What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lion Trees #1-2
The Lion Trees
"THE LION TREES" -- WINNER OF THE KINDLE BOOK AWARD!
What if survival required you to unlearn who you are? How far would you fall to save yourself? Sometimes happiness is along way down.
The Johns family is unraveling. Hollis, a retired Ohio banker, isolates himself in esoteric hobbies and a dangerous flirtation with a colleague's daughter. Susan, his wife of forty years, risks everything for a second chance at who she might have been. David, their eldest, thrashes to stay afloat as his teaching career capsizes in a storm of accusations over a missing student and the legacy of Christopher Columbus. While Tilly, the black sheep, trades her literary promise for an improbable career as a starlet, and then struggles to define herself amidst a humiliating scandal and the judgment of an uncompromising writer.
By turns comical, suspenseful and poignant, the Johns family is tumbling toward the discovery that sometimes youhave to let go of your identity to find out who you are.
What if survival required you to unlearn who you are? How far would you fall to save yourself? Sometimes happiness is along way down.
The Johns family is unraveling. Hollis, a retired Ohio banker, isolates himself in esoteric hobbies and a dangerous flirtation with a colleague's daughter. Susan, his wife of forty years, risks everything for a second chance at who she might have been. David, their eldest, thrashes to stay afloat as his teaching career capsizes in a storm of accusations over a missing student and the legacy of Christopher Columbus. While Tilly, the black sheep, trades her literary promise for an improbable career as a starlet, and then struggles to define herself amidst a humiliating scandal and the judgment of an uncompromising writer.
By turns comical, suspenseful and poignant, the Johns family is tumbling toward the discovery that sometimes youhave to let go of your identity to find out who you are.
1600 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2016
About the author
Owen Thomas
57 books68 followersOwen Thomas is a life-long Alaskan living on Maui because life is too short for long winters. He has written six books: "The Lion Trees" (which has garnered over sixteen international book awards, including the Amazon Kindle Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Book and Author Book of the Year, the Beverly Hills International Book Award and, most recently, a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards); “Mother Blues,” (a novel of music and mystery set in post-Hurricane Harvey Texas); “Message in a Bullet: A Raymond Mackey Mystery,” (the first in a series of detective novels); "The Russian Doll" (the second installment in that series); "Signs of Passing" (a book of interconnected short stories, and winner of fourteen book awards, including the Pacific Book Awards for Short Fiction, also named one of the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year by Shelf Unbound Magazine); and “This is the Dream,” (a collection of stories and novellas that explore that perplexing liminal distance between who we are and what we want). Owen maintains an active fiction and photography blog on Facebook, Tumblr and on his author website at www.owenthomasliterary.com.
For the ninth consecutive year since he has been measuring his commercial success as an author, Owen has not won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Also, to great acclaim, he has not won the Man Booker Prize. Most recently, in April of 2020, Owen was not nominated for a Pulitzer.
Owen makes his home in Alaska and Hawaii. When he is not writing, Owen can be found recreating and taking photographs in the grandeur of these wonderfully picturesque locations. Some of these photos are posted on Owen's photo blog, 1000 Words per Frame.
For the ninth consecutive year since he has been measuring his commercial success as an author, Owen has not won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Also, to great acclaim, he has not won the Man Booker Prize. Most recently, in April of 2020, Owen was not nominated for a Pulitzer.
Owen makes his home in Alaska and Hawaii. When he is not writing, Owen can be found recreating and taking photographs in the grandeur of these wonderfully picturesque locations. Some of these photos are posted on Owen's photo blog, 1000 Words per Frame.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 6, 2019
Very disappointing book with lots of errors and technical problems
Never more disappointed in a book than when I finished this one. It clearly had potential for me to drudge thru 800 pages to then find that it is poorly completed. The story could have been told in half the time and less redundancy but I finally got into the rhythm of the story being told by different characters. It still was way too detailed adding little if aby value to the story. Then in the last couple of chapters he tries to wrap up all the details leaving much unsaid.
The potential was there but apparently no editor. And apparently not even friends willing to proof read. It takes more than spellcheck to edit a book. I found the number of errors extremely distracting. And the technical difficulties with amazon kindle and this book were huge. Literally everytime I accessed the book it had lost location and book marks so I wasted even more time rereading an already boring book just to get back to where I was.
This book was recommended to my by amazon either veryvcheap or thru their lending library. I would never waste money on this book, even though it is apparently an award winner. If this had been tied up better at the end then I would say it has potential. I personally feel cheated out of the ending. Many details left out after wasting hours reading the book. There is a quote in the book about words being precious to an author. Clearly not important to this guy who seemed to assign himself writing hundreds of pages to torture his reader to then quickly end the book without many necessary details.
Never more disappointed in a book than when I finished this one. It clearly had potential for me to drudge thru 800 pages to then find that it is poorly completed. The story could have been told in half the time and less redundancy but I finally got into the rhythm of the story being told by different characters. It still was way too detailed adding little if aby value to the story. Then in the last couple of chapters he tries to wrap up all the details leaving much unsaid.
The potential was there but apparently no editor. And apparently not even friends willing to proof read. It takes more than spellcheck to edit a book. I found the number of errors extremely distracting. And the technical difficulties with amazon kindle and this book were huge. Literally everytime I accessed the book it had lost location and book marks so I wasted even more time rereading an already boring book just to get back to where I was.
This book was recommended to my by amazon either veryvcheap or thru their lending library. I would never waste money on this book, even though it is apparently an award winner. If this had been tied up better at the end then I would say it has potential. I personally feel cheated out of the ending. Many details left out after wasting hours reading the book. There is a quote in the book about words being precious to an author. Clearly not important to this guy who seemed to assign himself writing hundreds of pages to torture his reader to then quickly end the book without many necessary details.
April 23, 2018
Georgeous prose, beautiful characters, terrific story and pacing. I don’t do many 5 stars - this really is a lovely world to fall into. Like the best stories, it taps into something archetypal that leaves one feeling as if you’ve evolved with the characters.
January 13, 2015
I got this book through librarything.com giveaway in Exchange for an honest review.
I must say that I don't tend to give stars just for the sake of being polite or just because I've gotten books for free.
But this book definately deserves 5 star rating. It's awesome! It's amazing! It's fantastic! And what's more important, it's live. Every page is vibrant, full of emotions, energy and attitude. It seems that characters are so independent that they are living their own lives; they all have different, specific traits of character, and it really seems impossible that they are made by one and the same person's imagination.
The way the characters are interacting is so real that it makes you laugh - hearing but not really listening, watching but not really seeing. You can find a little peace of yourself in most of the situations and characters. Mainly, isn't that true that we all are living in the world of perception? We think that we know what others are thinking and what their motivations are, but most of the time the truth behind is something totally different from what it seems to be. We never see the real person - only his reflection in our selfs, which leads to misunderstandings and a whole bunch of humorous situations. And the way how we perceive ourselfs is also a walk in the paradise of broken mirrors.
I really enjoyed the parts where one thing was described from different character's point of view. At times I even laughed out loud and it's not typically for me that's for sure.
I also liked the structure of the book. At first I thought that this jumping from one character to another would be chaotic but not this time. Mixed with the good storyline, it worked in favour of the story. Most of the time at the end of the chapter I was left hanging - longing to know what will happen next - but after just a couple of minutes I was fully engaged with another character and another part of the story. This way the book never got boring.
I can't wait to lay my hands on the second book!
I must say that I don't tend to give stars just for the sake of being polite or just because I've gotten books for free.
But this book definately deserves 5 star rating. It's awesome! It's amazing! It's fantastic! And what's more important, it's live. Every page is vibrant, full of emotions, energy and attitude. It seems that characters are so independent that they are living their own lives; they all have different, specific traits of character, and it really seems impossible that they are made by one and the same person's imagination.
The way the characters are interacting is so real that it makes you laugh - hearing but not really listening, watching but not really seeing. You can find a little peace of yourself in most of the situations and characters. Mainly, isn't that true that we all are living in the world of perception? We think that we know what others are thinking and what their motivations are, but most of the time the truth behind is something totally different from what it seems to be. We never see the real person - only his reflection in our selfs, which leads to misunderstandings and a whole bunch of humorous situations. And the way how we perceive ourselfs is also a walk in the paradise of broken mirrors.
I really enjoyed the parts where one thing was described from different character's point of view. At times I even laughed out loud and it's not typically for me that's for sure.
I also liked the structure of the book. At first I thought that this jumping from one character to another would be chaotic but not this time. Mixed with the good storyline, it worked in favour of the story. Most of the time at the end of the chapter I was left hanging - longing to know what will happen next - but after just a couple of minutes I was fully engaged with another character and another part of the story. This way the book never got boring.
I can't wait to lay my hands on the second book!
February 8, 2020
The Lion Trees is a beautifully written, superbly constructed novel that slowly builds, like a symphony of words, to a rousing crescendo of revelation. Its minute examination and dissection of the motives and aspirations of the highly dysfunctional John’s family, is nothing short of a journey into the soul of humanity.
While most great books strive toward one or two great realizations; The Lion Trees seems to have an epiphany on every page. Characters continually reinvent themselves as they grow; while readers repeatedly find themselves reassessing the actors and storylines with each newly discovered fact.
Thomas is the rare author who possesses both the skill and insight to construct a true literary work; while deftly wielding the tools of best-selling writers leaving readers hanging at the close of each chapter.
His writing is so descriptive and perfectly crafted, it is difficult to single out any particular example; however here he provides what is perhaps the definitive description of writers..."We live other, inchoate lives. No one can come with us. No one can follow us into those dark, crenelated warrens. Everyone must wait until we decide to reappear, triumphant with pages in our hand like the head of some foreign king that we have severed with the nib of a pen."
A must read on all counts.
While most great books strive toward one or two great realizations; The Lion Trees seems to have an epiphany on every page. Characters continually reinvent themselves as they grow; while readers repeatedly find themselves reassessing the actors and storylines with each newly discovered fact.
Thomas is the rare author who possesses both the skill and insight to construct a true literary work; while deftly wielding the tools of best-selling writers leaving readers hanging at the close of each chapter.
His writing is so descriptive and perfectly crafted, it is difficult to single out any particular example; however here he provides what is perhaps the definitive description of writers..."We live other, inchoate lives. No one can come with us. No one can follow us into those dark, crenelated warrens. Everyone must wait until we decide to reappear, triumphant with pages in our hand like the head of some foreign king that we have severed with the nib of a pen."
A must read on all counts.
December 31, 2014
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. The first part of this two-part book is just marvelous. I thought I would have a problem reading such a long book, that I would become bored. Bored I most absolutely am not! I'm glad it's not over yet and I still have a long time to spend with these characters and their stories. This is a serious literary piece of work - so why then am I laughing so much?! Humorous, suspenseful, gripping. Mr. Thomas certainly has a way with words and knows how to tell a story and keep you hooked. Will save a more detailed review for when I've finished Part 2.
February 1, 2017
Fabulous. Ended a little too quickly tho!
July 13, 2018
It took me a little while to really get into this book, but once I did it didn't disappoint. The different perspectives the characters share the story from makes it very compelling.
March 4, 2022
The Lion Trees is one of those rare books that makes you want to stay up all night reading. It's a book that stays with you even when you're not reading it. You become emotionally invested in the characters and get to know them well. The book entices you to read it.
🔹It's tough to summarise the plot, not only because of its length, but also because it's complex. I believe this work is best defined as a collection of "slices of life" that flow from page to page.
🔹Owen Thomas takes a look at the subject of relationships. These glances are frequently amusing, but he can also be tough and in your face. This book is insightful and even fascinating at moments, giving the reader a sensation of nostalgia that is unrelated to the past. I rooted for these flawed characters as if they were rock stars, since they are intimately linked into flawed relationships.
🔹I'm not sure if this is Mr. Thomas's debut novel or if he's written a hundred. But, if it doesn't make the bestseller list, I'm afraid there's an editor out there who isn't doing their job.
Thanks For reading....❣️
🔹It's tough to summarise the plot, not only because of its length, but also because it's complex. I believe this work is best defined as a collection of "slices of life" that flow from page to page.
🔹Owen Thomas takes a look at the subject of relationships. These glances are frequently amusing, but he can also be tough and in your face. This book is insightful and even fascinating at moments, giving the reader a sensation of nostalgia that is unrelated to the past. I rooted for these flawed characters as if they were rock stars, since they are intimately linked into flawed relationships.
🔹I'm not sure if this is Mr. Thomas's debut novel or if he's written a hundred. But, if it doesn't make the bestseller list, I'm afraid there's an editor out there who isn't doing their job.
Thanks For reading....❣️
September 17, 2022
This is a book by a dysfunctional family. I have never read a book like this. It was one that when i started to read this, I couldn't put it down. I was intrigued by each character. I had to find out what was going on with each character. I cannot wait to read the second book to find out more about each character. I highly recommend this book. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have! Enjoy!!
December 30, 2021
Epic in length and originality
Loved the book, although it took awhile to read. There was such depth to the characters with such complicated relationships.
Loved the book, although it took awhile to read. There was such depth to the characters with such complicated relationships.
August 8, 2024
Great book!
As hard as it may be for some to imagine, I did not want this 1836 page book to end.
As hard as it may be for some to imagine, I did not want this 1836 page book to end.
February 2, 2020
This is a long book at 799 pages and requires a commitment to read. It’s a story about a dysfunctional family: a mother, father, grown son, and grown daughter. (There is another son with Down Syndrome.) The four main characters alternate chapters. Each of them has their own issues, personal and with each other. The writing is beautifully descriptive as each of their situations become more dire and you’re drawn in. But there are a few criticisms. I couldn’t understand why it felt jarring when a new chapter began with a different character’s perspective. It finally hit me that two of the characters, the mother and father, are told in third person, while the daughter’s and son’s are told in first person. There is also some inconsistency with past and present tense, and sometimes it was difficult to tell who was speaking in conversations. We spend the least amount of time with the mother and most with the father, who I found the least interesting of the four. Some of the tangential stories that a few of the characters tell are unnecessarily verbose. Most people wouldn’t speak so poetically and descriptively and at such length. The character of Cait also seemed too convenient, especially as much as she helped the son. What would he have done without her? Possibly learned to save himself, which was essential to his growth. The characters do grow and there’s a nice summary at the end. But also an unanswered question: why is the character in the first chapter in a coma? Otherwise, an involving, interesting beautifully written story with characters you care about, that, although long, is engrossing and enjoyable.
September 19, 2018
I generally prefer books that can be consumed in a week or two, featuring short chapters and a table of contents that can be contained to a page--so The Lion Trees was a daunting undertaking for this reader of short attention span. However, the investment in time and effort paid dividends, and I look forward to more from the author. For me, the work brings to mind Jonathan Frantzen and Tom Wolfe--writers of deep family studies with layer upon layer of character development. Wordy, lengthy, and compulsively readable. Characters who are certain to live on in the mind of the reader long after the last page is turned. Bravo, Owen Thomas!
It is particularly interesting--vexing--hopeful--that a work of such undeniable merit was ignored by the conventional- publishing literary establishment. That agents and publishers shunned Owen Thomas's exceptional work should be taken as inspiration to all writers of serious fiction who turn to independent publishing. It is some consolation there are, at least, fewer mute Miltons than before the genesis of Amazon.
It is particularly interesting--vexing--hopeful--that a work of such undeniable merit was ignored by the conventional- publishing literary establishment. That agents and publishers shunned Owen Thomas's exceptional work should be taken as inspiration to all writers of serious fiction who turn to independent publishing. It is some consolation there are, at least, fewer mute Miltons than before the genesis of Amazon.
March 1, 2019
I'm conflicted about this book, which is why I've landed on 3 stars. I feel like with a heavy-handed edit, this story could be a masterpiece - and I'd very much like to read that book. The writing in many places is absolutely stunning. And the author did a fantastic job of weaving these individual yet connected stories in such a way that I HAD to keep reading.
But there were major character inconsistencies (***SPOILER how does a babbling idiot of a housewife suddenly turn into an inspiring figurehead of a movement? How does a man who's spent decades ruining relationships and deluding himself about himself a complete awakening in all of 5 seconds flat? END SPOILER***) and far too many extraneous passages.
The ending was a disappointment. After spending hundreds and hundreds of pages diving deep into these characters' stories, we're given a rushed epilogue-type summary that tries to pack in far too much information, leaving me overwhelmed with all kinds of new information and no real closure.
But there were major character inconsistencies (***SPOILER how does a babbling idiot of a housewife suddenly turn into an inspiring figurehead of a movement? How does a man who's spent decades ruining relationships and deluding himself about himself a complete awakening in all of 5 seconds flat? END SPOILER***) and far too many extraneous passages.
The ending was a disappointment. After spending hundreds and hundreds of pages diving deep into these characters' stories, we're given a rushed epilogue-type summary that tries to pack in far too much information, leaving me overwhelmed with all kinds of new information and no real closure.
May 6, 2017
The Lion Tree
This novel has so many plots and subplots that it is a slow read. The story is told from the perspective of several different characters and that makes for a lot of repetition as we read about the same incidents over and over with just the perspective of the teller being different. It has a good storyline but too much political rhetoric for me. Almost two entire chapters are nothing but a political diatribe which took away a lot from the story. This author has talent but in my opinion needs to focus more on the story and less on pushing his political agenda.
This novel has so many plots and subplots that it is a slow read. The story is told from the perspective of several different characters and that makes for a lot of repetition as we read about the same incidents over and over with just the perspective of the teller being different. It has a good storyline but too much political rhetoric for me. Almost two entire chapters are nothing but a political diatribe which took away a lot from the story. This author has talent but in my opinion needs to focus more on the story and less on pushing his political agenda.
February 28, 2018
4.5
I loved this book, with the exception that about 25% of it could be edited out and the book would be better for it. There were also some typos and minor such errors throughout the book. That is why I gave the book a 4.5 instead of a 5. The book is so good that those editing issues really didn't mar the overall quality. If you are looking for an intelligent, engrossing read, read this is!
I loved this book, with the exception that about 25% of it could be edited out and the book would be better for it. There were also some typos and minor such errors throughout the book. That is why I gave the book a 4.5 instead of a 5. The book is so good that those editing issues really didn't mar the overall quality. If you are looking for an intelligent, engrossing read, read this is!
January 14, 2019
So long
Sorry. Many readers report loving this novel. I tried. I picked it up. Put it down. Hoped I would like the characters the more I knew them. No. I found them quite unlikable. All of them... skewed, damaged, self-absorbed, lacking commonsense & perspective. Hoped I would find something that appealed in the jumpy narrative. Life's too short, I had to break up with The Lion Trees. It was me, not you.
Sorry. Many readers report loving this novel. I tried. I picked it up. Put it down. Hoped I would like the characters the more I knew them. No. I found them quite unlikable. All of them... skewed, damaged, self-absorbed, lacking commonsense & perspective. Hoped I would find something that appealed in the jumpy narrative. Life's too short, I had to break up with The Lion Trees. It was me, not you.
May 5, 2018
I was totally absorbed by this book. In general I wanted to see how things ended. Would there be a "happy" ending & what would count as a "happy" ending. I identified with Hollis and have had similar experiences with different outcomes. He made me reconsider the way that I "manage" my wife...and be kinder
March 8, 2017
This book came highly recommended but I never got it. All I got out of it was the whole family were selfish and wanted there own way in everything they thought and did except for the Down's syndrome boy. He was the only admirable person in the whole book.
June 23, 2017
Among the best books I have read this year. Emotionally riveting. It contains several interlocking stories, spanning time and different points of view. It was easy to love all of the characters, despite their flaws, or maybe because of their flaws. Recommended to everyone.
September 18, 2017
This book was amazing, one of my all time favorites! The four main characters were so real that I could identify with each of them.My only complaint; this book could have been edited down to be about 2/3 of its formidable length.
February 16, 2019
Intriguing
Complicated story about the tumultuous relationships between family members and friends. Wonderful characters including an actress, a teacher, students, a special needs boy and an activist. Great read.
Complicated story about the tumultuous relationships between family members and friends. Wonderful characters including an actress, a teacher, students, a special needs boy and an activist. Great read.
May 31, 2017
Exceptional
Beautifully written, emotionally engaging. Loved this story. ... ... ... . .. ... ... .. ... . ... ... ......
Beautifully written, emotionally engaging. Loved this story. ... ... ... . .. ... ... .. ... . ... ... ......
Read
July 2, 2017Great
August 30, 2018
Very good
Very long... But very a good book. Owen brings the characters alive and portrays a life that could have been any one of our own.
Very long... But very a good book. Owen brings the characters alive and portrays a life that could have been any one of our own.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews