy NVA prison guard, and must live by his wits—and extemporize from heroin fix to heroin fix—as he gains his freedom and returns Stateside. Throughout this ordeal, Sam retains his principles, even with their altered focus, and eventually reunites with his battalion commander from when he was in country.
In some ways Sam hoes the most difficult row of any of Krivak’s characters. Within the narrative, his experience wraps up the soldiering history of the Vinich and Konar men. Krivak treats Sam’s heroic re-emergence from addiction and imprisonment with blunt realism and steady sympathy. It is a harrowing, but rewarding, element of the novel, perhaps the book’s most important.
The Dardan trilogy will stay with me forever. Its beautiful prose, its comprehensive insider’s treatment of the natural world, and its oh-so-compelling characters make it a unique achievement. Take these books up and let yourself be carried along by a master.
https://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/2...
Like the Appearance of Horses takes its title from the second chapter of the Book of Joel, in a passage describing the unstoppable rush of an army that lays waste to the land. This quote enunciates the principal theme of the three books supremely well. War unites this family in heroism, devastating loss, and in tempering the character of all whom it touches.
This novel belongs chiefly to Sam Konar, Jozef Vinich’s second grandson, who, after a series of misadventures (chiefly, engaging in one too many drag races in his hemi head hot rod) is directed by the authorities that his only alternative is to enlist (in the mid-60s) in the Armed Forces.
What follows fills much of the book. Sam does two tours in Vietnam from ‘66 to ’72, near the end of which he is captured and winds up in the notorious North Vietnamese prison dubbed the Hanoi Hilton. There he is forcibly turned into a heroin addict by a creepy NVA prison guard, and must live by his wits—and extemporize from heroin fix to heroin fix—as he gains his freedom and returns Stateside. Throughout this ordeal, Sam retains his principles, even with their altered focus, and eventually reunites with his battalion commander from when he was in country.
In some ways Sam hoes the most difficult row of any of Krivak’s characters. Within the narrative, his experience wraps up the soldiering history of the Vinich and Konar men. Krivak treats Sam’s heroic re-emergence from addiction and imprisonment with blunt realism and steady sympathy. It is a harrowing, but rewarding, element of the novel, perhaps the book’s most important.
The Dardan trilogy will stay with me forever. Its beautiful prose, its comprehensive insider’s treatment of the natural world, and its oh-so-compelling characters make it a unique achievement. Take these books up and let yourself be carried along by a master.
https://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/2...
July 8, 2023
This is a sweeping multigenerational novel that explores the impact of wars on the men who fought them and their loved ones on the homefront. With lyrical prose and a deep understanding of human emotions, Krivak takes his readers across the tumultuous landscape of a century marred by never ending wars. The novel follows three protagonists as they navigate wars — WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. This book is, however, more than a series of war stories. The obvious heroism of Josef, Becks, and Samuel notwithstanding, the novel derives its power from how Krivak handles their individual humanity and grace during the inevitable emotional healing in the aftermath.
By following a format of linked, but distinct stories, Krivak shows how each man was changed by his experience and how connections to the land and loved ones proves essential to recovery. One thing that seems strange about these men, however, is their ambivalence about forever war. Certainly, one can extrapolate this mystery to the population at large. Why does mankind willingly accept the inevitability of participating in brutal and inhumane conflicts? Human nature, revenge, greed, power, and just plain thoughtlessness all seem to play their parts. However, these men are clearly peaceful and not all that patriotic. Despite a familial history, they do not have strong military traditions. Krivak puts a fine point on this conundrum by having Samuel’s son attend a military academy, join the Marines, and eventually go to war himself. In the light of Samuel’s wartime experience in Vietnam and his own harrowing recovery ordeal, this indeed seems incongruous. One can only wonder how none of this would have negatively impacted his son. On hearing that her grandson would be going off to war in Afghanistan, Hannah, aptly observes, “Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?”
While "The Appearance of Horses" is a compelling and beautifully written novel, the pace can be slow at times, emphasizing the introspective nature of the narrative. This may not appeal to those seeking a wartime thriller. However, Krivak has written a poignant and thought-provoking narrative about the enduring impacts of war on those who serve and their families. This book, along with the other two novels in his Darden Trilogy, are clear demonstrations of a masterful storyteller, who can create a captivating reading experience with evocative prose.
By following a format of linked, but distinct stories, Krivak shows how each man was changed by his experience and how connections to the land and loved ones proves essential to recovery. One thing that seems strange about these men, however, is their ambivalence about forever war. Certainly, one can extrapolate this mystery to the population at large. Why does mankind willingly accept the inevitability of participating in brutal and inhumane conflicts? Human nature, revenge, greed, power, and just plain thoughtlessness all seem to play their parts. However, these men are clearly peaceful and not all that patriotic. Despite a familial history, they do not have strong military traditions. Krivak puts a fine point on this conundrum by having Samuel’s son attend a military academy, join the Marines, and eventually go to war himself. In the light of Samuel’s wartime experience in Vietnam and his own harrowing recovery ordeal, this indeed seems incongruous. One can only wonder how none of this would have negatively impacted his son. On hearing that her grandson would be going off to war in Afghanistan, Hannah, aptly observes, “Another one the boy has gone to. Isn’t there always a war?”
While "The Appearance of Horses" is a compelling and beautifully written novel, the pace can be slow at times, emphasizing the introspective nature of the narrative. This may not appeal to those seeking a wartime thriller. However, Krivak has written a poignant and thought-provoking narrative about the enduring impacts of war on those who serve and their families. This book, along with the other two novels in his Darden Trilogy, are clear demonstrations of a masterful storyteller, who can create a captivating reading experience with evocative prose.
May 9, 2023
’Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses, so they run.’ - Joel 2:4
If you have not read a book by Andrew Krivak, you are missing out- BIG TIME! Like the Appearance of Horses is a gripping and masterfully told story of one family and their century of war.
Jozef Vinich settled in the small town of Darden, Pennsylvania after World War I. One day a young man, Bexhet Konar, arrives after his grandfather helped him escape fascist Hungary and traveled to America to find Jozef Vinich. Jozef saved Bexhet's life when he was an infant and delivered him to his grandfather. He is told that Jozeh saved him once and will do so again. There he learns English and falls in love with Jozef's daughter, Hannah. Their son, Sam will fight in Vietnam and come home with addiction and scars. Sam's son will be a Marine on his way to Iraq.
This sounds like a lot to fit into 278 pages, but Krivak does so beautifully and with skill. He tells the story of a family that has fought in many wars and how it affects their lives. It is also about family, love, duty and serving your country. Readers will read as the characters experience love, loss, grief, hope and show strength. If you have read The Sojourn and/or The Signal Flame, you may be familiar with some of the characters.
Andrew Krivak is such a gifted writer. He has written such beautiful and moving passages in this book. I found myself highlighting many passages and putting the book down so I could savor the words. His writing is so beautiful, vivid, and descriptive.
Thank you to Bellevue Literary Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
and like war horses, so they run.’ - Joel 2:4
If you have not read a book by Andrew Krivak, you are missing out- BIG TIME! Like the Appearance of Horses is a gripping and masterfully told story of one family and their century of war.
Jozef Vinich settled in the small town of Darden, Pennsylvania after World War I. One day a young man, Bexhet Konar, arrives after his grandfather helped him escape fascist Hungary and traveled to America to find Jozef Vinich. Jozef saved Bexhet's life when he was an infant and delivered him to his grandfather. He is told that Jozeh saved him once and will do so again. There he learns English and falls in love with Jozef's daughter, Hannah. Their son, Sam will fight in Vietnam and come home with addiction and scars. Sam's son will be a Marine on his way to Iraq.
This sounds like a lot to fit into 278 pages, but Krivak does so beautifully and with skill. He tells the story of a family that has fought in many wars and how it affects their lives. It is also about family, love, duty and serving your country. Readers will read as the characters experience love, loss, grief, hope and show strength. If you have read The Sojourn and/or The Signal Flame, you may be familiar with some of the characters.
Andrew Krivak is such a gifted writer. He has written such beautiful and moving passages in this book. I found myself highlighting many passages and putting the book down so I could savor the words. His writing is so beautiful, vivid, and descriptive.
Thank you to Bellevue Literary Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
May 22, 2024
I first read Andrew Krivak in 2017, when The Signal Flame was published. His glorious prose is something few authors can match. Here we have another novel involving many of the same characters and to an extent, the same setting. I am happy to get back to it.
My thanks go to NetGalley, Highbridge Audio, and Bellevue Literary Press for the review copies. This book is for sale now.
One of the things that initially drew me to Krivak’s writing is that he occupies a sparsely populated niche with his historical fiction. Who else writes about the Romani Resistance of World War II? Who writes about Romani refugees? Most authors are as susceptible as anyone else to trend following and bandwagonism. Krivak is not. He sets his own course, and he does it with spellbinding prose and sterling self-discipline.
Here we see three generations of men that go to war, starting with World War II, then to a P.O.W. camp during the Vietnam War, and finally, to Iraq. This is a rough read, friends. There’s just about every possible trigger, so if you’re protecting the more tender parts of your mind, you may need to pass on this one. On the other hand, if you are looking for a catharsis to bring about a good ugly cry, rush out and get this book right this minute.
Krivak doesn’t write page turners; instead, he draws me in and makes me forget where I am and what I was doing a minute ago. His work is deeply absorbing and at times, moving.
Narrator Jamie Renell gives a flawless performance here. The book is tightly plotted enough, however, that the listener needs to pay careful attention. I had both the audio and ebook formats, and I still got confused once in awhile and had to backtrack.
If I could add one more thing to ice Krivak’s literary cake, it would be a well developed female character. The women that appear here seem to have been planted for the purpose of developing the male characters. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and Krivak has crafted this story around a set of actual people and events, though he says it’s a loose representation, and so I can see why he chooses to focus on the men that go to war; yet, since he is taking a few liberties anyway, would it hurt so very much to send off a soldier girl?
This complaint is a minor one. Krivak is a badass, and I do recommend this book to you.
My thanks go to NetGalley, Highbridge Audio, and Bellevue Literary Press for the review copies. This book is for sale now.
One of the things that initially drew me to Krivak’s writing is that he occupies a sparsely populated niche with his historical fiction. Who else writes about the Romani Resistance of World War II? Who writes about Romani refugees? Most authors are as susceptible as anyone else to trend following and bandwagonism. Krivak is not. He sets his own course, and he does it with spellbinding prose and sterling self-discipline.
Here we see three generations of men that go to war, starting with World War II, then to a P.O.W. camp during the Vietnam War, and finally, to Iraq. This is a rough read, friends. There’s just about every possible trigger, so if you’re protecting the more tender parts of your mind, you may need to pass on this one. On the other hand, if you are looking for a catharsis to bring about a good ugly cry, rush out and get this book right this minute.
Krivak doesn’t write page turners; instead, he draws me in and makes me forget where I am and what I was doing a minute ago. His work is deeply absorbing and at times, moving.
Narrator Jamie Renell gives a flawless performance here. The book is tightly plotted enough, however, that the listener needs to pay careful attention. I had both the audio and ebook formats, and I still got confused once in awhile and had to backtrack.
If I could add one more thing to ice Krivak’s literary cake, it would be a well developed female character. The women that appear here seem to have been planted for the purpose of developing the male characters. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and Krivak has crafted this story around a set of actual people and events, though he says it’s a loose representation, and so I can see why he chooses to focus on the men that go to war; yet, since he is taking a few liberties anyway, would it hurt so very much to send off a soldier girl?
This complaint is a minor one. Krivak is a badass, and I do recommend this book to you.
May 15, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book from Bellevue Literary Press via Net Galley Nov. 2022. While I rarely “read” a book anymore, I read the first few pages and thought it looked good. With the intention of reading it later, haha, April 2024 I saw it was available as an audio book on Net Galley from RB Media. I do the majority of my reading with audio books. So I thank both opportunities to read this book because I needed the eBook when the narration became confusing.
I think my first mistake was not reading the previous 2 books in the trilogy. The inequity between character descriptions and storylines was frustrating. However, I do stand by my rating because the author’s writing style was underwhelming. If you have ever read a Fredrik Backman book, you know he creates pieces of a quilt and sews them together as the story unfolds, leaving a beautiful piece of art. However, the opaqueness and foreshadowing of this storyline did not seem to come together in the end. There was a lot of jumping around and past events or information thrown in randomly.
As for the narration, not good. The way he read the book made it hard to decipher at times who was speaking or what character was presented. Things just ran together. I often had to revert to the eBook to identify what the heck was happening.
I’m not sure I will ever read the other two books in the trilogy, at this point, meh.
For those dedicated readers of this author, no disrespect intended, it was just not for me.
I think my first mistake was not reading the previous 2 books in the trilogy. The inequity between character descriptions and storylines was frustrating. However, I do stand by my rating because the author’s writing style was underwhelming. If you have ever read a Fredrik Backman book, you know he creates pieces of a quilt and sews them together as the story unfolds, leaving a beautiful piece of art. However, the opaqueness and foreshadowing of this storyline did not seem to come together in the end. There was a lot of jumping around and past events or information thrown in randomly.
As for the narration, not good. The way he read the book made it hard to decipher at times who was speaking or what character was presented. Things just ran together. I often had to revert to the eBook to identify what the heck was happening.
I’m not sure I will ever read the other two books in the trilogy, at this point, meh.
For those dedicated readers of this author, no disrespect intended, it was just not for me.
May 8, 2024
Sorry to say that this was a DNF for me.
I believe it is my first one ever. =0
Sad, as I have family in PA, and have been to Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas many times over the years...so I was so looking forward to this one...
Although the premise of the story seemed solid, it just did not hold my attention...and it jumped around a l o t !!
And each time, you are in another war with different players. Very hard to keep up.
Additionally, I had the audiobook, and as someone else mentioned in their review, I felt like someone was reading a textbook to me. So, that definitely did not help at all...
Also, I've come to realize that this is book #3, but it is the first one I've read...so that may also have something to do with it, and if that's the case, that's totally on me!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for an ARC of this audiobook which was released yesterday, 5/7/24. in exchange for an honest review.
Like The Appearance of Horses by Andrew Krivak.
2 ⭐️⭐️ for me.
I believe it is my first one ever. =0
Sad, as I have family in PA, and have been to Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas many times over the years...so I was so looking forward to this one...
Although the premise of the story seemed solid, it just did not hold my attention...and it jumped around a l o t !!
And each time, you are in another war with different players. Very hard to keep up.
Additionally, I had the audiobook, and as someone else mentioned in their review, I felt like someone was reading a textbook to me. So, that definitely did not help at all...
Also, I've come to realize that this is book #3, but it is the first one I've read...so that may also have something to do with it, and if that's the case, that's totally on me!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for an ARC of this audiobook which was released yesterday, 5/7/24. in exchange for an honest review.
Like The Appearance of Horses by Andrew Krivak.
2 ⭐️⭐️ for me.
November 2, 2024
3.5 stars - While Like the Appearance of Horses contains the beautiful prose and emotional depth we’ve come to expect from Krivek’s Darden trilogy and provides a perfectly fine ending to the story of Jozef Vinich’s familly, it ultimately fell short of what I had hoped it could be when I began reading.
Weaving between generations of narrators to fill in the gaps of the stories we heard throughout the signal flame creates some incredibly compelling moments (Paul Younger with Fr. Rovnavaha, Jozef and Hannah unpacking their grief) the story at times felt like it was popping in and out of moments without solid footing until Sam’s return.
Simply put it felt like too many stories spread too thin, when the foundation laid in the first two books felt well flushed out, grounded and thoughtful. While, again, we do finally see this in closing chapters it almost reminded me more of what i wished this work had been.
All that said - absolutely worth your time. There is beauty within the pages, and i did enjoy the book.
Weaving between generations of narrators to fill in the gaps of the stories we heard throughout the signal flame creates some incredibly compelling moments (Paul Younger with Fr. Rovnavaha, Jozef and Hannah unpacking their grief) the story at times felt like it was popping in and out of moments without solid footing until Sam’s return.
Simply put it felt like too many stories spread too thin, when the foundation laid in the first two books felt well flushed out, grounded and thoughtful. While, again, we do finally see this in closing chapters it almost reminded me more of what i wished this work had been.
All that said - absolutely worth your time. There is beauty within the pages, and i did enjoy the book.
May 7, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.
In this sweeping family novel, the reader is introduced to the impacts and realities of sending the men to war, as each generation at least one male fights, most are called heroes even when they return to put the pieces of their lives back together, if they are even able to come home. Krivak layers the experience of soldiers in the country with attempts to reintegrate if they are able to come home, and to the layers of experience faced by immigrants (Roma identity plays a large role in this work).
While the action centers on the male family members, Krivak uses the female characters as the anchors of the story, especially the family matriarch who the book ends with. A woman who is connected to war in every generation of her family: the daughter of a WW1 vet, married to WW2 vet, Mother of Vietnam vet, and grandmother to an Afghanistan vet.
The writing is vivid and detailed, with seams and themes that flow through like subtle waves, moving back and forth through time as we see the return and then the in-country experience of this family.
In this sweeping family novel, the reader is introduced to the impacts and realities of sending the men to war, as each generation at least one male fights, most are called heroes even when they return to put the pieces of their lives back together, if they are even able to come home. Krivak layers the experience of soldiers in the country with attempts to reintegrate if they are able to come home, and to the layers of experience faced by immigrants (Roma identity plays a large role in this work).
While the action centers on the male family members, Krivak uses the female characters as the anchors of the story, especially the family matriarch who the book ends with. A woman who is connected to war in every generation of her family: the daughter of a WW1 vet, married to WW2 vet, Mother of Vietnam vet, and grandmother to an Afghanistan vet.
The writing is vivid and detailed, with seams and themes that flow through like subtle waves, moving back and forth through time as we see the return and then the in-country experience of this family.
Read
September 23, 2024What is it with authors about not using quotation marks? I don't have a strong opinion about it as I can easily adjust to it. Not using them does change the tone of the book for sure, I'm just not sure what word I would use to describe that change, so I would be curious to hear what the author's intent is.
The way the author describes both war and being in the mountain regions reminds me of Hemmingway's writing. That very matter of fact language. And it is obvious the author did a lot of research about very particular times and regions. Still I am a little underwhelmed. Part of it is the multi-generational approach which isn't my favourite. I almost always prefer a more concentrated story about one person's life then a family saga and that's just personal ... nothing to do with how good a writer Krivak is.
The way the author describes both war and being in the mountain regions reminds me of Hemmingway's writing. That very matter of fact language. And it is obvious the author did a lot of research about very particular times and regions. Still I am a little underwhelmed. Part of it is the multi-generational approach which isn't my favourite. I almost always prefer a more concentrated story about one person's life then a family saga and that's just personal ... nothing to do with how good a writer Krivak is.
May 29, 2023
Jozef is a survivor of WWI and he settles in a small town in Pennsylvania. Bexhet escapes fascist Hungary and crosses the ocean to find Jozef, who saved his life in 1919. He marries Jozef's daughter and enlists in the army for WWII. Years later, their youngest son, Sam is a prisoner during the war of Vietnam; he returns him with a heroin addiction and many scars. Sam's son graduates from Annapolis and goes to the war in Iraq. In sparse words, the author describes these lives who were tested by a sense of duty. I wanted more from the plot -- the emotions, thoughts, etc of the characters.
November 22, 2023
Like the Appearance of Horses is the long awaited capstone in Andrew Krivak’s Dardan Trilogy*. Spanning more than a century, Krivak's saga looks at the impact of war on one family across generations. Krivak is an exceptionally gifted writer. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
* The Sojourn, the first novel and National Book Award finalist, won the 2012 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an annual award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace. The Signal Flame (2017) is the second. While each of the three novels stands on its own, reading them in order would be a more satisfying experience.
* The Sojourn, the first novel and National Book Award finalist, won the 2012 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an annual award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace. The Signal Flame (2017) is the second. While each of the three novels stands on its own, reading them in order would be a more satisfying experience.
May 21, 2023
LIKE THE APPEARANCES OF HORSES
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
My review for "The Signal Flame," can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for "The Bear," can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Publication Date: May 9, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley, Andrew Krivak and Bellevue Literary Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#LiketheAppearanceofHorses #AndrewKrivak #BellevueLiteraryPress #NetGalley
BY: ANDREW KRIVAK
I am always thrilled when one of my all time favorite Authors writes a new novel. Andrew Krivak has accomplished another astonishing addition to his trilogy when returning to the two thousand acres Jozef Vinich has amassed in Dardan, Pennsylvania. "Like the Appearance of Horses," is Literary fiction, and Historical fiction of the highest order. It is the third of this gifted Authors trilogy beginning with, "The Sojourn," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I absolutely fell in love with this gifted Author's novel which I discovered in 2017, called, "The Signal Flame," which was the second novel in this powerful trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, as with all three of them. Andrew Krivak's latest effervescent, and third of this trilogy is called, "Like the Appearance of Horses," is also a magnificent addition with the same beautiful writing that is breathtaking throughout everything he produces.
This third of the trilogy I found to be epic in scope and multifaceted in that it begins with returning to Jozef Vinich, the patriarch of this family, and his wife Helen. They inhabit a large homestead that their daughter Hannah inherits that is two thousand acres of orchards, rivers and mountains in Dardan, Pennsylvania. Helen and a young Hannah get sick from the flu, which Helen sadly dies leaving a bereft young Hannah who recovers missing her mother. Bexhet Konar whom Jozef saved as a baby, emigrates to Dardan in 1933, with Jozef welcoming him treating him as a son. In May of 1940, Bexhet marries Hannah whom they have been deeply in love with one another for years.
One of the things that I appreciated about this latest installment is that it reintroduces these characters so that it refreshed my memory so that as I said earlier they all work brilliantly well as a standalone. Even though the main focus is to delve more deeply in details about Bexhet Konar, which I appreciated, because he was one of my favorite characters from, "The Signal Flame,"in which he had previously played a minor role. His gentle nature imbued with a pure heart is really a peace loving man whose circumstances broke my heart. So I was enamored that this novel's aim was to place most of its focus on Bexhet, and his youngest son Samuel Konar and, feature their stories as the main emphasis.
I really loved Jozef, Hannah, and Bo from, "The Signal Flame," but their roles served more of a back drop in this novel. This newest novel definitely seemed geared towards the greater in depth roles with the character developments of Bexhet Konar, and Samuel Konar. My favorite being Bexhet feeling as though he ended up still with much more of my sympathy at the tragic events which were explored. I guess Samuel's circumstances were also heartbreaking, but I felt he was responsible for the choices he made. I didn't like any member of the Younger family. I didn't like Paul Younger, even though the novel deals with what he did was an accident. I understood Hannah's dislike for Paul Younger. I also understood her not wanting either of her sons getting involved with Paul Younger's daughter Ruth. I didn't like what Ruth, and Bo did to Samuel. I felt that Ruth Younger and Bo Konar were selfish which most likely contributed to Samuel leaving his home. The text even states that when Samuel was a POW his thoughts that made him a survivor were his memories hunting, and fishing the land he grew up on with his Grandfather, Jozef. I'm even disappointed with Jozef leaving the two thousand acres to only one grandson, which was Bo. I didn't see that as fair to Samuel, seeing as Jozef had two grandsons.
My favorite parts of the novel revolve around the family, and their relationships. Even though I thought that Bexhet, Hannah, and Samuel had been dealt with more than their fair share of heartbreak, I admired each one of them for how they handled their situations. I think that this is another example of how skilled and psychologically astute Andrew Krivak has proved himself to be. This is another outstanding literary masterpiece carefully crafted by him. His ability to elicit such strong emotions from me towards his characters are one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite Authors. His use of language is exemplary. I love all of his books, yet I feel that this one was the hardest for me to review. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this novel has a large part devoted to both, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. While I still found myself interested, understanding why they were necessary for the Author to include, I do think Bexhet's section about World War II, could use some editing. It was excessive with too many details making it dense. I don't think that a blow by blow recounting of every single conflict needs to be included for the reader to understand Bexhet Konar's reasons for his actions. I don't feel as though this review does this book justice, but it is not for the lack of trying.
My review for "The Signal Flame," can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for "The Bear," can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Publication Date: May 9, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley, Andrew Krivak and Bellevue Literary Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#LiketheAppearanceofHorses #AndrewKrivak #BellevueLiteraryPress #NetGalley
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