The Overstory by Richard Powers is a Pulitzer Prize Winner. It is literature with a capital “L”: lengthy, at times opaque, layered, thematic, uniquely structured, nuanced. The first 150 pages introduce a cast of characters in their individual chapters. These characters are brought together (although some quite peripherally) and entwined with their connection to trees and preservation. These first 150 pages are slow, as it is all exposition; however, after that the story does begin to envelope the reader.
The deliberate pacing mirrors the enduring perspective of trees, which long outpaces human life. Because of the nuance and layers, this is a good discussion and thought book. It is not necessarily a pleasure to read, but the magic of the narrative is accomplished. By halfway through the book, the reader feels almost compelled to go outside and look at, admire, and perhaps even hug a tree. This novel is both a love letter to trees and a call to action.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 14 religious exclamations; 39 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity; 8 derogatory names; 50 scatological words; 8 anatomical terms; 1 offensive hand gesture; 37 F-word derivatives.
Violence/Gore: General references to wars, deaths, etc.; death by asphyxiation ; parent commits suicide with some description of aftermath; boy slaps mother; father breaks son’s wrist as punishment; brother kicks brother; sister disappears–presumed raped and dead; character in Vietnam war is shot down, injuries; serious injury; death in car accident; character is accidentally electrocuted; dream of fighting n war; death by heart attack; descriptive scene of conflict/struggle between loggers, protesters, and police with dragging, shoving, mace, etc.; police pepper spray protesters; character punched and knocked out; implied threat; violent confrontation between protesters and loggers resulting in severe injuries, destruction of property, etc.; arson; explosion and a death; mention that a kid killed his mother in Korea over a game; someone tries to drive someone off the road, injury; report killed in bombing; protests watched on TV; fall resulting in injury; report of violent death of poachers; characters commits suicide.
Sex/Nudity: Implied Sex; talking to someone on the phone, man desires another man; passing references to affairs and sex/romance w/both sexes; passing reference to masturbation, affairs; girl wonders in passing what her parents are doing in their room and if they are naked; reference o being a lesbian; characters have sex, no description; reference to sex workers; vague allusion to possible sexual encounter; characters hold hands; reference to married couple screwing each other senseless; implication of masturbation/ref to sex toy; character thinks about another sexually; character comes on to another character; man desires a woman; sexual references; married character sneaks out to have sex/adultery, brief scene.
Mature Subject Matter:
Environmentalism, marriage infidelity, eco-terrorism, death, suicide, destruction of the environment/forests by humans, police brutality.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Passing reference to drugs; character gets high; adults and college-age characters drink; character takes codeine; reference to dope; reference to getting high; reference to thimble of hash.
