So, I have to admit that if I hadn't been reading this for my book club I would have quit after the first 20 pages. I just couldn't get into the characters. It turns out my problem was the early histories of each character that didn't grab me and that as I got further into the novel the plot picked up for me. That said, I still think many elements of the plot, especially the surprise re-emergence of some key characters, seemed really artificial to me. Upon reflection, I think the author could have cut the "Monsieur" character out of the plot entirely and had a much more readable story. And I was left with questions unanswered such as What happened to one character's wife and child when he abandoned them? What about Olivier's fate? Did he return to France? Stay in America? I am OK with a little ambivalence, but these unanswered questions were annoying for me.

I love both main characters, completely distinct voices and very funny. And the cover I have is vastly better than the one here on Good Reads!

Didn't finish this one. Good characters but not enough forward movement for me.

A book so beautifully crafted you didn't want it to end, Peter Carey blends humour with gentle satire while crafting two distinctly separate characters perfectly.
You fall in love with both Parrot and Olivier, for very different reasons, and you enjoy their tales and journeys as they attempt to tackle the great mystery of America.
So rarely has a book ended, leaving such a warm feeling in the heart and a smile on the face.

I suspect this was a good book with “good writing” and “character development” and “exploration of early democracy compared to monarchistic Europe.” I know this book was a slog. A long, drawn-out slog that I cared nothing about. If you want to read a book by Carey, I highly recommend The True History of the Kelly Gang. It involves the same great immersion into the time, the voice and the characters but is actually readable and enjoyable.

Loved the concept, passages were great, characters were compassionate and believable. I had trouble with how the book moved along - I did it mind that it was episodic as there was a lifetime to cover but it the transition were abrupt without any apparent reason.

I enjoyed the story, the pacing and the characters. Loosely based on de Tocqueville's visit to America after the French and American revolutions, so lots of commentary on America vs. Europe at that time. Alternating chapters between a French aristocrat and an English commoner and the opportunities in the Old and New Worlds. Highly recommended.

I'm not sure why, but I just don't get Peter Carey. I struggle to get through his novels (this is my second try), and when I finish them, there is an overwhelming sense of "What tha...?"

tough going at the beginning but I am glad I stuck with it, because I did end up enjoying it and now I want to find out a bit more about deTocqueville.